After Aishwarya Rai, Karan Johar knocks Delhi HC doors to protect personality rights

Filmmaker Karan Johar has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights, alleging that several websites and social media accounts have been misusing his name and photographs to raise funds.

Johar’s counsel told the court that his images were being circulated without consent. “These are websites where my photos are downloaded. Various pages on various platforms are in my name,” the counsel submitted.

His petition comes just days after Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan secured interim relief from the same court. In their case, the court restrained online platforms from unauthorized commercial use of their names, images, voices, or likenesses, including AI-generated content, deepfakes, and morphed visuals.

At the hearing, Meta Platforms — parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — opposed a blanket injunction, arguing that ordinary online discussions, memes, and jokes should not be treated as violations. “To drag them to court for making an ordinary joke could open the floodgates for litigation,” its counsel said.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora clarified that the court would distinguish between memes, disparagement, and commercial misuse. 

The court also indicated that takedown orders could be passed against specific infringing content but advised Johar to first notify platforms of violations before approaching the judiciary.

The debate over celebrity personality rights has intensified in India. Along with Johar and the Bachchans, earlier this year Amitabh Bachchan won a permanent injunction against unauthorized use of his persona, while Sachin Tendulkar pursued similar legal action to stop businesses from exploiting his identity.

The case is scheduled for further hearing at 4 p.m. today.