Nearly a month after Javed Akhtar and Kangana Ranaut resolved their long-standing defamation case, veteran actress Shabana Azmi has spoken out, expressing her dissatisfaction with the way the media has reported the matter. The legal battle, which began in 2020, concluded earlier this year in February with a settlement. However, Shabana believes the press misrepresented the resolution as a "mutual settlement," failing to highlight the key aspect of the case.
Javed Akhtar was seeking written apology
According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, Shabana clarified that Javed Akhtar was never interested in financial compensation but only sought a written apology from Kangana. “They had asked for no monetary compensation but for her apology in writing. The victory is his and his lawyer Jay Bhardwaj’s,” she was quoted as saying by Bollywood Hungama.
Addressing the media’s portrayal of the settlement, Shabana voiced her concerns, saying, “But I’m mystified why the press made it seem as though it was a mutual settlement but did not mention that it was the apology in writing which he was seeking and why he had fought the case for four and half years.”
Kangana Ranaut and Javed Akhtar's settlement
As part of the settlement, Kangana formally retracted her previous statements regarding Javed Akhtar. In a court submission, she stated, “The statements made by me in the interview dated July 19, 2020, and thereafter were a result of misunderstanding. I hereby unconditionally withdraw all the statements made by me… and I undertake not to repeat the same in future. I apologise for the inconvenience caused to Mr. Javed Akhtar, who is one of the senior-most members of the film fraternity, and I have the highest regards for him.”
Following this, Javed Akhtar also acknowledged the resolution in the mediation report, stating, “In view of the statements made by Ms. Kangana Ranaut, I agree to withdraw the complaint…”
Later, Kangana posted a cheerful picture with Javed Akhtar from the court proceedings, announcing that they had successfully resolved their legal dispute through mediation. She also shared that Javed had graciously agreed to write songs for her next directorial project.
The defamation case stemmed from allegations made by Javed Akhtar, who claimed Kangana had dragged his name into discussions surrounding Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, making defamatory remarks about him on both national and international platforms. In response, Kangana had filed a counter-complaint, accusing Javed of extortion and violating her privacy.