Delhi HC Protects Kajol’s Identity, Restrains Unauthorised Use of Name, Image, Voice and AI Content

Mumbai, Feb 20 : Bollywood actor Kajol secured interim protection from the Delhi High Court on Friday, with the court restraining individuals and entities from using her name, image, voice, likeness or other identifiable attributes for commercial purposes without consent.

Justice Jyoti Singh passed the order while hearing a plea seeking protection of the actor’s personality and publicity rights. The court clarified that no merchandise, promotional material or profit-driven content can exploit her identity without authorisation.

The order also extends to artificial intelligence-generated content, including deepfakes and digitally manipulated audio or video. The court directed that any such unauthorised or misleading material involving the actor be restrained.

In addition, the bench ordered the immediate removal of obscene and pornographic content circulating online that misuses her persona. Representing Kajol, advocate Pravin Anand argued that urgent judicial intervention was necessary to safeguard the dignity and privacy of public figures in the digital era.

The ruling aligns with a growing trend of celebrities approaching the Delhi High Court to protect their personality rights amid increasing misuse of identities on online platforms. In recent years, similar relief has been granted to actors and public figures including Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and digital creator Raj Shamani.

The court has consistently upheld that public figures retain exclusive commercial rights over their identity, while also maintaining space for legitimate satire, artistic expression, commentary and news reporting.