Delhi High Court set to restrain misuse of Aishwarya Rai's image, morphed photos

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday indicated that it would issue injunction orders to safeguard the publicity and personality rights of Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, amid allegations that her likeness was being misused online.

Justice Tejas Karia observed that platforms and persons engaging in morphing of images or using her persona without permission would not be allowed to continue. The judge noted that separate injunctions would be passed against each defendant to ensure broad protection.

The Court was hearing a suit filed by her seeking urgent relief against unauthorised exploitation of her name, image and likeness. Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for the actor, argued that her morphed photographs, generated using AI, were being circulated for objectionable purposes.

According to him, intimate and fabricated images were being uploaded online, falsely portraying Bachchan in compromising contexts. He alleged that such content was being used for sexual gratification and that the individuals responsible were profiting by attaching her face and name to such material.

Sethi also pointed to a company calling itself Aishwarya Nation Wealth, which had allegedly placed Bachchan’s photograph on its letterhead and listed her as its chairperson. He submitted that the actor had no knowledge of or association with the firm, describing the move as fraudulent and intended to mislead the public.