Shatrughan Sinha Fights For 'Khamosh' Rights

Trinamool Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha has initiated legal action at the Bombay High Court, seeking robust protection for his personality and publicity rights. The actor alleges extensive online misuse of his name, image, and his famous 'Khamosh' catchphrase from 'Kalicharan'. His son, Luv Sinha, filed the suit against unidentified parties and major technology platforms.

Sinha's plea requests a permanent injunction to prevent any commercial exploitation of his name, voice, likeness, or overall persona without his explicit consent. He is also claiming damages amounting to Rs 20 crore or an alternative direction for payment of profits derived from such unauthorized uses.

The lawsuit contends that Sinha, as a celebrated actor, possesses moral rights over his performances and is entitled to prevent distortion or modification prejudicial to his reputation. The petition highlights the defendants' alleged alteration of his performance recordings to create and circulate GIFs without his knowledge or consent.

Justice Sharmila Deshmukh heard the matter on Monday and reserved judgment on Sinha's interim application, which sought a restraining order against 24 respondents. This legal move follows similar actions by other Bollywood actors seeking to safeguard their publicity rights against unauthorized commercial use.