Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai moves Delhi HC: ‘Name misused, morphed AI images circulated’

The actor sought protection of her personality and publicity rights. The court said it will pass injunctions

Written by Sohini Ghosh

New Delhi | Updated: September 9, 2025 08:38 PM IST

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Cannes Film Festival

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has moved the Delhi High Court with a suit seeking to enforce her personality and publicity rights. (Photo by Lewis Joly/Invision/AP)

Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has moved the Delhi High Court with a suit seeking to protect her personality and publicity rights. She said several websites are using her name to sell merchandise — despite no authorisation — and AI-generated morphed photographs of her are being circulated.

The High Court Tuesday said it will pass injunctions against websites unauthorisedly using the actor’s images for various purposes.

Taken up by a bench of Justice Tejas Karia, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing on behalf of Rai, highlighted numerous websites selling merchandise by using her name, despite no such authorisation.

Pointing to one such website, Sethi said it claims to be the “one and only authorised and official website of Aishwarya Rai” despite no such authorisation from Rai herself.

Further indicating the “fraudulent intent” of some others, Sethi flagged another entity before the court which records her name as chairperson. “My client has no knowledge (of this) nor entered into any conversation with them,” Sethi stressed.

Further, it was pointed out to the court that unknown entities — John Does — are collecting money by claiming association with her, and circulating morphed images. “These are not images belonging to Aishwarya Rai, nor has she authorised such images. All are AI-generated. (There are) some intimate photographs which are completely unreal.”

Sethi argued, “There can be no right in favour of using her images, likeness, or persona. A gentleman is collecting money merely by putting my name and face. Her name and likeness (are being) used to satisfy someone’s sexual desires. (It is) very unfortunate.”

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Justice Karia, orally addressing Google’s counsel, requested the takedown of infringing links as listed by Rai in her suit. The judge added orally that he would be passing orders granting an injunction on such use as objected to by Rai.

In 2023, the Bachchans had moved the Delhi HC seeking action against misleading information by certain miscreants for “the sake of puerile publicity”. They had said miscreants circulated videos on YouTube, alleging that their daughter Aaradhaya was critically ill — one of the videos had even claimed that she was no more. They had also alleged that morphed pictures were used in the said videos.

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