Delhi High Court Grants Varun Dhawan Interim Relief Against AI-Generated Deepfakes
The Delhi High Court granted interim relief to actor Varun Dhawan on May 29, 2026, ordering the removal of AI-generated deepfake content depicting him in explicit situations. The court directed Google, Meta, X, and other online platforms to remove the content and provide subscriber information within 36 hours.
What happened
The Delhi High Court granted interim protection to actor Varun Dhawan on May 29, 2026, following his legal petition seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights. Justice Jyoti Singh ordered the removal of AI-generated deepfake content and explicitly sexual material depicting the actor from websites, social media platforms and e-commerce portals, with compliance required within 36 hours.
The court found that Varun Dhawan had established a prima facie case warranting interim relief. The court observed that such AI-generated explicit content and pornographic deepfakes could cause irreparable harm to the actor's reputation and image, and that the balance of convenience favoured granting protection.
Reported impact
According to the actor's counsel, online retailers were using his personality traits to endorse and sell goods without authorization. Additionally, booking agencies were falsely claiming to be authorized for booking his performances and appearances.
Index analysis
Google, Meta and X were directed to produce Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) of all users involved in uploading or sharing the impugned content. The social media platforms were also ordered to remove any new infringing content uploaded within 36 hours of the court order.
Governance controls
The court held that the actor's name and signature are registered trademarks, and any unauthorized usage by third parties amounts to trademark infringement. The court granted the interim injunction to preserve Varun Dhawan's publicity rights and prevent further unauthorized commercial exploitation of his identity.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.