Why Indian celebrities are lawyering up
Leading Bollywood names and a high-profile couple have moved to fortify personality rights in court, arguing that AI tools are cloning voices, faces and catchphrases without consent. Their petitions spotlight YouTube and other platforms as vectors for deepfake distribution and monetization. Lawyers say existing statutes can be stretched, but clearer rules on consent, watermarking and takedown speed are overdue. For a film industry that lives by star equity, the risk is both reputational and financial: counterfeit ads, spliced scenes and false endorsements can crater trust in days.
What global entertainment can learn
India’s actions feed a broader rights debate playing out in Hollywood, K-pop and beyond. Studios are writing tighter contracts for scan-and-train permissions; talent unions demand guardrails after a year of AI flashpoints. A judicial blueprint in India could ripple across markets where celebrities sell into multilingual, digital-first audiences. Fans may still delight in clever mashups, but regulators are zeroing in on who profits and who controls the switch. Expect more watermark mandates, provenance tags and platform liability if courts side with performers.