Jackie Shroff sues entities for unauthorized persona use, protects ‘bhidu’

In an unusual example, Ram followed in the footsteps of Lakhan. Actor Jackie Shroff has taken legal action against multiple entities for allegedly infringing on his personality and publicity rights. The lawsuit, filed on May 14, targets the unauthorized use of Shroff's name, voice, images, and even his trademarked term 'Bhidu' without his consent.

This legal move follows a precedent set last year when the Delhi High Court restrained the misuse of Anil Kapoor’s persona for commercial gain.
Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor famously played brothers in the Bollywood film "Ram Lakhan," making Shroff's recent actions reminiscent of Kapoor's previous legal steps.

The plea highlights the integral role of Shroff's unique style in certain Hindi films, attributing their success to his iconic dialogues and improvisations on set. However, Shroff's legal representatives, led by advocate Pravin Anand, underscored instances where offensive memes and distorted use of his voice and images have occurred, causing reputational harm.

Importantly, Shroff clarified that the legal action isn't intended to stifle parody or satire but rather to curb merchandising and defamatory uses of his personality. The plea also seeks intervention from the Department of Technology and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) to remove unauthorized links and websites infringing on his rights.

Various entities, including social media companies, stores, and AI platforms, have been named as defendants in Shroff's suit. Specifically, Google-owned Tenor, Giphy, and AI platforms have been cited for unlawfully using Shroff's attributes for commercial gain without authorization.

Justice Sanjeev Narula heard the matter and issued summons to the defendants, with the next hearing scheduled for May 15.