New Delhi, October 15, 2025 — In a significant ruling for celebrity rights in the digital age, the Delhi High Court has upheld Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan’s plea to protect his personality rights, directing the removal of unauthorized online content that commercially exploited his image, name, and likeness.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora presided over the case, which was filed by Roshan in response to the increasing misuse of his persona on social media platforms and e-commerce websites. The actor’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, argued that his identity was being used without consent to promote merchandise such as clothing and accessories, and in unauthorized dance tutorial videos, raising serious concerns about digital exploitation and AI-generated content.
The court ordered the takedown of specific infringing links and listings but declined to pass ex-parte interim orders against fan pages and Instagram accounts dedicated to the actor. Justice Arora noted that these fan pages did not appear to be commercially exploiting Roshan’s persona or posting defamatory content, and thus would not be removed at this stage.
This ruling aligns with a growing trend among Indian celebrities seeking judicial protection against unauthorized use of their digital identities. Hrithik Roshan joins a list of public figures—including Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Kumar Sanu—who have approached courts to safeguard their personality rights in the face of rising threats from generative AI and deepfake technologies.
The court’s decision marks a pivotal moment in the evolving legal landscape surrounding digital identity and personality rights in India, setting a precedent for future cases involving AI misuse and unauthorized commercial exploitation of celebrity personas.
