Jackie Shroff moves Delhi HC, seeks protection over 'Bhidu' name
Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff has sought legal protection against the unauthorized use of his persona, including his name, voice, photographs, and nickname "Bhidu." He reportedly filed a suit in the Delhi High Court which has issued summons based on his claim. The court is set to consider an interim order following a hearing scheduled for Tuesday. This move mirrors a similar action taken by fellow actor Anil Kapoor last year.
Shroff's counsels reported misuse of his images and voice
Shroff's legal representatives have informed the court about instances where his images were used to create offensive memes. His voice has also been misused for similar purposes, Bar and Bench reported on X. In some cases, pornographic material was created using Shroff's persona. The actor is seeking to bar people from using his nickname "Bhidu," as well as "Jackie" and "Jaggu Dada" without permission.
Potential impact on performances mimicking Shroff's persona
If Shroff's application for legal protection is successful, actors may need to obtain permission before mimicking his persona. Notably, actor-comedian Krushna Abhishek is celebrated for his spot-on mimicry of Jaggu Dada. Recently, Abhishek embodied Shroff's iconic Chunnilal character from the 2002 film Devdas, delighting audiences with his uncanny portrayal on Netflix's The Great Indian Kapil Show. The episode in question was graced by the Heeramandi cast including Richa Chadda, Sonakshi Sinha, and Aditi Rao Hydari, among others.
Shroff joined Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan to protect personality rights
Before Shroff, in September 2023, the Delhi HC issued a restraining order against the unauthorized use of actor Kapoor's name, image, voice, and other personal attributes, including the "jhakaas" catchphrase, for commercial purposes. Prior to Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan had also sought legal action from the HC to prevent unauthorized use of his image. In November 2022, the Delhi HC issued an interim order prohibiting the unauthorized use of Bachchan's voice, photographs, and other elements.
Meanwhile, we look at Shroff's upcoming ventures
Meanwhile, work-wise, the 67-year-old actor's most recent appearance was in the comedy-drama movie Mast Mein Rehne Ka, where he starred alongside Neena Gupta. The film debuted on Amazon Prime Video on December 8, 2023. He is currently occupied with the upcoming project Baap, which features him alongside Sunny Deol, Mithun Chakraborty, Sanjay Dutt, and Raveena Tandon. It is one of the highly-awaited films of the year.
