Kangana Ranaut, Javed Akhtar settle defamation case

Kangana Ranaut and Javed Akhtar have settled their long-running legal dispute over a defamation case lodged by the veteran screenwriter against the actor. Kangana Ranaut announced the development on social media by sharing a picture of herself with Akhtar. The photo was taken at a magistrate’s court in Bandra, Mumbai on Friday where the two settled their five-year-long feud.

"Today, Javed ji and I have resolved our legal matter (defamation case) through mediation. In the mediation, Javed ji has been very kind and gracious. He also agreed to write songs for my next directorial,” Kangana wrote in her post.

Akhtar and Ranaut reached Bandra magistrate’s court around 10:30 this morning and went into the chamber of Magistrate Ashish Awari, accompanied by their lawyers, Jay K. Bharadwaj and Rizwan Siddiquee, respectively. After over an hour in the chamber, the lawyers stepped out to get some papers to record Ranaut and Akhtar's statements.

According to the statements, Akhtar and Ranaut have agreed to withdraw the defamation cases they filed against each other. Upon exiting the court, Javed Akhtar told media, “After all these years, the matters are finally settled. She has apologised for all the inconvenience caused to me. I will take back my case and she will take back her case."

Kangana and Javed Akhtar's legal battle began in 2020 after the latter filed a complaint against her, accusing her of making defamatory remarks against him in a television interview.

Back in 2016, Kangana Ranaut and actor Hrithik Roshan had a public fallout. Javed Akhtar, who is said to be close to the Roshan family, allegedly asked Kangana Ranaut to apologise to Hrithik Roshan during that meeting.

Akhtar had claimed that Ranaut defamed and damaged his 'immaculate reputation' by dragging his name into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death in her interview.

In 2021, Ranaut hit back by filing a counter-complaint against Akhtar before a magistrate's court, alleging criminal intimidation and insult to modesty. She had claimed that during her meeting with Akhtar at his residence in 2016, he criminally intimidated her, demanding that she apologise to a co-star.