CutMirchi's coverage of October shows actors from Samantha to Kriti Sanon filing for legal protection, even as a viral Janhvi Kapoor deepfake went weeks without an arrest.
Indian film stars are increasingly turning to the courts for personal legal protection against AI-generated deepfakes and morphed videos, with actors including Manoj Bajpayee, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Vijay Deverakonda, Amitabh Bachchan and Kriti Sanon all filing or pursuing cases in Delhi and Bombay high courts through September and October (4, 5, 26, 27, 30). At the same time, public condemnation from stars has been swift and loud, as seen in the reaction to a morphed video from Devara: Part 1, but CutMirchi's coverage also notes that, a day after that video surfaced, there had been no arrests (16). Courts have granted some interim relief, but cases remain pending, with hearings scheduled months ahead (5, 26, 27).
Actors are filing personality rights suits one after another
Over the period covered, a pattern of individual actors approaching courts for protection of their name, image, voice and likeness has emerged. Manoj Bajpayee petitioned the Delhi High Court on a Monday in September, alleging unauthorized use of his photographs and a synthetic version of his voice by firms in Delhi, with Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav first examining jurisdiction given that the actor is based in Mumbai while the defendants are in Delhi (4). Weeks later, Kriti Sanon filed a similar plea before the same judge, seeking protection against unauthorised use of her image, voice and likeness, with the court directing her counsel to submit a dossier of judicial precedents and academic research on personality rights rather than ruling on the merits straightaway (30). Vijay Deverakonda also took legal action, with the Delhi High Court issuing notices in response to his plea against fake endorsements, impersonation, AI-generated content, deepfakes and merchandise sold on platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho, with the next hearing set for February 2027 (26). Amitabh Bachchan's long-running personality rights suit has reached the settlement stage, with the Delhi High Court ordering him to appear in person on November 16 if an agreement is not finalised by then (27).
Courts have granted interim relief, but it has come case by case
Samantha Ruth Prabhu's case shows what a favourable outcome looks like so far. The Bombay High Court, under Justice Madhav Jamdar, granted her interim relief against the unauthorised use of her name, image and voice, including AI-generated deepfakes and morphed content, finding prima facie evidence of violations of her privacy and dignity, and invoking Section 38B of the Copyright Act, which protects moral rights of performers (5). That order came while she was on maternity leave and ahead of a planned return to work (5). These are individual, case-specific rulings rather than a general framework; each actor named in CutMirchi's coverage, from Bajpayee to Deverakonda to Sanon, has had to file separately, and their matters are at different procedural stages, from jurisdictional questions to dossier submissions to settlement talks (4, 26, 27, 30).
The Chuttamalle deepfake shows outrage moving faster than investigation
The most extensively covered episode in CutMirchi's reporting is the AI-morphed version of the Chuttamalle song from Devara: Part 1, which altered Janhvi Kapoor's appearance and inserted sexually explicit content not in the original (6, 7). The response from industry figures was immediate and widespread. Jr NTR called the video 'Disgusting, Sick and Shameless' and said he would pursue every legal route against those who created and shared it (12). Vijay Deverakonda called it 'the digital equivalent of sexual assault' (9, 18). Chiranjeevi demanded accountability and proposed a dedicated committee working with Cyber Crime units (10). Singer Chinmayi Sripada criticised men seeking out the video, saying 'Someone has made an AI Deep Fake video of an actress and men are thirsting under this page for the link of the video' (13). Khushbu Sundar warned 'Today, it is her. Tomorrow, it could be me' (21). Yet 24 hours after the video surfaced, CutMirchi's coverage reported no suspect had been named and no arrest made (16). A police complaint was eventually filed in Hyderabad by an NTR fan, after which a special investigation team was formed following a meeting facilitated by TFDC chairman Dil Raju (24). That report also noted that actress Mrunal Thakur had issued legal warnings over similar misuse (24).
Janhvi Kapoor's own response shows the personal toll alongside the legal one
Amid the condemnation from colleagues, Janhvi Kapoor herself initially stayed silent before issuing a statement through her team, calling the act a violation of bodily autonomy and writing, 'Consent, choice and respect for a woman's body should be among the most basic notions of humanity' (17). In a further statement she called the incident 'deeply violating, bordering on sexual assault' and wrote that 'even if a woman says yes five days in a row and no on the sixth, that no must be respected' (19). Director Ram Gopal Varma took a different line, criticising the scale of public backlash and urging that focus instead go toward catching the perpetrator (22). Other actors have since described their own experiences with AI manipulation of their images in less severe but still unwanted forms. Shriya Saran said of AI-morphed pictures of herself, 'Sometimes I don't even know if it's me or not,' describing alterations to her body shape and clothing in photos, and advised that such images be taken 'with a pinch of salt' (28). Yami Gautam issued a public appeal to media outlets days after the Devara episode, asking them to refrain from using AI to alter or enhance her photographs without her knowledge and consent (20).
Trends beyond the courtroom complicate a simple narrative
Not all AI manipulation of star images in CutMirchi's coverage is treated as a violation. Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra, and separately Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha, both posted AI-generated images of themselves reimagined in an 80s style, apparently embracing rather than objecting to the technology (1, 2). A viral AI recreation of Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji, generated using Ibrahim Ali Khan and Wamiqa Gabbi's faces, drew fan excitement rather than legal threats, with Wamiqa Gabbi reportedly liking the post (25). Separately, YouTube Music began labelling AI-generated tracks in October, part of what CutMirchi's coverage describes as a broader industry push toward transparency around AI content, with Apple Music and Spotify reportedly planning similar measures (29). This suggests the industry's relationship with AI tools is not uniformly adversarial; the backlash is concentrated specifically around non-consensual, sexually explicit or commercially exploitative uses of a star's likeness.
What the coverage does not tell us
This account draws on roughly a month of one site's coverage, and several gaps are worth naming. CutMirchi's reporting does not say whether any arrests were eventually made in the Chuttamalle case beyond the formation of a special investigation team (24), nor does it detail the final outcome of Amitabh Bachchan's settlement or the dossier submitted in Kriti Sanon's case (27, 30). Trade and viewership figures, such as the 2.5 million views cited for an unrelated Ganpati idol reel, are estimates from content-tracking platforms and are not verified figures (3). The coverage also cannot show what happens inside production houses, talent agencies or technology platforms to prevent such content from being made in the first place, since it reports only public statements, court filings and social media reactions. Finally, legal outcomes such as injunctions or settlements take months to resolve, so this snapshot captures filings and interim orders rather than final verdicts.
What to watch
Several matters are still moving through the courts. Vijay Deverakonda's personality rights case has its next hearing scheduled for February 2027 (26). Amitabh Bachchan must appear in person on November 16 if his settlement is not finalised before then (27). Kriti Sanon's counsel has been asked to submit a dossier of precedents and research on personality rights, which will shape how the Delhi High Court approaches her case (30). Manoj Bajpayee's petition also continues before the same court, with jurisdiction questions still to be resolved (4). Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who has interim relief in hand, is set to return to work next year, which may test how far the Bombay High Court's order extends in practice (5).
Sources
- Kiara Advani And Sidharth Malhotra Go 80s Retro In AI Photo, reported from Bollywood Hungama - Features, Bollywood Hungama - Main Feed
- Parineeti Chopra And Raghav Chadha Go Full 80s On Instagram, reported from Google News · Bollywood, Bollywood Bubble
- Mumbai's Ganpati Idols Now Come With Anime Faces And Reels, reported from The Free Press Journal
- Manoj Bajpayee Seeks Delhi Court Protection Against AI Image Abuse, reported from Bollywood Hungama, Bollywood Hungama - Main Feed
- Samantha Wins Battle Against Digital Doppelgängers, reported from Telugu360 - Movie News
- AI-Morphed Chuttamalle Video Sparks Outrage: NTR, Janhvi Vow Legal Action, reported from Filmy Focus, Telugu360 - Movie News
- Janhvi Kapoor Deepfake Video Circulates Online After Devara Release, reported from Track Tollywood
- Vijay Deverakonda Slams AI Deepfake of Janhvi Kapoor: 'Digital Sexual Assault', reported from Track Tollywood
- Chiranjeevi Demands Action Over AI Morph of Janhvi Kapoor, reported from 123telugu.com
- Jr NTR Vows Legal Action Over Morphed Janhvi Kapoor Clip, reported from Hindustan Times Entertainment, The Hindu Entertainment
- Janhvi Kapoor Deepfake Sparks Outrage: Chinmayi, Jr NTR Demand Action, reported from Telugu360 - Movie News
- Janhvi Kapoor Deepfake: 24 Hours, No Arrests, No Answers, reported from 123telugu.com
- Janhvi Kapoor Breaks Silence On Deepfake Video: 'Is It Too Much To Ask To Be Seen As Human?', reported from Track Tollywood
- Deverakonda Slams AI Deepfake of Janhvi Kapoor, Jr NTR: 'Digital Sexual Assault', reported from DNA India Entertainment
- Janhvi Kapoor Slams AI Deepfake Video: 'Her Body. Her Image. Her Boundaries. Her Choice.', reported from The Times of India Entertainment, 123telugu.com, NDTV Movies
- Yami Gautam Bans AI Alteration of Her Photos Ahead of Nayyi Navelli, reported from Filmfare, The Free Press Journal
- Khushbu’s Warning: The Next Face Could Be Yours, reported from My Kollywood - Tollywood
- Janhvi Kapoor Deepfake Row Sparks Debate on Celebrity Response, reported from Bollywood Hungama, Bollywood Hungama - Main Feed
- NTR Fans File Police Complaint Over AI Deepfake Videos, reported from Track Tollywood
- Ibrahim Ali Khan & Wamiqa Gabbi Become Saif & Rani in Viral AI Video, reported from The Free Press Journal
- Vijay Deverakonda Takes Legal Stand Against AI Impersonation, Fake Merchandising, reported from Telugu360 - Movie News
- Amitabh Bachchan Ordered to Appear in Court Over Personality Rights Case, reported from DNA India Entertainment, Zee News Entertainment
- Shriya Saran Slams AI-Morphed Pics: 'I Don’t Even Know If It’s Me', reported from Cinema Express
- YouTube Music Launches AI-Generated Song Labels, reported from Mathrubhumi English
- Kriti Sanon Files Delhi HC Case Over AI Identity Use, reported from Bollywood Hungama, Zee News Entertainment, Bollywood Hungama - Main Feed
This analysis was written by CutMirchi's automated Analysis Desk from the stories listed above and from our release tracker. Figures are as those reports gave them; trade figures are estimates.
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