Mumbai, February 28: Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut and veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar have officially settled their long-standing defamation dispute through mediation, ending a nearly five-year legal battle. The resolution came on Friday, with Ranaut unconditionally withdrawing her alleged defamatory statements against Akhtar and issuing an apology for any inconvenience caused.
Legal Dispute Resolved Amicably
The settlement was acknowledged by a special court in Mumbai, which disposed of all complaints and acquitted both parties. Following the court proceedings, Ranaut shared a photograph on social media, standing alongside Akhtar, expressing that the matter had been resolved amicably. She also revealed that Akhtar has agreed to pen songs for her upcoming directorial venture.Akhtar had initially filed a defamation case against Ranaut in 2020, alleging that she had tarnished his "immaculate reputation" by linking his name to a so-called "Bollywood coterie" while discussing actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death in a television interview. In response, Ranaut filed a counter-complaint, accusing Akhtar of criminal intimidation and insulting her modesty.
Mutual Withdrawal of Complaints
Both parties appeared before the special court on Friday, informing the judge of their mutual decision to withdraw their respective complaints. In her statement submitted to the court, Ranaut admitted that her previous remarks were a "result of a misunderstanding" and pledged never to 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 the 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,” stated Ranaut.
Akhtar reciprocated by withdrawing his complaint, following Ranaut’s public acknowledgment and apology. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate A K Awari accepted the settlement, stating that the dispute had been resolved through mediation, leading to the acquittal of both individuals.
Mediation Brings Closure
Ranaut's legal counsel, Rizwan Siddiquee, and Akhtar's lawyer, Jay Kumar Bhardwaj, confirmed that the resolution was reached following an hour-long mediation session at the special magistrate court in Bandra."We had been working toward mediation for a long time. Several drafts were exchanged, and today, we finalized the terms. There were no major issues—only the wording of the agreement needed to be finalized," Siddiquee said.
Initially, the case was being heard at a magistrate court in Andheri. However, after Ranaut’s election as a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh in 2024, the case was transferred to a special magistrate court designated for MPs and MLAs.
Ranaut Expresses Gratitude on Social Media
Following the settlement, Ranaut took to Instagram to acknowledge Akhtar’s graciousness throughout the mediation process.“Today, Javed ji and I have resolved our legal matter through mediation. He was very kind and gracious during the process. He has also agreed to write songs for my next directorial project,” the BJP MP wrote in her post.
With this resolution, one of Bollywood’s most publicized legal battles has come to an amicable close, marking a new chapter for both Ranaut and Akhtar.