For an actor, a face and voice are more than just part of their identity. They are also their brand. Shruti Haasan has now taken the fight to court after allegedly finding her identity being misused through AI-generated and manipulated content.
The Bombay High Court has granted Shruti interim protection and directed social media platforms to remove objectionable content violating her personality rights. Justice Madhav Jamdar observed that she had made a “very strong prima facie” case, noting that the continued circulation of such material could cause irreparable damage to her reputation, goodwill and commercial interests.
The issue goes well beyond edited photographs. Shruti’s case includes allegedly AI-generated deepfakes, manipulated videos, fake endorsements, unauthorised merchandise and the misuse of her name, image, likeness and voice. Her lawsuit has been filed against 18 defendants, including social media platforms, e-commerce companies, AI chatbot providers and other entities. She is seeking Rs 15 crore in damages.
What makes the order particularly significant is the court’s observation that money alone may not undo the damage. Once a deepfake enters the internet, it can be copied and circulated endlessly.
For Shruti, therefore, this is not simply another celebrity legal battle. It is a fight over who controls her identity when technology can recreate almost everything about her.
