Mumbai: Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut appeared before a court in Bandra, Mumbai on Friday for the hearing of a defamation suit moved against her by lyricist, screenwriter and poet Javed Akhtar. The actress, not new to controversy, then stunned everybody by posting a photograph of herself and Akhtar together inside what seems to be the court premises, claiming to have resolved the matter through mediation.
“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,” Ranaut posted on Instagram.
While there has been no comments from Akhtar so far, he is seen smiling beside the actress in the photograph. Ranaut seems happy as well.
Many had believed that Ranaut had appeared before the court to avoid the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against her for not appearing for any of the 40 hearings that have taken place so far in this matter. The court had given her a last opportunity to appear on Friday.
The matter dates back to 2020 when Ranaut gave an interview to a news channel after actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. In that interview, she had claimed that Akhtar had asked her to apologise to actor Hrithik Roshan, who had filed a lawsuit against her in 2016. This pertains to a statement made by her regarding their alleged relationship.
In 2020, Ranaut had told the television channel that Akhtar had allegedly shouted at her, telling her that if she didn’t apologise to Roshan, she would land up in jail and finally commit suicide. Akhtar had reacted to this and said: “Whatever Kangana said in that interview is a lie and nothing but a lie.”
He then moved the defamation suit against her.