Bollywood Legend Kumar Sanu Battles AI Deepfakes in Court Seeks Safeguards
New Delhi: Renowned playback singer Kumar Sanu has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to defend his personality and publicity rights, targeting the unauthorized exploitation of his distinctive voice, singing style, and public image.
The case, scheduled for an initial hearing before Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora on Monday, underscores growing concerns over digital misuse in the entertainment industry. Sanu’s legal action aims to shield elements central to his decades-long career, such as his name, vocal techniques, performance interpretations, mannerisms, photographs, caricatures, likenesses, and signature, from commercial hijacking by unauthorized parties.
Represented by advocates Shikha Sachdeva and Sana Raees Khan, the singer argues that such infringements mislead the public, dilute his brand, and erode his control over his artistic legacy. The petition further invokes protections under the Copyright Act for his moral rights in performances, claiming that third-party actions strip away his ability to dictate how his work is presented.
At the heart of Sanu’s grievance are widespread instances of GIFs, audio clips, and video snippets drawn from his iconic songs, repurposed to cast him in derogatory contexts. These materials, he contends, tarnish his reputation and expose him to ridicule through “unsavoury humour.” Even more alarming, the suit highlights the rise of artificial intelligence tools that replicate his vocal timbre, phrasing, and facial features to fabricate endorsements or merchandise without consent.
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The court documents detail how these altered creations proliferate on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where they amass views and generate ad revenue for creators at Sanu’s expense. “Such merchandise and audios/videos of the plaintiff generate revenue for the defendants,” the filing states, emphasizing the financial harm alongside the ethical breach. The petition frames these practices as deceptive endorsements and “passing off,” urging an immediate injunction to halt further dissemination.
This move aligns with a wave of similar high-profile cases in the Delhi High Court. Just recently, Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, director Karan Johar, Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art of Living foundation, and journalist Sudhir Chaudhary have all sought and received interim relief to protect their publicity rights. These rulings affirm the legal recognition of personality rights as a vital safeguard, allowing individuals to monetize and manage their public personas amid the digital age’s challenges.
Personality rights, often termed the right to publicity, empower creators to license and profit from their identity while preventing exploitative mimicry. For Sanu, whose melodious voice defined 1990s Bollywood with hits like those in Aashiqui, the stakes are personal and professional. As AI technologies advance, his plea signals a broader call for judicial intervention to balance innovation with artists’ autonomy.