Aishwarya Rai Files Plea in Delhi High Court to Stop Misuse of Name, Photos & AI Deepfakes

Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has filed a petition with the Delhi High Court, seeking urgent legal protection against unauthorized use of her identity, including misuse of her name, image, and AI-generated pornographic content.

Represented by senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, along with advocates Pravin Anand and Dhruv Anand, Rai urged the court to issue an injunction against several entities reportedly exploiting her identity for commercial and illicit purposes.

During the hearing, Justice Tejas Karia signaled that an ad-interim order is likely to be passed, directing defendants to immediately cease using Rai’s likeness and to remove offending URLs.

Proceedings have been scheduled before the joint registrar on November 7, and a full hearing is set for January 15, 2026.

The petition cites disturbing examples: AI-manipulated and morphed pornographic images, completely fabricated intimate photos, and merchandise like mugs and T-shirts bearing Rai's image and name without her consent. Institutions posing as her "official" websites—such as aishwaryaworld.com—have been accused of misrepresentation and commercial exploitation.

“A gentleman is collecting money merely by putting my name and face,” Sethi argued, adding bluntly, “Her name and likeness is being used to satisfy someone’s sexual desires. This is very unfortunate.”

Aishwarya Rai’s plea is not the first of its kind. In recent years, the Delhi High Court has upheld similar personality and publicity rights for celebrities like Jackie Shroff (2024), Anil Kapoor (2023), and Amitabh Bachchan (2022). These precedents have affirmed that the unauthorized commercial use or distortion of a public personality’s attributes violates their fundamental right to dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.