Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan has secured significant relief from the Bombay High Court after moving the court to safeguard his personality rights, alleging widespread unauthorised use of his identity across digital platforms.

In an interim development on Wednesday, the court indicated it would direct the removal of online content that commercially exploits the actor’s name, image and likeness without consent. The order marks a key step in Aaryan’s intellectual property (IP) suit against multiple Indian and international e-commerce and social media platforms. 

Court signals crackdown on misuse of identity

During the hearing, Justice Sharmila Deshmukh observed that appropriate directions would be issued to address the alleged misuse. The court took note of submissions highlighting how the actor’s identity was being used in objectionable and profit-driven content online.

Senior advocate Birendra Saraf, appearing for Aaryan along with advocates Ameet Naik and Madhu Gadodia, cited multiple instances where the actor’s name and image were used without authorisation. The legal team argued that such material included merchandise and AI-generated videos that could potentially damage the actor’s reputation.

Lawsuit targets platforms, unknown entities

Aaryan’s plea names several e-commerce and social media platforms, along with unidentified parties, accusing them of exploiting his identity in advertisements, merchandise and other digital formats without permission. The actor has also sought directions from the court to ensure the removal of such content and disclosure of those responsible.

Joining a growing list of celebrities

With this move, Aaryan joins a number of high-profile figures who have approached courts to protect their personality rights, including Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Vivek Oberoi, Nagarjuna and Kumar Sanu.

What personality rights mean

Personality rights allow individuals to control the commercial use of attributes closely associated with them, such as their name, image, voice, signature or distinctive expressions. These rights are distinct from the right to privacy, which is aimed at safeguarding personal dignity and includes protection against deepfakes, morphed visuals, fabricated endorsements and manipulated private content.

Upcoming project

On the professional front, Aaryan is set to appear next in the fantasy comedy ‘Naagzilla’, scheduled for release on February 12, 2027.