Abhishek, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Sue YouTube Over Deepfake Videos

SUMMARY

Actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have reportedly moved the Delhi High Court (HC) separately against streaming giant YouTube to protect their voice and image

The actors are claiming $450,000 (INR 4 Cr) in damages and a permanent injunction against unauthorised use of their personal likeness

The actors alleged that several YouTube channels that publish deepfake videos of them, some of which have garnered millions of views

Amid increasing deepfake incidents, actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have reportedly moved the Delhi High Court (HC) separately against streaming giant YouTube to protect their voice and image. The actors are claiming $450,000 (INR 4 Cr) in damages and a permanent injunction against unauthorised use of their personal likeness.

According to a report by Reuters, the husband-wife duo filed separate lawsuits against YouTube earlier in September seeking removal of AI-generated videos that use their likeness without their consent.

Besides, they have also sought directions from the court to prevent YouTube parent Google from hosting such content to train other AI platforms, citing risks of further misuse and reputational harm.

The actors alleged that several YouTube channels that publish deepfake videos of them, some of which have garnered millions of views. The lawsuits, filed in early September, list hundreds of such videos and other online content hosted on YouTube that allegedly infringe over their privacies.

The court will hear the case on January 15, 2026.

The lawsuit comes amid a broader rise in AI and deepfake misuse in India. Many renowned personalities have faced their deepfake videos getting circulated online. Names include actors like Rashmika Mandanna, Ranveer Singh and even PM Narendra Modi.

To curb such menace, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also issued draft AI guidelines aimed at balancing innovation with accountability and transparency.

The guidelines specifically address the risk of misuse, including unauthorised AI-generated content and infringements on personality rights, signalling an intent to provide legal clarity as AI adoption expands in media and entertainment.

Indian courts have been also stepping in to protect personalities against unauthorised AI content.

The 2023 Delhi HC ruling in favour of Anil Kapoor, where the actor obtained an interim injunction against 16 defendants who used AI technologies to create content also highlights an evolving judiciary role in safeguarding reputation and intellectual property rights, even without explicit laws covering AI-generated content or personality rights in India.

There are even startups like Kroop AI, which are developing AI-powered tools to detect and counter deepfakes.