Sheeraz Hasan, founder and CEO of Bollywood.AI and Hollywood.AI, has publicly responded to a legal threat issued by actress Urvashi Rautela's team over the alleged unauthorised use of her name, images, and videos in connection with artificial intelligence. The dispute, centred on a viral interview and a damages claim of ₹7,000 crore, has drawn fresh attention to questions of celebrity identity rights in the age of AI-driven entertainment.

How the dispute began

The controversy traces back to a viral interview in which Bollywood.AI featured Urvashi Rautela discussing her views on Bollywood and artificial intelligence. During the interview, Rautela was quoted as saying: 'Bollywood? I think artificial intelligence is something which is really, you know, which is like, you know, Bollywood is suffering with it. And I mean Bollywood is something which I love. So I love Bollywood.'

Her team subsequently alleged that a Los Angeles-based AI company had used the actress's identity and content without her permission, and announced it was pursuing legal remedies.

The ₹7,000 crore legal claim

In a formal statement, Team Urvashi Rautela alleged that the company had 'generated billions of dollars in value' by leveraging the actress's name, images, and videos without authorisation. The team said damages were being assessed at ₹7,000 crore against the Los Angeles-based firm. The statement concluded: 'Build your AI company. Build your brand. But keep Urvashi's name out of your business unless you have permission.'

The legal claim has not yet been filed in court, according to available reports, and the assessment of damages at that figure remains the team's own characterisation.

Hasan's public rebuttal

Responding via his Instagram handle, Hasan pushed back sharply, denying that the platform had manipulated the actress's words. He wrote: 'Urvashi, we didn't put those words in your mouth. I highly recommend you educate yourself about artificial intelligence and the future of Bollywood's entertainment business before giving an answer.'

Hasan went further, framing his platforms as the future of the industry: 'Bollywood.AI and Hollywood.AI are the future of entertainment: AI movies, vertical dramas, and digital stars who never age, speak multiple languages, work 24/7 and have no egos. You can fight your answer, but you can't fight what's coming next — embrace it: the evolution of the entertainment industry in Bollywood.'

Why this case matters beyond the headline

The standoff between Rautela's team and Hasan reflects a broader, unresolved tension in the Indian entertainment industry: the absence of clear legal frameworks governing AI's use of celebrity likeness. Notably, this is not an isolated incident — several Indian and global stars have raised similar concerns as AI-generated content proliferates across platforms.

The scale of the claimed damages — ₹7,000 crore — is exceptional by any measure and, critics argue, signals that celebrity teams are treating AI-related disputes as high-stakes commercial battles rather than routine intellectual property matters. Whether Indian courts or international arbitration bodies will have jurisdiction over a Los Angeles-based firm adds another layer of complexity to the case.

What happens next

As of 29 September, Rautela's team said it was continuing to pursue 'appropriate legal remedies,' though no formal court filing has been confirmed. The dispute is likely to intensify scrutiny on AI entertainment platforms operating across jurisdictions, and could become a test case for how Indian celebrities assert identity rights against foreign AI companies.