Samantha Ruth Prabhu has secured interim protection from the Bombay High Court after seeking legal action against the unauthorised use of her name, photographs, voice and likeness online. The court has ordered the removal of objectionable material, including AI-generated deepfakes and morphed content involving the actor. The order comes as celebrities across India increasingly turn to courts over the use of artificial intelligence to recreate their identities without consent.
Bombay High Court orders takedown
Justice Madhav Jamdar passed the interim order on October 1 while hearing Samantha’s personality-rights suit. The court restrained the publication and continued use of unauthorised content using her name, image and voice.
According to legal publication Bar & Bench, the court found that the material presented by Samantha, including morphed images and deepfakes, showed a prima facie violation of her personality, publicity and moral rights. The case involves 18 defendants, including major technology and social media companies, AI platforms, digital media organisations and unidentified individuals. Meta, Google, Amazon, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications are among the parties named in the proceedings.
Samantha’s name, image and voice protected
The court’s order covers more than digitally altered photographs. The proceedings also concern AI-generated voice content and material that allegedly uses Samantha’s identity without authorisation.
Justice Jamdar noted that her personality and publicity rights receive protection under Articles 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution. The court also referred to the protection available to performers under Section 38B of the Copyright Act.
The judgment described these as valuable rights that were, prima facie, being affected by the alleged unauthorised use. Samantha’s lawyer, Rashmin Khandekar, also highlighted the alleged spread of morphed photographs, deepfake videos, AI-generated voices and chatbots involving the actor.
A wider issue for celebrities
Samantha’s case is part of a growing legal conversation around how Indian law can protect public figures from AI-generated impersonation.
The Bombay High Court also had to grapple with similar concerns in June 2026 proceedings against actor Preity Zinta. Her petition raised allegations involving AI-generated deepfake videos, manipulated images, AI chatbot personas and other digital material.
What happens next for Samantha Prabhu?
The Bombay High Court has granted Samantha ad interim relief, meaning the protection is in place while the wider legal proceedings continue. The matter has been listed for further hearing on December 10.
The order gives immediate protection to Samantha against the specific categories of unauthorised content in her lawsuit. More generally, the case could be yet another major development in India’s evolving legal response to AI-generated deepfakes and online celebrity identity protection.
As AI becomes increasingly good at copying real people’s faces and voices, courts are now being asked to determine where the boundaries are between technology, expression and a person’s right to control their identity.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu wins legal protection against deepfakes
