Shatrughan Sinha moved the Bombay High Court for protection of rights, alleging online misuse and his “Khamosh” dialogue. Justice Sharmila Deshmukh reserved orders on relief, as Sinha invoked privacy under Article 21 and performers’ rights, warning clips damage reputation.
MUMBAI: Actor and Lok Sabha MP Shatrughan Sinha has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking protection for his personality rights, claiming widespread online misuse of his name, image, and his famous dialogue “Khamosh” (silence!).
Justice Sharmila Deshmukh has reserved her ruling on Sinha’s request for an interim injunction.
Citing his ‘Right to privacy’ under Article 21 of the Constitution and ‘Performers’ rights’ as outlined in the Copyright Act, Sinha contended that his performances are being altered in ways that could harm his reputation.
In the meantime, Sinha has requested a temporary injunction to prevent the John Doe parties from using his name, persona, and mannerisms. He also seeks to stop the unauthorized sale of merchandise that exploits his likeness.
The lawsuit, filed through his son Luv Sinha, targets unknown individuals and major tech companies, including Meta, X (formerly Twitter), Google, e-commerce platforms, bloggers, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the Union Department of Telecommunications.
Sinha aims for a permanent injunction against these entities from using his name, voice, mannerisms, signature phrase ‘Khamosh,’ and overall persona for any commercial purposes without his permission.
He has claimed damages of Rs 20 crores or the profits derived from the unauthorized use of his persona.
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Advocate Hiren Kamod, representing Sinha, argued that over the years, the actor has built significant goodwill and commercial value in his image. However, unknown individuals and various platforms have been undermining this goodwill by creating fake social media profiles, circulating caricatures using clips of his performances, and selling merchandise featuring his image and catchphrase.
Kamod explained that these actions mislead the public into thinking that the actor endorses these goods or content, damage his reputation by associating him with inappropriate humor, and rob him of control over how his persona is utilized. The suit was filed through IndiaLaw LLP.
Case Title: Shatrughan Prasad Sinha v. John Doe, Meta, & Ors.