The Delhi High Court issued an ex‑parte interim injunction that stops the broadcast and online distribution of an AI‑generated short film featuring the likeness of Akira Nandan, the son of Pawan Kalyan. The order blocks any further exploitation of his image and voice until a full hearing determines whether the deep‑fake violates Indian personality‑rights law.
Petition Triggers Court Action
Akira Nandan filed a petition asserting that the AI‑generated video used his facial features and voice without consent, constituting an unlawful appropriation of his personality. The petition demanded immediate removal of all digital material that depicts him in the fabricated scenario.
Interim Injunction Details
The court’s ex‑parte order restrains the “broadcast, transmission, exhibition, or any other mode of dissemination” of the AI‑generated film. It also requires the petitioner to furnish a security deposit, a standard procedural safeguard in interim relief applications.
Scope of the Court Order
The injunction covers television, streaming platforms, social‑media channels, and any other medium that could convey the deep‑fake content to the public.
Security Deposit Requirement
The petitioner must deposit a sum determined by the court, ensuring that the interim relief is not misused and that the respondents can claim damages if the final judgment favors them.
Legal Basis: Personality Rights in India
Indian law protects an individual’s “personality” – name, image, voice, signature and other distinctive attributes. Supreme Court precedent affirms that unauthorized commercial use of a person’s likeness can be actionable under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. Akira Nandan’s claim relies on this legal framework to challenge the AI‑deep‑fake.
Unidentified Creators of the Deep‑Fake Video
The petition does not name the individuals behind the synthetic video. Law‑enforcement investigations have focused on parties who used publicly available AI tools to synthesize Nandan’s facial features and voice, then edited the output into a short film that was uploaded to a video‑sharing platform.
Implications for AI‑Generated Media
The case highlights the growing judicial sensitivity to AI‑driven deep‑fakes, which can be produced at scale and disseminated instantly. It underscores the need for robust legal and technical safeguards to protect individuals from unauthorized digital impersonation.
Regulatory Landscape
Existing regulations, such as the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, require platforms to remove unlawful content promptly. The court’s injunction reinforces the duty of intermediaries to act swiftly when AI‑deep‑fakes infringe personality rights.
Platform Liability
Platforms hosting synthetic media may face increased scrutiny and potential liability if they fail to implement effective takedown mechanisms for deep‑fake content that violates personal rights.
Future Outlook and Industry Response
The interim order is temporary; a full hearing will determine whether the AI‑generated film breached personality rights and what damages or broader injunctions may follow. The case may prompt AI developers to embed provenance metadata, watermark synthetic media, and adopt consent protocols for using a person’s likeness.
Potential Remedies and Safeguards
- Implementation of digital watermarks to identify AI‑generated content.
- Mandatory consent checks before using an individual’s image or voice.
- Enhanced metadata standards to trace the origin of synthetic media.
Conclusion
The Delhi High Court’s injunction against an AI‑generated film featuring Akira Nandan marks a pivotal early judicial response to deep‑fake technology in India. By invoking personality‑rights protections, the court signals that unauthorized AI‑driven impersonation will face legal resistance, shaping future regulation, platform responsibility, and the balance between creative freedom and individual dignity.
