Hrithik Roshan Moves Delhi High Court to Safeguard His Digital Identity Amid Rising AI Misuse in Bollywood

By Tanveer Zaidi

As artificial intelligence and social media increasingly blur the lines between reality and fabrication, a growing number of film personalities are approaching the courts to protect their digital and personality rights.

The latest among them is Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan, who has filed a suit before the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights against unauthorized commercial exploitation.

The case is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora.

The petition has been filed not only against identified individuals but also against “John Does” — unidentified persons who may be responsible for the misuse of Hrithik’s name, voice, likeness, and image for monetary gain.

Hrithik Roshan’s move follows a growing legal trend where celebrities are turning to the judiciary to combat the misuse of their identities through deepfakes, AI-generated content, and false endorsements.

Justice Arora is also set to hear a similar petition by singer Kumar Shanu, who has sought relief against morphed videos circulating on social media platforms. In

Shanu’s case, the court has already directed Meta and Google to explain why such objectionable URLs containing “profane” AI-generated content cannot be removed promptly by their grievance officers.

Just last week, the same bench safeguarded the personality rights of journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, who alleged circulation of manipulated AI-generated videos maligning his reputation.

Similar orders have recently been granted in favor of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Telugu actor Nagarjuna, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and filmmaker Karan Johar, underscoring the judiciary’s evolving stance on digital identity protection in the age of artificial intelligence.

Legal Framework for Personality Rights in India

While India lacks a single codified law specifically governing personality rights, courts have creatively relied on existing constitutional, statutory, and common law principles to protect public figures from digital impersonation and misuse.

Constitutional Safeguards:
Courts interpret Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression) in conjunction with Article 21 (right to live with dignity and privacy) to prevent unauthorized use of an individual’s image, name, or voice.

Copyright Act:
The law recognizes actors and performers as creative professionals with moral and economic rights over their performances and persona. This includes the right to control how their image or voice is used in public and commercial domains.

Trademark Act:
Celebrities can protect their name, likeness, and image as distinctive identifiers, preventing third parties from using them deceptively for branding or promotional purposes — a principle rooted in the doctrine of passing off.

Judicial Precedents and Common Law:
Courts have invoked doctrines of privacy, defamation, and unjust enrichment to curb misuse of celebrity identity, particularly in commercial ventures or online platforms.

Judicial Remedies and Enforcement

Courts in India have actively used various legal tools to protect personality rights:

• Injunctions: Immediate orders restraining individuals or entities from unauthorized use of a celebrity’s image or persona.
• Takedown Orders: Directing social media platforms to remove offensive or AI-generated content that impersonates or maligns a person.
• Damages and Compensation: Awarding financial relief for loss of reputation, mental agony, or commercial harm caused by impersonation or misuse.
• Restraint on Commercial Exploitation: Prohibiting the sale or marketing of products that misuse celebrity identities for endorsements or promotional purposes.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite judicial activism, the absence of a comprehensive personality rights law continues to pose challenges.

Courts must often balance between freedom of expression and protection of personal dignity, especially in cases involving parody, satire, or artistic interpretation, which may not amount to legal infringement.

As AI tools become more sophisticated, the misuse of celebrity likeness and identity is expected to grow.

The judiciary’s proactive approach in granting protection through injunctions and takedown orders reflects an urgent need for legislative intervention to clearly define the scope of digital personality rights in India.

(By Tanveer Zaidi (Actor–Author–Educationist)

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