NEW DELHI– The Delhi High Court signaled Tuesday that it will issue an interim order protecting Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s personality and publicity rights, after hearing arguments that her name and likeness have been commercially misused without consent.
The case, filed by Rai, seeks to prevent unauthorized use of her image, name, and persona — including morphed, AI-generated content — by online platforms and businesses.
Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing the actress, told the court that her likeness has not only been exploited to sell merchandise but has also been misappropriated for pornographic purposes. “It is shocking. Her morphed pictures are being used. It is all AI-generated. The defendant is collecting money by putting my face and name,” Sethi argued.
The lawsuit cited multiple examples, including a company called Aishwarya Nation Wealth, which allegedly used her photo on official documents and falsely listed her as chairperson. Other defendants were accused of offering wallpapers and selling T-shirts featuring her image without permission.
Justice Tejas Karia, presiding over the case, indicated that the court would likely grant an ad-interim injunction restraining the misuse of Rai’s persona. A detailed order is expected to be released soon, with the matter scheduled for further hearing on January 15, 2026.
The case echoes a ruling earlier this year in favor of Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff, when the Delhi High Court barred several entities from selling autographed photos and wallpapers featuring him. The court held that such practices violated Shroff’s personality rights and restrained an e-commerce platform from profiting off his image.
Rai, one of India’s most recognizable public figures, now stands to gain similar protection as the judiciary steps up efforts to curb commercial and illicit misuse of celebrity identities in the digital age. (Source: IANS)
