Delhi High Court Protects Ajay Devgn’s Personality Rights; Orders Takedown of Obscene Deepfake Content

The Delhi High Court has today passed an order protecting the personality rights of Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, while directing the removal of obscene and objectionable deepfake material circulating online using his likeness.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora passed the order while hearing Devgn’s plea seeking safeguards against the unauthorized use of his name, pictures, and likeness, especially through AI-generated content.

The Court restrained the defendants from misusing Devgn’s image, voice, and personal attributes without his permission.

Appearing for Devgn, Advocate Pravin Anand argued that the actor, being a well-known public figure, has a sizeable fan base and a long-standing reputation, both of which are harmed when manipulated and offensive content is shared online. Anand also took the Court through examples of the content in question and the parties involved in sharing it.

While agreeing that such deepfake and obscene material must be taken down, the Court said, “You have to give some leeway to fan pages. They are not putting a judge’s picture. This much freedom must be given to fans. Otherwise, you will have to take down every fan page and erase your digital footprint,” the Court remarked.

Under the directions issued, the uploader of the infringing content will first be required to remove it. If they fail to comply in time, the online platform, identified as Defendant No. 7, must ensure the takedown.

Before parting, Advocate Anand highlighted the global relevance of the issue and said, "The question of deepfakes is perplexing in most countries. Courts around the world are closely watching Indian jurisprudence, discussing it at seminars and writing on it. Even one sentence here can contribute to the development of the law.

Devgn’s petition comes amid a growing wave of similar filings by public figures seeking protection against unauthorised use of their identity in the digital space.

Recently, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Telugu actor Nagarjuna, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, and Bollywood celebrities including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Karan Johar have also approached the Delhi High Court against the unauthorized use of their likeness and identity.

Case Title: AJAY ALIAS VISHAL VEERU DEVGAN v. THE ARTISTS PLANET & ORS

Bench: Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora

Hearing Date: 27 November 2025