The Delhi High Court on 2 June 2025 granted an ex parte ad-interim injunction in favour of Telugu actor Akkineni Naga Chaitanya, ordering the removal of pornographic, defamatory, and AI-generated content that exploits his name and persona, while restraining unauthorised sale of merchandise bearing his image and likeness. The order was passed by a single-judge bench of Justice Jyoti Singh in a commercial suit filed by the actor against multiple websites, intermediaries, online platforms, and unidentified 'John Doe' entities.

What the Court Ordered

Justice Singh restrained the defendants and their associates from using or exploiting Naga Chaitanya's name, image, voice, likeness, or any other attribute of his persona without authorisation — including through technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Machine Learning, Deepfakes, AI chatbots, and face morphing. The court also directed specific product listings on online platforms to be taken down and ordered pornographic websites to remove URLs associating the actor's name with obscene content.

Additionally, the bench directed the removal of multiple YouTube videos alleged to infringe the actor's personality and publicity rights. Defendants have been given 24 hours from receipt of the order to comply with the takedown directions.

What the Suit Alleged

According to the plaint, several pornographic websites were using the actor's name as categories, tags, and trending labels for obscene content, creating a false and injurious association between him and such material. The suit also flagged the unauthorised sale of merchandise bearing his name, image, and likeness, and the circulation of defamatory and AI-generated content on online platforms.

The court recorded that Naga Chaitanya made his debut with the Telugu film 'Josh' in 2009 and subsequently delivered acclaimed performances in films including 'Ye Maaya Chesave', '100% Love', 'Manam', 'Premam', 'Majili', 'Love Story', and 'Bangarraju'. His career spans more than 15 years in the Telugu film industry, with additional national recognition through Hindi cinema.

Court's Prima Facie Findings

Justice Singh observed that the actor enjoys immense goodwill and celebrity status, and that his name, image, voice, and likeness constitute valuable personality attributes entitled to legal protection. The bench held that the actor had made out a prima facie case for interim relief, noting that the balance of convenience lay in his favour and that he was likely to suffer irreparable harm if the injunction were not granted.

'Plaintiff is unquestionably a renowned actor in the Indian film industry with an illustrious career spanning over 15 years,' the order stated, noting that his performances had earned him several awards and accolades across Telugu and Hindi cinema.

On the AI-generated content specifically, Justice Singh held: 'Plaintiff is entitled to protection against dissemination of pornographic content as well as AI-generated images portraying him in an inappropriate scenario. Such distasteful content is harming and damaging the reputation of the Plaintiff and may mislead the public into believing what is depicted may be true.'

The Broader Pattern at Delhi HC

The Naga Chaitanya case is part of a growing wave of high-profile personalities invoking personality and publicity rights before the Delhi High Court. In recent months, former cricketer and current head coach Gautam Gambhir, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, actors Arjun Kapoor, Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna, Varun Dhawan, Kajol, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Abhishek Bachchan, singer Jubin Nautiyal, filmmaker Karan Johar, podcaster Raj Shamani, and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor have secured or sought court protection against the unauthorised use of their identity, likeness, or AI-generated imitations.

This pattern signals an emerging jurisprudence around digital personality rights in India, with the Delhi High Court increasingly serving as the primary forum. The matter is next listed before the Joint Registrar on 27 July and before the court on 30 September for further hearing.