Cinema VinesActor Manoj Bajpayee has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking protection for his personality rights, alleging that his image, voice and other aspects of his identity have been used without permission. The 57‑year‑old, who is based in Mumbai, approached the court on Monday and asked the court to intervene against the alleged misuse of his likeness and the creation of an AI‑generated version of his voice.
The petition was presented by Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar, who represented Bajpayee during the hearing before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. The case names H2PG Designs Private Limited as one of the defendants, claiming that the company used photographs of the actor in a way that implied he was wearing suits made by the brand. Another defendant is accused of employing artificial‑intelligence technology to replicate Bajpayee’s voice.
In addition to the specific allegations, the actor has requested that the court extend protection to AI chatbots that might use identifiable elements of his personality. Justice Kaurav questioned why the matter was brought before the Delhi High Court, given that Bajpayee’s primary base is in Mumbai. Advocate Sukumar countered that some of the defendants are located in Delhi, giving the court jurisdiction to hear the case.
During the hearing, the judge discussed the possibility of handling personality‑rights petitions more efficiently, especially when defendants do not contest the proceedings. Justice Kaurav suggested that such matters could be dealt with by the Registrar instead of a full court hearing, thereby reducing the burden on the court. He also asked Bajpayee’s counsel to compile interim and final orders from earlier personality‑rights cases and to record how similar cases have been treated by other High Courts.
The Delhi High Court has a history of dealing with personality‑rights petitions involving prominent public figures. Previous decisions have granted protection to actors such as Tabu, Allu Arjun, Mohanlal, Kajol, R. Madhavan and Jr. NTR, as well as cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Sunil Gavaskar, singer Jubin Nautiyal, and actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Karan Johar and Salman Khan.
Bajpayee’s petition arrives amid growing legal debate over the use of artificial intelligence to replicate recognisable aspects of public figures, including their voices, images and identities. The outcome of the Delhi High Court’s review will determine the next steps in the actor’s pursuit of legal protection for his personality rights.
