The Bombay High Court on Friday upheld its stay on the release of the film Shaadi Ke Director Karan aur Johar, citing concerns over filmmaker Karan Johar’s personality and publicity rights.
Justice Riyaz Chagla observed that the film’s title appeared to infringe upon Johar’s identity, strengthening the case for legal violation. Consequently, the court refused to lift the interim order, thereby maintaining the restriction on the film’s release.
“A strong prima facie case has been established by the Plaintiff (Johar) that the Respondents (filmmakers) have violated his personality and publicity rights by using his brand name. The balance of convenience favors the Plaintiff, and not granting interim relief would cause him irreparable harm,” the judge stated.
Previously, the High Court had prohibited the filmmakers from using ‘Karan Johar’ in the movie’s title or promotional materials, warning that it could mislead audiences into believing the filmmaker was associated with the project.
Johar initiated legal proceedings in June 2024 against the film’s producers, IndiaPride Advisory, along with writer Sanjay Singh and director Bablu Singh, alleging that the title unlawfully exploited his name, infringing on his rights. He argued that the filmmakers were intentionally leveraging his reputation for their gain. On June 13, 2024, the High Court imposed a stay on the film’s release, highlighting that the combination of ‘Karan’ and ‘Johar’ with ‘Director’ could mislead viewers.
Seeking to proceed with the film’s release, the filmmakers recently requested the stay be lifted. However, the court rejected their plea, maintaining the restriction until the lawsuit reaches its final resolution.
As an alternative, the filmmakers proposed modifying the title to Karan Aur Johar, claiming this adjustment would resolve the issue. However, the court remained unconvinced, ruling that the change did not eliminate the misleading association with Karan Johar. The judge remarked, “The mere addition of ‘AUR’ between ‘Karan’ and ‘Johar’ does not sufficiently prevent confusion… This approach undermines intellectual property rights and brand identity.”
The court also noted that a Google search for Karan Aur Johar still led to Karan Johar’s Wikipedia page and related content, reinforcing the argument that the title continued to create a misleading impression.
Concluding that the filmmakers’ unauthorized use of Karan Johar’s name in the title violated his personality, publicity, and privacy rights, the court ruled against lifting the stay. The order stated, “The Plaintiff has successfully demonstrated that the Respondents are unfairly capitalizing on his brand name, goodwill, and reputation.”
