Ajay Devgn Moves Delhi HC to Protect Personality Rights -Part of Growing Celebrity Rights Push
Bollywood veteran Ajay Devgn has approached the Delhi High Court seeking legal protections to safeguard his personality rights joining a growing band of film and public figures across India taking similar steps. The case is due to be heard tomorrow, as per court filings.
Why This Move Matters
In recent years, India’s entertainment landscape has been facing a rising challenge: unauthorized use of celebrities’ name, image, voice, and likeness often for commercial benefit or via misleading content online. For many public figures, the ease with which images or videos can be misused, deepfaked, or associated with unapproved products has made personal identity a fragile commodity.
By filing his plea, Ajay Devgn aims to secure legal guardrails that can prevent misuse of his persona without permission whether by individuals, websites, or commercial entities. The legal protection he seeks would help ensure that his image, voice or likeness cannot be exploited for endorsements, merchandise, or promotional use without his explicit consent.
A Trend Picking Up Momentum
Devgn is not alone. In recent months, several high-profile names across cinema and entertainment have sought similar protection:
- Aishwarya Rai Bachchan recently filed a petition before the Delhi HC to prevent unauthorized commercial use of her images, voice and likeness especially in light of rising AI-generated deepfake content.
- Hrithik Roshan, too, has moved court to ensure protection of his publicity rights.
- Veteran actor Jackie Shroff (also known as “Apna Bhidu”) secured interim legal relief when the court restrained unauthorized use of his name, catch-phrases and likeness for merchandise or AI-driven content.
What unites these cases is a shared concern over unauthorized commercial exploitation and digital misuse of celebrity identity, particularly at a time when AI-driven deepfakes and social-media mimicry have become widespread.
Legal Landscape & What’s at Stake
Though India does not yet have a clear standalone legislation explicitly titled “personality rights,” courts have increasingly interpreted protections under existing jurisprudence drawing from constitutional rights to dignity and privacy, and intellectual property frameworks. ortislaw.com+1
When courts grant relief, the protection can cover a variety of attributes:
- Name, image, likeness
- Voice, catch-phrases, signature expressions
- Any commercial use or endorsement without consent
For celebrities, this means that their brand identity and goodwill which often translate into endorsements, brand deals, and public trust remain safeguarded from unauthorized or misleading exploitation.
What This Means for Industry & Fans
With Ajay Devgn now entering this legal battle, the message is loud and clear: public figures are reclaiming control over their identity in the digital age. As more big names step up, we may see:
- Stricter checks on online content using celebrity likeness
- More clarity around consent and licensing for images, AI-generated content, and merchandise
- Awareness among fans to differentiate between genuine and unauthorized use
For fans, this could ultimately lead to cleaner, more responsible usage of celebrity images and fewer dubious promotional campaigns riding on a star’s name without permission.
Final Take
In an era when a person’s digital likeness can be copied, mimicked, or monetized at the click of a button, the step taken by Ajay Devgn and several of his peers is both timely and necessary. As the legal hearings unfold, eyes will remain on the Delhi HC’s decision a verdict that could reshape how celebrity identity is protected in India’s entertainment and digital ecosystem.
