Padma Vibhushan Chiranjeevi's Personality Rights Protected By Hyderabad City Civil Court - Full Details Inside

In a significant legal development, the City Civil Court of Hyderabad has issued an ad-interim injunction safeguarding the personality and publicity rights of legendary actor, philanthropist Konidela Chiranjeevi.

The order, passed on September 26, 2025, protects the veteran star’s name, image, voice, and likeness from unauthorised commercial or digital use.

City Civil Court of Hyderabad safeguards Chiranjeevi's personality rights

According to the Court of the Chief Judge, City Civil Court, Hyderabad, the order was granted in response to a plea filed by Chiranjeevi, who sought protection against widespread, unpermitted exploitation of his identity across social media platforms, merchandise, and artificial intelligence-driven technologies. The court acknowledged that such acts of misuse and distortion could cause 'severe and irreparable harm' to the actor’s reputation, dignity, and economic interests.The injunction specifically restrains defendants No. 1 to 33 and defendant No. 36, as well as any other individuals or entities, from directly or indirectly using Chiranjeevi’s name, stage titles (Mega Star, Chiru, Annayya), voice, image, or personality attributes for any form of commercial or personal gain. The protection extends to all forms of media, including digital, print, and broadcast.

Court warns against any violation of Chiranjeevi's personality rights

The court also observed that Chiranjeevi’s long-standing stature in the Indian entertainment industry, backed by honours such as the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, makes any misuse of his identity a serious infringement of intellectual property and personal rights. It highlighted that digital manipulation and AI-generated content now pose emerging threats to public figures’ reputations, necessitating stronger judicial safeguards.The order warns that any violation, whether through imitation, defamation, or unauthorised commercialisation, will invite strict civil and criminal consequences. All television channels, OTT platforms, digital content creators, and media outlets have been explicitly cautioned against using Chiranjeevi’s persona or related elements without written consent.Further proceedings in the case are scheduled for October 27, 2025, with notifications to all defendants underway.In a related development, on October 11, 2025, Chiranjeevi personally met Mr. Sajjanar, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, and handed over a copy of the court order. During their meeting, the actor discussed initiating criminal proceedings and strengthening legal frameworks against such violations. Mr. Sajjanar acknowledged that Chiranjeevi’s legal action reinforces the importance of protecting personality and publicity rights in India’s entertainment sector.