Veteran actor Govind Namdev has publicly distanced himself from the controversial film. Blackbuck: Battle of the Inheritance, Claiming that they were misled about the nature of the project and that they would never have agreed to join it if they had known its true basis. Speaking to Amar Ujala, the actor said that he initially believed that he was working on a film titled be careful. They later learned that another project was titled black deer was being made, but it was reported that it would only focus on the court proceedings related to Salman Khan’s black buck case.
Blackbuck controversy: Govind Namdev distances himself from film targeting Salman Khan; accused the manufacturers of misleading them
Recalling his reaction after watching the teaser, Namdev said, “As soon as I saw the trailer, I was shaken to the core. I immediately understood that this project was completely different from the one I was shot for. We were never told that a character like Salman Khan would be created in the film and he would be misrepresented in this way. As soon as I saw the trailer, I felt like I was kept in the dark and used. There was a difference between what I was told and what has actually been created. There is a world of difference.”
The 71-year-old actor further revealed that he had no idea about the story when he initially joined the project. He said, “I was told that we were making a film called Sambhal. At that time I had no idea that the story would later take a completely different direction.”
Namdev said that the filmmakers had assured him that his role was limited to a court scene based on documented legal proceedings. She said, “I was told that there is only one long courtroom scene and that’s all I had to do. It was also told that nothing new was being added from our end. We had to show the audience only what happened in the court. I felt there was nothing wrong if only what was recorded in the file was being shown, which is why I said yes.”
The veteran actor also clarified that he shares a cordial relationship with Salman Khan and he would never participate in any project that deliberately tarnishes the actor’s image. He further clarified that he does not identify with any narrative related to the Bishnoi community or gang related to this case. Namdev finally said, “I cannot consider any Bishnoi gang as my role model. I cannot even think like that. I believed that I was only playing a courtly role. However, what has now come to light has made even me uncomfortable.”
The film is at the center of growing controversy due to its apparent similarity to Salman Khan and the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. While the makers have described the project as a work of fiction, the recently released teaser shows a character named Ayaan Khan, played by Kashif Iqbal Khan, whose appearance, mannerisms, clothing style and accessories closely resemble the Bollywood superstar.
The controversy escalated further when Salman Khan and his legal team approached the Delhi High Court seeking an immediate and permanent stay on the production, promotion and release of the film. The actor’s team has argued that the film infringes on his personality and publicity rights, while allegedly harming his reputation by portraying an ongoing legal case in a misleading manner. After this, the court issued notice to the film producers and sought their response.
