The Bombay High Court has upheld a stay on the release of the film Shaadi Ke Director Karan Aur Johar, ruling that the film infringes upon the personality rights of renowned filmmaker Karan Johar. A division bench led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Makarand Karnik dismissed the appeal filed by the makers of the film and upheld the earlier judgment passed by Justice Riyaz Chagla on March 7, 2025.
The makers had approached the division bench challenging Justice Chagla’s March 7 judgment, which had made absolute the interim stay granted earlier on June 13, 2024, effectively blocking the film’s release. However, the bench maintained the single-judge's order and did not lift the stay. A detailed copy of the division bench's judgment is still awaited.
"There is no manner of doubt that the plaintiff (Johar) has played a role in transforming the Bollywood film industry and launched careers of several successful actors. I have no doubt that prima facie the subject film is a direct reference to the plaintiff and makes unauthorised use of plaintiff's name," Justice Chagla had observed in his earlier interim order dated June 13, 2024.
Justice Chagla had found a strong prima facie case in Johar’s favour, observing that the film attempted to exploit his status as a celebrity. According to the court, Johar’s involvement in directing and producing numerous blockbuster films gave him a well-established public persona, which the film unlawfully used for commercial gain.
Confirming his earlier interim order through a detailed judgment on March 7, 2025, Justice Chagla ruled that the film's title and theme reflected an unauthorised reference to Karan Johar’s name and identity, violating his personality rights, publicity rights, and right to privacy.
"Further, the Plaintiff (Johar) has been able to establish that by using his brand name the defendants (makers) are attempting to ride upon the goodwill and reputation of the Plaintiff to earn unjust profits for itself. In the light of these circumstances, the relief sought for by the Plaintiff requires to be granted," Justice Chagla stated while making the interim stay absolute.
Read Also:-Supreme Court Modifies Bombay HC Order on Badlapur 'Fake' Encounter, Directs DGP to Form SIT
The judge further held that the defendants’ use of the name 'Karan' and 'Johar' in the film’s title served to commercially exploit Johar’s brand identity, which he alone has the right to monetise and control. The court was particularly concerned that the film's content and title—especially the inclusion of the term “Director” along with the names “Karan” and “Johar”—left no doubt that the film referred directly to Johar.
The film, co-produced by IndiaPride Advisory Pvt. Ltd. and Sanjay Singh, and directed by Bablu Singh, features characters named “Karan” and “Johar” who aspire to become film directors in Bollywood. The court noted that this combination of elements creates a direct and unavoidable link to Karan Johar.
In his lawsuit, Johar claimed he had no association with the film and that the use of his name was unauthorised. He alleged that the makers were unlawfully exploiting his identity to benefit from his reputation. According to the plaint, Johar's name had developed a distinctive identity and secondary meaning due to his widespread popularity, granting him the right under intellectual property laws to restrict such use.
Read Also:-Bombay High Court Takes Suo Motu Action on Long Waiting Time for Child Adoption in India
"The unauthorized use of his name in the film's title is intended to capitalize on his established reputation, which is not permissible under the law," the plaint stated.
Johar also raised concerns about the release of trailers and other promotional material, claiming they caused and would continue to cause serious damage to his image and goodwill, which he had built over many years through dedicated work and effort.
The court's refusal to lift the stay ensures that the film cannot be released until the final adjudication of Johar’s claims, marking a significant stand by the judiciary in upholding the rights of public figures to protect their personality and reputation from commercial misuse.
