March 1, 2025 - Renowned writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar has settled the five-year-old defamation case he had filed against actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. Kanagana also withdrew her "criminal intimidation" case against Akhtar and apologised for any inconvenience caused to the veteran writer, acknowledging her respect for him.

This news was shared by the 38-year-old actor on social media where she has described Akhtar as “kind and gracious”.

Their legal dispute was settled “through mediation” in the chambers of Magistrate Ashish Awari at Bandra court in Mumbai where the two arrived yesterday accompanied by their lawyers.

The actor yesterday submitted her statement to Court: “I hereby unconditionally withdraw all the statements made by me in the interview dated 19.07.2020 and thereafter and I undertake not to repeat the same in future.”

The case was official disposed of by the Magistrate following the decision of both parties to resolve through mediation.

The Queen actress wrote on her social media handle: "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.”

In 2020, Akhtar had filed a complaint against Kangana accusing her of making defamatory remarks against him in a TV interview and involving him in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide case. A year later, Kangana retaliated with a counter-case alleging criminal intimidation and insult to modesty by Akhtar.