- Friday, February 28, 2025
Following the court proceedings, Ranaut shared a photograph with Akhtar and mentioned that Akhtar had agreed to write songs for her upcoming film
By: India Weekly
BOLLYWOOD actor Kangana Ranaut and lyricist Javed Akhtar on Friday (28) reached a settlement through mediation in a defamation case that lasted nearly five years.
The legal dispute, which began in 2020 when Akhtar accused Ranaut of defaming him in an interview, concluded with Ranaut withdrawing her statements and apologising for any inconvenience caused. The court accepted their statements and disposed of the complaints.
The case stemmed from Ranaut’s remarks in a news interview where she mentioned Akhtar while discussing actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.
Akhtar alleged that these statements harmed his reputation. In response, Ranaut filed a counter-complaint against Akhtar, accusing him of criminal intimidation and insult to modesty.
On Friday, both appeared before a special court in Mumbai and formally withdrew their complaints. Ranaut stated in court that her remarks were based on a “misunderstanding” and assured that she would not repeat them.
“I hereby unconditionally withdraw all the statements made by me in the interview and thereafter I undertake not to repeat the same in future. I apologise for the inconvenience caused to Javed Akhtar who is one of the most senior members of the film fraternity and I have the highest regard for him,” she said.
Following the court proceedings, Ranaut shared a photograph with Akhtar, stating that their legal matter had been resolved. She also mentioned that Akhtar had agreed to write songs for her upcoming film.
Ranaut’s lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee and Akhtar’s lawyer Jay Kumar Bhardwaj confirmed that the matter was settled through an hour-long mediation.
“We had been discussing mediation for some time. Today, the final wording was agreed upon, the draft was signed, and both cases were withdrawn,” Siddiquee said.
The case was initially handled by a magistrate court in Andheri but was later transferred to a special magistrate court designated for cases involving MPs and MLAs after Ranaut was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh in 2024.
The court, after reviewing their statements, ruled that both parties had settled the matter through mediation and officially acquitted them.
