Janhvi Kapoor’s big legal move over deepfakes, porn content and fake promotions: Here's what Delhi HC said

Janhvi Kapoor has joined a growing list of Bollywood celebrities turning to the courts to protect their names, images and identities from misuse online. The actor recently approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of her personality rights, with her legal team presenting a list of nearly 4,000 URLs that allegedly misuse or exploit her identity.

The petition brings into focus a larger problem facing public figures today. With social media, artificial intelligence and deepfake technology making it easier to manipulate a celebrity’s image or voice, actors are increasingly seeking legal protection against content that can damage their reputation or commercially exploit their identity.

Janhvi’s team flags 4,000 URLs before Delhi HC

During the hearing, Janhvi’s counsel pointed to thousands of links, including social media fan pages, which allegedly contained abusive remarks, criticism of her work, obscene material and AI-generated or deepfake content. Her likeness was also allegedly being used in pornographic material and to promote goods and services without her consent.

However, the court was not willing to treat every fan page, critical comment or mention of the actor as an infringement of her rights. The judge questioned how a court could completely shut down fan clubs when public figures are routinely discussed, criticised and even mocked online.

The court instead asked Janhvi’s legal team to sort the 4,000 URLs into three broad groups: pornographic or obscene content, direct commercial exploitation of her personality, and unauthorised use of her name or likeness to sell products or services. The classification could help the court decide which content actually crosses the legal line.

Why are Bollywood stars going to court?

Janhvi’s case comes at a time when personality rights have become increasingly important for celebrities. Earlier, such cases largely involved unauthorised advertisements, merchandise or commercial use of an actor’s name and image. The rise of AI has dramatically widened the problem.

Celebrities can now find themselves featured in manipulated videos, fake endorsements, morphed photographs and deepfake content without ever giving permission. Some cases can go beyond embarrassment, potentially affecting an actor’s reputation and commercial value. Several Bollywood names have also approached courts over similar concerns.