Bollywood never runs out of drama, and this time, it’s the aftermath of the long-standing legal feud between lyricist Javed Akhtar and actress Kangana Ranaut, and while the two finally called a truce last month, veteran actress Shabana Azmi isn’t thrilled about how the media covered the settlement.

So, what went down?

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Flashback to 2020—Javed Akhtar took legal action against Kangana Ranaut, accusing her of defaming him by dragging his name into the Sushant Singh Rajput case.

According to Akhtar, Kangana made public statements that were not just false but also damaging to his reputation on both national and international platforms. In response, Kangana hit back with a counter-complaint, accusing him of extortion and invading her privacy.

Fast forward to February 2025, and the case finally saw an end—but the way media reported it didn’t sit well with Shabana Azmi.

While the headlines screamed “mutual settlement” between Javed and Kangana, Shabana Azmi clarified that it was anything but mutual. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, she revealed that Javed Akhtar never sought financial compensation from Kangana—his only demand was a written apology.

“They had asked for no monetary compensation but for her apology in writing. The victory is his and his lawyer Jay Bhardwaj’s,” she stated.

She further questioned why the media didn’t highlight this crucial detail. “I’m mystified why the press made it seem as though it was a mutual settlement but did not mention that it was the apology in writing which he was seeking and why he had fought the case for four and a half years,” she added.

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As part of the settlement, Kangana retracted her past statements and issued an official apology. In a statement submitted to the court, she said: “The statements made by me in the interview dated July 19, 2020, and thereafter were a result of misunderstanding. I hereby unconditionally withdraw all the statements made by me….and I undertake not to repeat the same in the future. I apologise for the inconvenience caused to Mr. Javed Akhtar, who is one of the senior-most members of the film fraternity, and I have the highest regard for him.”

In response, Akhtar agreed to withdraw his complaint.

After the settlement, Kangana surprised everyone by sharing a cheerful photo with Javed Akhtar from the court. But that was not all—she even announced a possible professional collaboration with the lyricist!

“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,” Kangana wrote.