Mumbai – October 15, 2025 – Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has approached the Bombay High Court seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights amid growing misuse of AI-generated deepfakes. The plea accuses unidentified individuals and online platforms of exploiting Kumar’s name, image, voice, and likeness for commercial gain through fabricated and manipulated content.
According to reports, the single-judge bench of Justice Arif Doctor heard submissions from Kumar’s counsel, Senior Advocate Birendra Saraf, and has reserved the matter for judgment.
Misuse Through AI-Generated Videos and Obscene Blogs
The plea highlights the growing menace of synthetic media, alleging that unauthorised entities have been using AI tools to create deepfake videos, obscene blogs, and voice imitations of the actor.
Saraf cited specific examples, including an AI-manipulated video showing Kumar speaking about Saint Valmiki, and another clip depicting him as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
“These acts cause grave and irreparable harm to the plaintiff’s goodwill and reputation, dilute his personality rights, and mislead the public,” the counsel argued, adding that the aim of these fake creators was monetisation through ads, affiliate links, and phishing promotions.
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The Larger Legal Battle Against Deepfakes
The actor’s petition seeks a John Doe injunction—a legal measure against unidentified individuals—to stop the continuing infringement of his personality rights. The plea requests the court to restrain unauthorised use of his name (Hari Om Bhatia), screen name “Akshay Kumar”, nickname “Khiladi Kumar”, and all identifiable attributes including voice, image, and mannerisms.
The filing notes that these manipulated materials not only deceive audiences but also risk spreading misinformation and defamation under the guise of authenticity.
The petition further underlines the urgent need for judicial and regulatory intervention as AI tools become more powerful and accessible, allowing near-perfect imitations of celebrities and public figures.
Hrithik Roshan and Kumar Sanu Also Move Courts
Kumar’s case adds to a growing list of Bollywood personalities turning to courts to safeguard their digital identities.
In a parallel development, the Delhi High Court has also protected the personality rights of Hrithik Roshan, ordering removal of defamatory posts against him while reserving decisions on certain fan pages. The bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora is expected to issue a detailed interim order in March 2026.
Similarly, playback singer Kumar Sanu approached the same court, which directed removal of unauthorised AI-generated content using his likeness.
Earlier, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan filed a ₹4 crore lawsuit against YouTube for unauthorised use of their voices and images, seeking a permanent injunction against deepfake misuse.
Deepfake Menace and Legal Grey Zone
The rapid rise of AI-driven content manipulation has raised serious concerns over privacy, intellectual property, and defamation.
While India currently lacks specific legislation on deepfakes, cases like Kumar’s could set critical judicial precedents defining “personality rights” in the digital era.
The Delhi Police has already filed multiple FIRs against political deepfakes, including AI-generated posts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah by Aam Aadmi Party handles.
As courts begin to grapple with these evolving challenges, the Akshay Kumar case may become a landmark in shaping India’s legal response to the fast-expanding world of AI-generated deception.
