Indian actress Kangana Ranaut and lyricist Javed Akhtar have reached an out-of-court settlement in their prolonged legal conflict, agreeing to withdraw the lawsuits they initiated against each other.

The actor and politician announced the resolution on her Instagram story, expressing gratitude for Akhtar’s kindness during the mediation process.

“Today, Javed Ji and I have resolved our legal matter (defamation case) through mediation. He has been very gracious and has also agreed to write songs for my upcoming directorial project,” she said in her post, accompanied by a photo of the two.

The legal battle began in 2020 when Akhtar filed a defamation suit against Ranaut, accusing her of making harmful statements about him during an interview following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

In a recent interview, Ranaut recounted a tense encounter with Akhtar, where he allegedly warned her about the consequences of not apologising to Rakesh Roshan and his family.

She claimed Akhtar told her that failing to do so could lead to severe repercussions, including jail time and even thoughts of suicide. “He shouted and yelled at me. I was shaking in his house,” Ranaut recalled.

After that encounter, Akhtar filed a defamation lawsuit against Ranaut, insisting that her statements during the interview were “false.” He clarified in court, “Whatever Kangana said is a lie. I only informed her about the agenda of our meeting; I didn’t call her to talk about trivial matters.”

In response, Ranaut also lodged a complaint against Akhtar, accusing him of extortion and violating her privacy. The legal battle concluded on Saturday, with both parties agreeing to settle their disputes out of court.