Bollywood Stars Sue YouTube and Google Over AI-Generated Deepfake Videos
Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan sued YouTube and Google in Delhi High Court in September 2025 over AI-generated deepfake videos depicting them in explicit scenarios without consent. The couple sought Rs 4 crore (approximately $450,000) in damages and requested that YouTube prevent such content from being used to train AI models.
What happened
Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan filed lawsuits in Delhi High Court against YouTube and Google in September 2025 over AI-generated deepfake videos circulating on the platform. The filings cite manipulated video clips depicting the actors in explicit or romantic scenarios without consent, with some videos receiving millions of views.
The couple alleges that YouTube's content and third-party training policy allows users to consent to sharing videos for AI model training, risking further proliferation of misleading content. They sought an order to remove existing content and prevent future creation of deepfake videos using their likenesses, voices, or names.
Reported impact
The lawsuits highlight manipulated video clips including one showing Abhishek Bachchan kissing an actress, videos of Aishwarya Rai with former co-star Salman Khan in romantic scenarios, and a swimming pool scene with over 4.1 million views. The couple argues that such content spreads misinformation and damages their reputation.
Index analysis
The case addresses the interplay between personality rights and deepfake video misuse on YouTube, an issue with potential implications for how the platform manages user-generated content and its AI training policies. India has no explicit statutory protection for personality rights, though courts have begun backing Bollywood stars asserting such claims against generative AI content.
Governance controls
The couple requested safeguards ensuring that deepfake videos uploaded to YouTube do not train other AI platforms, arguing that existing policies allow such use with user consent. The Delhi High Court scheduled the next hearing for January 15, 2026, and asked Google to submit written responses to the allegations.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.