On 23 January 2026 the Delhi High Court granted an interim injunction, without hearing the other side first, against an AI-generated film of about an hour that cast Akira Nandan in the lead without his permission. Nandan, 21, is the son of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and belongs to a well-known Telugu film family. The case is filed as Akira Desai alias Akira Nandan v. Sambhawaami Studios LLP; Justice Tushar Rao Gedela heard it, and the plaintiff was represented by senior advocate J. Sai Deepak. SCC Online reports the order as 2026 SCC OnLine Del 283, and notes that Nandan is a student who is sometimes labelled a "PSPK star kid" in the Telugu press.
“a dent to the personality and the very image of the plaintiff can neither be measured in monetary terms nor be resurrected conveniently”
Delhi High Court order of 23 Jan 2026, as quoted by Siasat, as quoted by Siasat · siasat.com ↗
The film, titled "AI Love Story" on YouTube and released in several languages, billed itself as the world's first global AI movie. ETV Bharat reported that the Telugu version had passed 1.1 million views and the English one about 24,000 by 22 January. Outlets spell the studio's name differently: ETV Bharat gives Sambhavami Studios, while SCC Times and Siasat, citing the order, give Sambhawaami Studios LLP.
Nandan's case rested on privacy, personality, publicity and moral rights as well as copyright. He argued that the film contained fabricated romantic scenes that damaged his reputation and risked misleading viewers. The court found a strong prima facie case and held that the balance of convenience lay with him, noting that casting him through AI pointed to a distinct persona worth protecting. The plaintiff also argued the film risked deceiving the public into thinking he took part, and the order protects the forms "Akira", "Akira Nandan" and "Akira Desai".
SCC Times' illustration for its report on Akira Nandan's personality-rights injunction
Image: SCC Times
The order directs removal of the film, its clips, shorts and promotional material across platforms, and bars further use of his name, image, likeness, voice and mannerisms, including by AI or deepfakes. It also covers unnamed defendants. Meta was told to notify users of infringing URLs and to take the content down within 72 hours if they do not act. Nandan has appeared in a film and contributed music to the Telugu film "OG". The judge observed that AI can portray a person's character in any manner, which carries a serious risk of misuse.
The matter was listed for further proceedings on 5 February 2026.
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