Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said it would pass an ad-interim order protecting actor Akshay Kumar, who has approached the court seeking protection of his personality rights amid the growing menace of deepfake videos. The court observed that such content “not only hurts his stature but has huge consequences”.
Civil Suit Filed by Actor
Justice Arif Doctor was hearing a civil suit filed by the actor, also known as Akshay Hari Om Bhatia, seeking to restrain the unauthorised use and commercial exploitation of his persona.
Legal Representation and Plea Details
Senior advocate Birendra Saraf, appearing for Kumar, submitted that the issue extended beyond the actor’s personal concern.
Allegations Against Deepfake and AI Content
Kumar’s plea highlights rampant misuse of his name, screen name “Akshay Kumar,” image, likeness, voice, distinctive style, and mannerisms through AI-generated and deepfake content.
The actor has alleged that fake videos, counterfeit merchandise, deceptive advertisements, and impersonating social media profiles have been circulated on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and various e-commerce sites.
Impact on Goodwill and Reputation
“These acts cause grave and irreparable harm to the plaintiff’s goodwill and reputation, dilute his personality and publicity rights, mislead the public, and amount to passing off, unfair competition, and unjust enrichment,” the plea stated.
Instances of Fake Content
The suit refers to a fake movie trailer that appeared online in March 2025 featuring Kumar’s deepfake images, forcing the actor to publicly clarify that he had no involvement with it.
Saraf also cited another instance where Kumar was falsely depicted as playing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and a separate clip showing him making statements about Rishi Valmiki.
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Concerns About Online Platforms
Saraf warned that such fabricated clips could provoke immediate reactions before any clarification can be issued. The counsel also flagged a gambling platform and another website, Akshaykumar.ai, where users could input text and generate audio mimicking the actor’s voice. Saraf said they were not seeking closure of the website, but were just seeking protection of the actor’s attributes.
Counterfeit Products and Fake Accounts
He added that counterfeit products and fake accounts in Kumar’s name continued to surface online.
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