The Delhi High Court on Monday protected the personality rights of actor R Madhavan by restraining websites and online platforms from illegally using his name or images for commercial gain without his consent. This comes a few days after several celebrities, including Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan, also approached the court with the same request.
Delhi HC orders takedown of AI content on Madhavan
According to PTI, the high court restrained the use of Madhavan’s personality traits and ordered the takedown of obscene content uploaded on the internet, in addition to upholding his personality rights. A detailed interim order has yet to be issued.
She said the actor had already approached the social media platforms against the infringing material before filing the suit. The lawyer also argued that videos of Madhavan showed him in ‘fabricated situations’. The judge questioned the platforms why some of the content he complained about was taken down, while others weren’t.
According to ANI, Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar, representing the actor, contended that one of the defendants had created fake movie trailers for Shaitaan 2 and Kesari 3, falsely claiming the movies were about to be released, and posted deepfake and AI-generated content in the name of Madhavan. One fan page portrays Madhavan as ‘Hulk’ as per the lawyer, which the actor objects to.
While the Court indicated that some content could be made “invisible,” it clarified that it was still considering the broader legal issues surrounding AI-generated material. “I am not clear about the AI issue. I will think about it. I will not pass orders right now,” the judge remarked. The matter has been listed for further hearing in May 2026.
Besides Madhavan, the court also heard similar personality rights suits filed by Telugu actor Jr NTR and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and stated that it would issue detailed interim orders.
Recent work
In 2025, Madhavan starred in Hisaab Barabar, Kesari Chapter 2, Aap Jaisa Koi, De De Pyaar De 2 and Dhurandhar in Hindi and Test in Tamil. He will soon star in Dhurandhar 2 in Hindi, G.D.N and Adhirshtasaali in Tamil. Dhurandhar has become the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025 by collecting over ₹850 crore at the box office worldwide.
