Suniel Shetty moves Bombay HC against misuse of image, deepfakes and fake endorsements
Suniel Shetty has moved the Bombay High Court seeking protection of his image rights after discovering misuse of his photos and deepfakes on websites promoting real estate, astrology, and gambling. The court reserved its order on his takedown plea.
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Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has approached the Bombay High Court seeking protection of his personality and image rights, after discovering that several social media platforms and websites have been using his photographs and likeness to promote their products and services, without his consent, Bar and Bench reported.
The plea, heard by Justice Arif Doctor, highlights the rising misuse of celebrity images in the digital age, particularly through deepfake content and false brand endorsements. The court has reserved its order on Shetty’s interim application seeking immediate takedown of such infringing material.
Representing Shetty, Senior Advocate Birendra Saraf argued that the actor’s image has been exploited for a range of unrelated commercial purposes, from real estate promotions to astrology websites and even online gambling platforms.
“Please see, there is a real estate agency, an astrology website, and several others using his photographs as promotional material. These have no authorisation from him,” Saraf submitted before the court.
The counsel also drew attention to a disturbing instance involving a deepfake image of Shetty with a grandchild, which was circulated on social media.
“There is a photograph of him with a grandchild, which is a deepfake. It’s not a real photograph,” Saraf told the bench, underscoring the growing threat of AI-generated content infringing on personal dignity and privacy.
Shetty’s plea alleges infringement, passing off and unauthorised merchandising of his personality rights, a form of intellectual property that protects individuals from the commercial misuse of their identity. The actor has sought removal of all infringing content across digital platforms and social media channels but clarified that he is not demanding a blanket ban or blocking of entire websites, only the specific infringing materials.
This case adds to a growing list of Indian celebrities taking legal action to protect their likeness from digital misuse. In recent months, actors including Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff have also moved courts seeking similar protection against deepfakes and image manipulation for commercial gain.
