Rakesh Bedi, Dhurandhar's Jameel Jamali, approaches court to protect his personality: What happened?

Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi has moved the Delhi High Court seeking legal protection of his personality rights. Bedi, a familiar face in Indian cinema and television for over four decades, is best known for his comic roles and his recent turn as Jameel Jamali in the Dhurandhar films.

The matter first came up before Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani. On being mentioned, it was sent to the bench that deals with Intellectual Property Division cases.

Delhi High Court and personality rights cases

Over the past couple of years, the Delhi High Court has become a forum for personality rights disputes. It has repeatedly stepped in to stop misuse of a public figure's name, image, voice or likeness.


Those already granted such protection include actress Tabu, cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Abhishek Sharma, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan.

Celebrities seeking legal protection

The list stretches further. Entrepreneur Aman Gupta, southern stars Allu Arjun, Mohanlal and Nagarjuna, NTR Jr., and Bollywood names such as Kajol, R Madhavan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan have all secured similar orders. So have filmmaker Karan Johar, spiritual teacher Aniruddhacharya, singer Jubin Nautiyal and former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. Actor Salman Khan has filed a comparable suit as well.

Personality rights cases beyond film and sport

The court's reach has extended beyond film and sport too. Journalist Sudhir Chaudhary won relief after AI-generated videos misrepresenting him spread online. Podcaster Raj Shamwas granted a John Doe order, with the court noting his strong public recognition as a content creator.

Debate over the expanding use of personality rights

Legal observers have raised questions about this trend. Some commentary suggests personality rights litigation in India is moving beyond questions of dignity or privacy and is increasingly becoming a tool for controlling identity within a more centralised legal and technological framework.

As the Delhi High Court turns into the default venue for such claims, critics argue it has reshaped the underlying doctrine, while some have warned that this concentration of cases could blur jurisdictional lines that were earlier more evenly spread across courts.

Personality rights as a commercial asset

The broader shift is that personality rights, once anchored firmly in privacy law, are increasingly treated as a commercial or reputational asset, a change that has picked up pace alongside wider constitutional readings of privacy and the frequent use of injunctions to block unauthorised content before it spreads.

Rakesh Bedi's four-decade career

Born on December 1, 1954, Bedi has appeared in more than 150 films since the 1970s, along with extensive television and stage work. He remains best known for comic roles in Chashme Buddoor and Mera Damad. More recently, he won praise for playing Jameel Jamali in the Dhurandhar duology.

On television, his credits include Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Shrimaan Shrimati, Yes Boss, Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hain, and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.