New Delhi, 17 April (H.S.): The Delhi High Court is poised to pass an interim order protecting Telugu star Allu Arjun’s personality rights, restricting the unauthorised use of his name, photograph, voice, and other distinctive attributes without his consent.

A bench headed by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela told the actor’s counsel that it will issue directions effectively barring third parties from commercially or otherwise exploiting his identity without explicit permission.

During Friday’s hearing, senior advocate Swati Sukumar, appearing for Allu Arjun, told the Court that the actor’s images are being used without authorisation to create pornographic and indecent material, including AI‑generated “deepfake” content. She highlighted an app called “Fake Call Pushpa,” which simulates conversations with an AI‑generated version of the actor, enabling individuals to misuse his videos for fraudulent or misleading purposes.

Sukumar submitted that such unconsented exploitation not only damages the actor’s reputation but also opens the door to scams, impersonation, and unearned commercial gains for others, thereby violating his right to control his image and voice in the digital age.

The Court has already recognised that personality rights encompass the right against unauthorised commercial use of name, image, likeness, and other distinctive traits, and has indicated that similar principles will apply to this case. ��

For defendant Frankly Retail Private Limited, the counsel informed the bench that after receiving a copy of the plaint, the company took down the impugned web link featuring the actor’s disputed content. The Court then directed the defendant to file a sworn compliance affidavit within three days, detailing the steps taken to remove or restrict access to such material.

The interim order, expected shortly, is likely to extend beyond a single platform and cover any unauthorised commercial or AI‑assisted exploitation of Allu Arjun’s personality, including the use of his image or voice for merchandise, promotional material, or deceptive digital avatars. The bench also recognised that this matter fits into a broader pattern of celebrities seeking judicial protection against digital impersonation, joining earlier orders in favour of figures such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sudhir Chaudhary, Karan Johar, Jaya Bachchan, and others.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar