Salman Khan moves Delhi HC, joins celebrity push for personality-rights protection

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights, urging the court to bar the unauthorised commercial use of his name, image and likeness. His suit, Salman Khan v Ashok Kumar/John Doe & Ors., is scheduled for hearing before Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora on 11 December 2025.

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What Salman Khan Seeks?

As reported in legal filings, the actor requests injunctions against unknown “John Doe” defendants and entities alleged to have exploited his image or voice without consent. The plea aims to curb commercial misuse and safeguard his goodwill, a move that aligns with India’s evolving approach to deepfakes, AI-generated content and online merchandising.

Why This Hearing Matters?

With the matter listed for hearing tomorrow, legal observers say the ruling could refine how Indian courts regulate platforms and sellers profiting from celebrity likeness- whether through merchandise, digital replicas or synthetic voice ads- while balancing publicity rights with free expression.

Part of a Wider Celebrity Trend

Khan’s petition adds to a growing number of high-profile cases in the Delhi High Court where celebrities have secured interim protection against AI-generated content and unlicensed merchandise. Courts have increasingly stepped in to prevent commercial appropriation of fame in the digital economy.

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Who Else Has Approached the Court?

A rising list of Indian celebrities has sought similar safeguards, including Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Suniel Shetty and filmmaker Karan Johar- signalling a decisive shift toward stricter protection of personality rights in Bollywood.