Kangana Ranaut moves Delhi HC over alleged misuse of personality rights, AI content

The Delhi High Court has issued summons in Kangana Ranaut’s suit seeking protection of her personality and publicity rights, amid concerns over alleged fake news, AI-generated content and unauthorised use of her identity.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued summons in a suit filed by actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who has sought protection of her personality and publicity rights amid concerns over alleged fake news and AI-generated content linked to her.

Justice Vikas Mahajan, hearing the matter, also issued notice on Ranaut’s application seeking interim relief against the alleged unauthorised use of her name, image and persona.

Delhi HC examines online content cited by Ranaut

During the hearing, the court examined several web links placed before it by Ranaut’s counsel. The material included an animated piece and a meme, which the court observed appeared to be satirical.

Ranaut’s counsel clarified that he was not pressing for removal of the content at this stage.

Advocate Saket Sikri, appearing for Ranaut, told the court that after an advance copy of the plaint was served, some defendants had already removed the allegedly offending material.

The court subsequently issued summons in the suit and notice on Ranaut’s application seeking an interim injunction.

Court asks Ranaut’s counsel to amend memo of parties

The Delhi High Court also directed Ranaut’s counsel to file an amended memo of parties, noting that some defendants had been deleted from the proceedings.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on February 3, 2027.

Personality rights cases involving Bollywood celebrities

The case comes against the backdrop of a series of proceedings before Indian courts, particularly the Delhi High Court, involving the personality and publicity rights of actors and other public figures.

The Delhi High Court has previously granted protection to actor Amitabh Bachchan against unauthorised use of his name, image, voice and other attributes of his personality.

In another significant ruling, the court protected Anil Kapoor’s personality rights, including his name, image, likeness, voice and distinctive expressions.

Similar reliefs have also been considered or granted in cases involving public figures including Rajinikanth, Jackie Shroff, Arijit Singh and Sonu Nigam. These cases have contributed to growing judicial recognition of personality rights in matters involving unauthorised commercial exploitation and misuse of a celebrity’s identity.

Ranaut’s plea brings the issue into focus in the context of alleged fake news, AI-generated material and other online content concerning her persona.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.

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