New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has indicated its intent to issue an injunction aimed at curbing the unauthorized commercial exploitation of Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan’s name, likeness, and identity — particularly in light of emerging threats posed by artificial intelligence and defamatory content.
During a recent hearing, the Court acknowledged the growing misuse of public figures’ personalities for monetary benefit, including through manipulated AI-generated visuals and misleading media. The bench expressed that such acts not only violate personality rights but could also harm an individual’s public image.
While the Court stopped short of passing a final restraining order at this stage, it made clear that legal safeguards are necessary to prevent actors and celebrities from being exploited for commercial purposes without consent. A formal injunction is expected in due course.
However, the Court drew a distinction between malicious misuse and fan expression. It clarified that no action is being taken at this stage against fan pages or tribute profiles that operate without ill intent. Instead, the Court directed that Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) of such digital accounts be provided to Hrithik Roshan to aid in identifying any pages that may be engaged in misuse under the guise of admiration.
The case marks a significant moment in Indian jurisprudence around digital rights, deepfakes, and personality protection, particularly as AI-generated content becomes increasingly common and convincing.
Legal experts see this as a step toward building a more defined legal framework around celebrity rights in the digital age, with broader implications for how AI-related impersonation and content manipulation will be regulated in future.
