Joining the growing list of South Indian actors safeguarding their public image, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights against unauthorized commercial exploitation.
The veteran actor filed a plea seeking comprehensive protection of his name, image, voice, and likeness from misuse in AI-generated content, deepfakes, and unauthorized commercial advertisements. This legal move reflects the increasing awareness among celebrities about protecting their digital identity in the age of artificial intelligence.
Growing Trend Among South Indian Stars
Mohanlal joins a distinguished list of South Indian actors who have recently sought legal protection for their personality rights. NTR secured legal protection from the Delhi High Court earlier, setting a precedent for others. Similarly, Nagarjuna's rights were protected through court intervention.
Other prominent actors who have moved courts include Rajinikanth, Pawan Kalyan, R. Madhavan, and Mohan Babu. More recently, Kamal Haasan won a legal battle over his personality rights, reinforcing the importance of such protections.
About Personality Rights
Personality rights, also known as publicity rights, empower individuals—particularly celebrities—to control and prevent unauthorized commercial exploitation of their name, image, likeness, voice, or unique characteristics. In India, these rights are rooted in the fundamental right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Courts have increasingly recognized these rights to stop misuse in advertising, merchandise sales, and AI-driven deepfakes. The rise of generative AI technology has made such legal protections more critical than ever, as celebrities’ likeness can now be replicated with alarming accuracy.
Drishyam 3 Postponed
Meanwhile, Mohanlal fans were disappointed when his much-awaited film Drishyam 3 was postponed from April 2, 2026 to May 21, 2026, pushing back one of the year’s most anticipated Malayalam releases.