Delhi High Court Protects R Madhavan's Personality Rights Amid Deepfake Controversy

The Delhi High Court issued an ad interim injunction to protect actor R Madhavan's personality rights against AI-generated deepfake content and unauthorized merchandise. The court directed the removal of obscene content and ordered further examination of AI-related legal issues.

The Delhi High Court has issued an ad interim injunction safeguarding the personality rights of actor R Madhavan, amid concerns over deepfake and AI-generated content misusing his image. Justice Manmeet Pritam Arora mandated the removal of offensive material involving the actor and restrained defendants from selling unauthorized merchandise exploiting his personality rights.

Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar, representing Madhavan, revealed the involvement of several intermediaries following earlier court directions, leading to the removal of some infringing content. However, she flagged that Defendant No. 1 disseminated fabricated film trailers, including Kesari 3 and Shaitan Chapter 2, improperly linking them to the actor, with inconsistencies in YouTube's handling of such content.

Sukumar further informed the court of AI-generated videos falsely portraying Madhavan in contrived scenarios, some of which were removed, while infringing merchandise on platforms like RedBubble was also taken down. The court questioned content platforms' selective removal practices, with the judge demanding explanations and ordering the dismantling of obscene and unauthorized goods disrupting Madhavan's reputation.

Additionally, Sukumar highlighted misleading content unauthorizedly associating Madhavan's name and likeness, such as a page depicting him as the Hulk. The court, while acknowledging some materials could be hidden, has yet to pass judgment on the broader AI legal complexities, adjourning the matter for further proceedings in May 2026.

R Madhavan, a prominent Indian actor and filmmaker, is esteemed in both Tamil and Hindi cinema, having received numerous awards, including a National Film Award. He currently presides as the President of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. (ANI)