Research that goes beyond one actor’s suit is what the Delhi High Court wants on the Scope Of Personality Rights, before it decides what relief Kriti Sanon can get.
New Delhi: On actor Kriti Sanon’s suit for protection of her personality rights, the Delhi High Court on October 16 asked what such rights cover and whether these suits belong in its Intellectual Property Division, and called for judgments and notes from other personality rights matters [Kriti Sanon’s Personality Rights Suit].
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav heard the suit, in which Advocate Pravin Anand appeared for Sanon.
A request for a compilation
Two things were on Justice Kaurav‘s mind: what falls within personality rights, and whether such matters belong in the High Court’s Intellectual Property Division. He asked counsel for a research compilation that does not stop at the present case.
“Can you give me some kind of research, compilation? Dont confine yourself with this matter.”
Judgments and notes from other personality rights matters were sought, and the suit was passed over for the time being. So far, no interim order in Sanon’s suit has been reported.
Another Bench is already testing the limits
The Delhi High Court is separately examining the outer limits of personality rights in a batch of its own. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani is hearing the suits of actors Janhvi Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi, along with another suit, together so as to define the scope of the right. In September 2026, in actor Meenakshi Chaudhary’s suit, he said he was against granting blanket injunctions on personality rights, and in the Janhvi Kapoor suit he declined to block all of the thousands of web links cited.
In that batch, Advocate Gautam Bhatia was appointed amicus curiae. His brief is dated October 2, 2026, and he argued it on October 7 and 8. Personality rights, he submitted, are a bundle of distinct claims such as passing off and defamation, each to be pleaded and proved separately, and fan work, satire and creator content deserve free speech protection.
No statute, only case law
No statute in India defines personality rights. Courts have built the protection case by case, drawing on the right to privacy under Article 21, the law of passing off, and trademark and copyright principles, and in recent months the Delhi High Court has granted interim takedown orders to several public figures against deepfakes, fake merchandise and unauthorised commercial use of their name and image. The research Justice Kaurav has asked for goes to these very questions: what the right covers, and which division of the High Court should hear such suits.
Case Title: Kriti Sanon’s personality rights suit (case title and number awaited)
Bench: Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, Delhi High Court
Date of Hearing: October 16, 2026
Appearances: Advocate Pravin Anand for the plaintiff, Kriti Sanon