The Bombay High Court has upheld a stay on the release of the film tentatively titled Shaadi Ke Director Karan Aur Johar, stating that the use of the name infringes upon filmmaker Karan Johar’s personality and publicity rights.
The bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice M S Karnik, emphasized Johar’s extensive goodwill and reputation both in India and internationally.
The court dismissed an appeal filed by Sanjay Singh, the filmmaker behind the movie, challenging a March ruling by a single bench that had granted a stay on its release. Johar had filed a plea against the film, asserting that its title and content violated his established brand and commercial interests.
The bench noted that Johar’s name has become synonymous with his identity, and the combination of ‘Karan’ and ‘Johar’ in any context pointed directly to the well-known filmmaker. The court stated that Johar, as a global personality, has a distinct economic right to exploit his name and brand at his discretion.
According to the judgment, the use of ‘Karan Johar’ in the film’s title violated his exclusive rights to commercialize his name and likeness. “The name ‘Karan Johar’ is solely associated with the respondent (Johar) and forms an integral part of his personality and brand,” the court stated.
The Bombay High Court further affirmed that Indian law protects the personality and publicity rights of public figures, including celebrities, acknowledging Johar’s right to prevent unauthorized commercial use of his name. The court pointed out that public figures like Johar are entitled to protection against exploitation of their reputation without consent.
The appellant, Sanjay Singh, had proposed adding the word “aur” (and) between the names Karan and Johar in the title, but the court rejected this suggestion, ruling that such a modification would still create confusion among the public. The court emphasized that Singh could not be allowed to capitalize on Johar’s reputation and goodwill in this manner.
Case Details
Case Title: Sanjay S/o. Girish Kumar Singh Versus Karan Johar
Case No.: COMMERCIAL APPEAL (L) NO. 9786 OF 2025
Date: 7th MAY, 2025
Counsel For Petitioner: Ashok M. Saraogi a/w Mr. Anand Mishra
Counsel For Respondent: Zal Andhyarujina, Senior Advocate
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