Karan Johar Wins Legal Battle: Bombay HC Blocks Film Title for Misusing His Name

The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to lift the stay on the release of the film Shaadi Ke Director Karan aur Johar, ruling that the movie’s title prima facie violates filmmaker Karan Johar’s personality rights.

Justice RI Chagla, who presided over the case, observed that the unauthorised use of Johar’s name could mislead the public into believing he was associated with the film. Given the strong prima facie case, the Court made the stay permanent until the final disposal of Johar’s suit.

Background of the Case

Johar had filed a plea against the film’s producers IndiaPride Advisory, writer Sanjay Singh, and director Bablu Singh, arguing that the film’s title exploited his goodwill and violated his personality rights.

The Court had earlier granted an interim stay in June 2024, preventing the filmmakers from using ‘Karan Johar’ in any form. The Court noted at the time that:

“The defendants are creating confusion in the minds of the public at large that the subject film is associated with the plaintiff as the general public will identify and associate the use of the plaintiff’s name ‘Karan Johar’ with the title of the subject film.”

The filmmakers later approached the Court seeking to vacate the stay, but their plea was rejected on Friday, making the ban on the film’s title permanent until the case is resolved.

Legal Arguments and Observations

Karan Johar’s argument:

• The use of his name in the film’s title was unauthorised and misleading.
• It created a false impression of his involvement in the project.
• This amounted to an infringement of personality and fundamental rights.

Court’s ruling:

• Found merit in Johar’s claim that the title exploited his name for publicity.
• Agreed that the public would assume Johar was connected to the film.
• Rejected the filmmakers’ plea to vacate the interim stay, keeping the ban in place indefinitely.

What’s Next?

With the Court making the stay permanent, the filmmakers cannot release the movie under its current title until a final decision is made in the case.