The Bombay High Court has reserved its order on an interim application filed by actor and Trinamool Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha, who has sought legal protection against the alleged unauthorised use of his name, image, voice, and his iconic dialogue “Khamosh” without consent. The plea requests the court to restrain multiple parties from commercially exploiting his personality and publicity rights while the main case remains pending.
Sinha approached the court claiming widespread misuse of his identity across digital platforms, including the use of his likeness and the famous dialogue from the film Kalicharan. The suit, filed through his son Luv Sinha, names unidentified individuals along with several global technology companies and intermediaries such as Meta, X, Google, e-commerce platforms, bloggers, and government departments including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications.
In his petition, Sinha has sought a permanent injunction preventing the defendants from using his name, photograph, voice, signature mannerisms, catchphrase “Khamosh,” and overall persona for commercial purposes without authorisation. He has also demanded damages amounting to Rs 20 crore or, alternatively, a direction requiring the defendants to hand over profits allegedly earned through the unauthorised exploitation of his identity.
The plea argues that as a well-known actor with performances spanning numerous films and public appearances, Sinha retains moral rights over his performances. It contends that third parties cannot distort, modify, or manipulate his work in ways that may harm his reputation. According to the filing, video clips of his performances have allegedly been edited and converted into graphic interchange formats (GIFs) and circulated online without prior notice or consent, amounting to distortion and unauthorised communication of his work.
The matter was heard by Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, who has now reserved orders on Sinha’s interim request seeking immediate restraint against 24 respondents. The application seeks to bar any direct or indirect use of his personality rights for commercial or personal gain until the court decides the broader dispute.
The case forms part of a growing trend in which several film personalities, including Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Salman Khan, Nagarjuna, and Vivek Oberoi, have approached courts seeking protection against unauthorised commercial use of celebrity identities, reflecting increasing legal scrutiny over personality and publicity rights in the digital era.
