As AI-generated content and deepfakes become increasingly common, Bollywood celebrities are stepping up to legally protect their personality rights. Prominent figures including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Karan Johar have approached courts to safeguard their identity, image, and persona from misuse.
Understanding Personality Rights
Personality rights, also known as publicity rights, allow individuals to benefit commercially or otherwise from their name, image, voice, gestures, or unique mannerisms.
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These rights prevent unauthorized use of a person’s identity for commercial purposes, advertisements, or AI-generated content.
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In India, there is no dedicated statutory law protecting personality rights. Instead, courts rely on common law, intellectual property laws, copyright, trademark regulations, and constitutional privacy rights under Article 21.
“While India does not have codified laws for publicity rights, courts have interpreted existing legal frameworks to protect celebrities from exploitation,” explains Dhruv Anand, legal expert.
Legal Cases in India
Bollywood celebrities have raised concerns about unauthorized merchandising, fake profiles, obscene AI content, and misuse of their images online.
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In 2023, actor Anil Kapoor successfully sued platforms for exploiting his name, image, voice, and catchphrase “jhakaas”.
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In 2024, Jackie Shroff won a case ensuring his name and image could not be used without consent.
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The precedent for protecting publicity rights dates back to 2002, when singer Daler Mehndi stopped the unauthorized production of dolls in his likeness.
Legal experts argue that while Indian courts can halt misuse, compensation for reputation or financial loss remains limited.
Challenges with Codifying Personality Rights
Unlike countries such as the US, Germany, Japan, or Denmark, India’s personality rights are linked to privacy rights and expire upon death.
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In the US, publicity rights are descendable, allowing estates to control a celebrity’s image posthumously (e.g., Elvis Presley).
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Indian courts, however, have ruled that rights cannot be inherited, as seen in the Sushant Singh Rajput case in 2021.
Legal professionals note:
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Codifying personality rights could define protection clearly, include compensation clauses, and deter misuse.
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On the other hand, uncodified laws allow courts flexibility to interpret each case based on context.
AI and the Future of Personality Rights
With the rise of AI deepfakes, generative AI, and digital impersonations, protecting personal identity is more urgent than ever.
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Experts stress that awareness of rights and active legal enforcement are key to safeguarding identity.
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Legal frameworks must adapt intuitively to modern technology, balancing innovation with protection.
“The technology may evolve faster than the law, but understanding your rights and enforcing them effectively is crucial,” says Vindhya S Mani, legal partner.