Actor Manoj Bajpayee Files Petition in Delhi High Court Over AI Voice and Image Misuse

Actor Manoj Bajpayee has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to protect his personality rights from unauthorized commercial use. The 57-year-old actor took legal action on Monday, and the case was presented before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar represented the actor during the hearing. The legal filing points to unauthorized photographs being used for business purposes, alongside artificial intelligence tools mimicking his voice and personal traits. A company named H2PG Designs Private Limited is listed among the defendants for allegedly using the actor's pictures to imply endorsement of its suits. Other respondents are accused of using AI to copy his voice, and the actor also wants safeguards against AI chatbots utilizing his identity. During the session, Justice Kaurav raised questions about why the case was filed in Delhi since Bajpayee primarily works and lives in Mumbai. The lawyer replied that some of the accused parties operate within Delhi, giving the court proper legal authority to hear the dispute. The judge also suggested that such cases might be handled more efficiently by the court Registrar if defendants fail to show up, noting that routine matters should not overburden the main bench. The court directed Bajpayee's legal team to gather past orders and judgments from other High Courts regarding similar personality rights disputes. The Delhi High Court has previously handled similar lawsuits for many other celebrities seeking protection. Past petitioners include actors like Tabu, Allu Arjun, Mohanlal, Kajol, R Madhavan, and Jr NTR, as well as sports stars Yuvraj Singh and Sunil Gavaskar, and singer Jubin Nautiyal. Additional names involved in prior legal protections feature Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Karan Johar, and Salman Khan.