In a significant development reinforcing celebrity rights in the digital era, NTR, who stands tall as the biggest stars in Indian Cinema, has secured legal protection from the Delhi High Court against the unauthorised use of his name, image, and likeness across digital platforms.
The actor, popularly known as the Man of the Masses, approached the court citing widespread misuse of his identity on social media and e-commerce platforms. According to the petition, such unauthorised exploitation not only caused commercial harm but also posed a serious threat to his reputation, particularly in an age dominated by artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and manipulated digital content.
Taking note of the concerns raised, the Delhi High Court treated the plea under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The court directed concerned intermediaries to promptly remove, disable, or restrict access to infringing content upon receipt of a valid complaint.
Reacting to the order, NTR expressed gratitude to the judiciary, stating, “I thank the Hon’ble Delhi High Court for granting a protective order safeguarding my personality rights in today’s digital environment.” He also acknowledged the efforts of his legal team, including Supreme Court Advocates Dr. Balajanaki Srinivasan and Dr. Alka Dakar, and the team at Rights & Marks, for their role in securing the relief.
The ruling reinforces the growing judicial recognition of personality and publicity rights in India, underscoring that unauthorised commercial exploitation of an individual’s name, image, or likeness particularly when it risks reputational harm will invite legal consequences. In India, film actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan have pursued similar legal protections for their publicity rights. Recent rulings have also benefitted other entertainment figures, including Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and R Madhavan, who received court orders safeguarding their ability to prevent unauthorised commercial use of their persona.
On the work front, Jr NTR was last seen in Koratala Siva’s Devara: Part 1 in 2024 and made his Hindi film debut with Ayan Mukerji’s War 2, co-starring Hrithik Roshan and Kiara Advani. The actor is currently filming for director Prashanth Neel’s upcoming project, reportedly titled Dragon.