Did Not Threaten Kangana Ranaut, Suggested Her To Amicably Resolve Issues With Hrithik Roshan: Javed Akhtar To Court

“In the month of March 2016, on one day Dr. Ramesh Agarwal alongwith accused Ms. Kangana Ranaut and her sister Ms. Rangoli Chandel came to my house at Juhu in evening to meet me at about 7.00 to 7.30 pm. That time, I tried to convince her about the controversy between herself and Mr. Hrithik Roshan and said that they both are celebrity and such type of controversy will affect them in their career and asked her to forget everything and have good relationship ahead with Mr. Hrithik Roshan”, Akhtar deposed.

Akhtar was testifying before Metropolitan Magistrate RM Shaikh, Andheri, in his 2020 criminal defamation case accusing Ranaut of damaging his reputation by dragging his name in her Republic TV interview regarding actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide.

Akhtar has alleged that the video of the said interview on Republic TV has been watched by millions of people on YouTube alone, which is damaging his reputation.

Ranaut has also filed a private cross complaint accusing Akhtar of extortion and criminal intimidation by asking her to give a written apology in her public feud with Hrithik Roshan in 2016. She has claimed that Akhtar called her and her sister Rangoli Chandel to his house during her feud with Hrithik Roshan with "malafide intention and ulterior motive."

Akhtar, in the chief examination conducted by his lawyer Jaykumar Bharadwaz, said that he interacted with Ranaut to ask her to amicably resolve the controversy between her and Hrithik Roshan. He said that he talked to Roshan and Ranaut on the suggestion of one Dr Ramesh Agarwal, family doctor for many people in the film industry.

Akhtar in his testimony said that Ranaut was not receptive to his suggestions and he did not insist too much as he had a very formal relationship with her. He said that there were no arguments between him and Ranaut during the interaction, and he even congratulated her on her National Award when she was leaving.

“I was having very respect for the performance of accused Ms. Kangana Ranaut as film actress. That time after having formal talks while she was leaving she informed about getting National Award at Delhi to which I congratulated with whole heartedly. So also that time we were having only discussion and there was no arguments or friction took place between us”, Akhtar said.

Akhtar claimed that he never came into contact with Kangana after that day till 2020. He testified that in February 2020, he read in a magazine that he had threatened Kangana but did not react to it.

Akhtar said that Ranaut, in an interview given to Republic TV in July 2020, alleged that he threatened her that she will be thrown out of the industry and will have no option but to commit suicide. She also said that he belonged to “suicide gang”, Akhtar testified.

Akhtar further deposed that for four to five months after the interview, he was under tremendous pressure and humiliation by the people in the film industry and it became embarrassing for him to survive in the industry.

“Thereafter for about 4-5 months I was under tremendous pressure and humiliation by the members of film industry, people around me, society and I saw that after the interview given by accused, it was becoming more and more embarrassing for me to survive in the industry and therefore I took the decision to file this private complaint…”, Akhtar testified.

Thus, he filed the private complaint against Kangana for defamation under sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code, Akhtar said.

Background

Metropolitan Magistrate, Andheri issued process against Ranaut in February 2021, and last year she pled “not guilty”.

On September 9 2021, the Bombay High Court dismissed Ranaut's plea to quash the proceedings before the Andheri court observing that a mere procedural irregularity while taking cognisance of the complaint cannot be a ground to grant her relief.

Ranaut, in her cross complaint has said Akhtar "criminally intimidated" her while asking her to apologise to Hrithik in a bid to lower her public image, and give a favourable verdict in support of Hrithik. She has sought process to be issued against Akhtar under sections 383, 384, 387, 503, 506 and 509 of the IPC.