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EYE ON BOLLYWOOD                                                    OCTOBER 10, 2025       |  The Indian Eye 44


         Bollywood vs. AI: Stars Battle Deepfakes




                 and Identity Theft in the Digital Age






         As artificial intelligence blurs the line between reality and fabrication, India’s biggest film stars

             are pushing back in courtrooms, raising urgent questions about the future of Bollywood.



        OUR BUREAU                                                                                 nology’s speed. In the time it takes to file a lawsuit,
                                                                                                   thousands of AI-generated clips can proliferate
        Mumbai
                                                                                                   across YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. Channels
            n an industry built on glamour, mystique and                                           like “AI Bollywood Ishq,” which has clocked over
            carefully cultivated star personas, Bollywood’s                                       16 million views, show how quickly synthetic videos
        Ibiggest names are finding themselves in an un-                                            can find an audience.
        likely battle—against artificial intelligence. Deep-                                          In one, Aishwarya Rai is seen in a pool with
        fake technology, capable of cloning voices and                                             Salman Khan—her ex-partner—while Abhishek
        generating hyper-realistic images, is now threat-                                          fumes in the background. All of it generated by a
        ening the very identities of actors who once relied                                        few text prompts.
        on their aura to command box office power and
        endorsement deals.                                                                                  THE INDUSTRY’S FEARS
            This new frontier is proving especially disrup-
        tive in India, where Bollywood is both a cultural                                               or Bollywood, AI poses both reputational
        touchstone and a multi-billion-dollar industry. For                                             and commercial threats. Stars who charge
        decades, stars have fought off unauthorised post-                                         Fmillions to endorse luxury brands fear that
        ers, fake merchandise and gossip magazines. But                                            deepfake ads could dilute their market value. Di-
        today, the threat is more existential. AI-generated                                        rectors and producers worry that AI-generated
        content—whether it is a manipulated video, an ar-                                         “fake trailers” or re-imagined movie scenes could
        tificial voice clone, or an AI “love story” featuring                                      confuse audiences and impact box office earnings.
        famous couples—risks eroding reputations and re-                                              There’s also a cultural dimension. Bollywood
        shaping the entertainment economy in ways that                                             thrives on stardom—the larger-than-life personas
        legal frameworks in India are only beginning to                                            of actors who are adored by fans and trusted by
        grasp.                                                                                     advertisers.  If AI  can  fabricate a romance, feud
                                                                                                   or scandal at will, the industry risks losing control
              THE BACHCHANS VS. YOUTUBE                                                            over the very narratives that sustain its power.
                                                                                                      The industry’s response so far has been two-
              eading the charge are Abhishek Bachchan                                              fold: legal action and lobbying for stronger regu-
              and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, one of India’s   Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is among the actors who have gone   lation. Stars like the Bachchans, Anil Kapoor and
        Lmost recognisable celebrity couples. In Sep-  to court, demanding the removal of AI-generated videos that   Jackie Shroff are asserting their personality rights
        tember, the duo filed a lawsuit against Google’s                                           in court, while filmmakers like Karan Johar have
        YouTube, demanding the removal of AI-generat-     use their likeness without consent (ANI file photo)   joined calls for India to introduce statutory protec-
        ed videos that use their likeness without consent.                                         tions similar to those in the US or Germany.
        Their legal filings accuse YouTube not only of host- realizes its survival in the AI era may depend on
        ing “egregious” and “sexually explicit” deepfakes   legal protection.                            THE FUTURE OF BOLLYWOOD
        but also of potentially allowing such videos to be
        used for training other AI models.                      PERSONALITY RIGHTS                      he rise of AI poses an uncomfortable ques-
            The couple’s petition extends beyond individ-                                               tion: if technology can generate new “per-
        ual grievances: they want safeguards ensuring You-  nlike Hollywood, where statutory laws on  Tformances” of beloved stars, will the indus-
        Tube videos cannot be weaponised by AI develop-     publicity  rights  give  celebrities  significant  try  still  need  flesh-and-blood  actors?  While  that
        ers, setting a precedent that could reshape global  Ucontrol over their likeness, India lacks a  dystopian scenario is still distant, AI is already en-
        platform policies. For Bollywood, the stakes are   dedicated legal framework. Instead, judges rely on   croaching on creative territory. Generative mod-
        monumental. If deepfakes of A-list stars circulate   common law principles and constitutional protec- els can write scripts, compose music, and create
        unchecked, their carefully controlled public perso- tions around privacy.                  entire scenes in minutes—tasks that traditionally
        nas—often the basis of lucrative endorsements—   This makes enforcement inconsistent. Courts   required hundreds of workers.
        could lose credibility.                       can order takedowns of deepfake videos or unau-  As Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan’s
            The Bachchans’ concerns are far from isolat- thorised merchandise, but compensation remains   lawsuit makes its way through Delhi’s courts, it
        ed. Last year, veteran actor Anil Kapoor success- rare and reputational damage is often irreversible.  may serve as a litmus test for how India will bal-
        fully blocked the misuse of his image, voice, and  As lawyer Dhruv Anand notes, “The lack of cod- ance the promises of AI innovation with the rights
        even his famous catchphrase “jhakaas.” Actor  ified personality rights means celebrities have to   of its most bankable cultural figures.
        Jackie Shroff followed suit, with the Delhi High   navigate a patchwork of copyright, trademark, and   For Bollywood, the outcome could determine
        Court recognizing his rights over his nicknames   constitutional laws. By the time a ruling comes, the   whether its stars remain the untouchable icons
        and mannerisms. What was once a trickle of such   harm is usually already done.”           they have always been—or become just another
        cases is rapidly becoming a flood, as Bollywood   The ambiguity is further complicated by tech- dataset in the age of machines.


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