INTRODUCTION

Krishna Kishore Singh v. Sarla A. Saraogi & Ors. is a significant case concerning posthumous personality rights, publicity rights, and the intersection of privacy rights with freedom of expression in India. The case emerged following the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) and involved a legal challenge by his father against filmmakers who created a movie based on SSR’s life. The case addresses crucial questions about the inheritability of personality rights, the scope of publicity rights after death, and the balance between artistic freedom and personal rights.

FACTS

• On June 14, 2020, Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput died under circumstances that prompted investigations.
• In March 2021, Krishna Kishore Singh, SSR’s father, filed a lawsuit against filmmakers who were producing a film about SSR’s life titled “Nyay: The Justice.”
• Singh sought a permanent injunction to prevent the filmmakers from using SSR’s name, caricature, or lifestyle in any projects without his prior permission.
• The plaintiff filed multiple applications, including an interlocutory injunction request to prevent the film’s release pending the main lawsuit’s resolution.
• The initial application was dismissed on June 10, 2021, but Singh was allowed to press claims after the film’s release.
• Following the film’s release, Singh filed an application to amend the original lawsuit to include additional claims based on the released film’s content and impact.

ISSUES

1. Whether personality rights, publicity rights, and privacy rights are inheritable and can be pursued by legal heirs after a person’s death.
2. Whether the production of a film based on publicly available information about a deceased person requires permission from their legal representatives.
3. Whether the concept of “celebrity rights” exists as a distinct legal concept separate from general personality rights.
4. Whether the film’s release would prejudice ongoing investigations and the right to a fair trial.

ARGUMENTS FROM BOTH SIDES 

Plaintiff’s Arguments:

1. The film was based on defamatory statements and unverified news articles that portrayed SSR negatively.
2. The commercial exploitation of SSR’s persona without permission from legal representatives violated his personality rights.
3. Celebrity rights and publicity rights are inheritable and now vested in his legal representatives.
4. The film’s release would prejudice ongoing investigations and the right to a fair trial.

Defendants’ Arguments:

1. The film did not directly reference SSR’s name, image, or caricature and included a disclaimer.
2. The film was based on publicly available information, which didn’t require prior consent or verification.
3. The right to make a film based on public information was protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
4. Posthumous rights to privacy and publicity cannot be advocated by another person.

DECISION

The Delhi High Court examined the complex interplay between personality rights, artistic freedom, and posthumous rights in the case of Krishna Kishore Singh v. Sarla A. Saraogi & Ors. The plaintiff, Krishna Kishore Singh, claimed both privacy and publicity rights on behalf of his deceased son, challenging the defendants’ right to create and distribute a film based on his son’s life events.

The defendants contested these claims, arguing that their work was based on publicly available information and protected under constitutional free speech rights. After viewing the disputed film, the Court acknowledged that while it closely mirrored SSR’s life events as reported in the media, this fact alone did not constitute a violation of rights. The Court emphasized that the rights to privacy, publicity, and personality were not inheritable and ceased to exist upon death, making it impossible for Singh to pursue these claims on behalf of SSR.

The Court rejected the defendant’s assertion that the film was merely a generalized portrayal of struggling Bollywood actors, finding instead that it was clearly based on SSR’s life. However, this finding did not strengthen the plaintiff’s case, as the Court determined that using publicly available information that went unchallenged when originally published did not violate any rights. The Court noted that Singh’s lack of authority from SSR to protect these rights was significant, and even if the film did infringe SSR’s publicity rights or defamed him, such rights were personal to SSR and could not be inherited.

Furthermore, the Court dismissed the notion of special “celebrity rights,” asserting that all individuals should enjoy equal rights emanating from their personality and achievements. The Court also rejected concerns about the film prejudicing ongoing investigations, expressing confidence in the legal system’s ability to remain unaffected by such content. The Court ultimately granted no injunction against the film’s continued distribution but preserved Singh’s right to pursue damages through the ongoing suit.

The Delhi High Court dismissed Singh’s application for an injunction but allowed him to maintain the suit for damages. The Court’s key holdings were:

1. Rights to privacy, publicity, and personality are not inheritable and cease to exist upon death.
2. Information derived from publicly available sources that went unchallenged when originally published can be used without violation of rights.
3. The concept of distinct “celebrity rights” was rejected, emphasizing that all individuals should enjoy equal rights emanating from their personality.
4. The tort of passing off was inapplicable as the film depicted real facts rather than portraying fiction as reality.
5. The film’s release would not prejudice the right to a fair trial as the legal system is robust enough to remain uninfluenced by such content.

ANALYSIS

The Krishna Kishore Singh decision represents a significant development in India’s jurisprudence on personality rights and their application after death. The Court’s ruling establishes important guidelines for protecting individual rights while ensuring access to information and creative expression. The judgment recognizes that while personal rights deserve protection, they cannot be extended indefinitely after death through inheritance, striking a crucial balance between individual rights and creative freedom.

The Court’s methodology demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of personality rights in the modern media landscape. It acknowledges that while individuals have legitimate interests in protecting their persona and privacy, these rights must be balanced against the public’s right to information and creative expression. This interpretation provides crucial guidance for content creators and media houses, helping them understand the scope of their creative rights when dealing with real-life events and personalities.

The ruling also clarifies important procedural aspects of personality rights protection. Confirming that these rights are not inheritable prevents the potential stifling of creative expression through posthumous control by legal heirs. Additionally, the Court’s handling of the public domain issue establishes a valuable precedent by protecting the use of previously published, unchallenged information in creative works.

In essence, the Court’s decision reinforces the judiciary’s role in maintaining reasonable access to information while protecting individual rights. The ruling strikes a crucial balance between preserving creative freedom and respecting personal rights, particularly in cases involving deceased individuals. This interpretation provides clear guidelines for future cases involving similar concerns about personality rights and creative expression in the media industry.

The case sets a noteworthy precedent for navigating the increasingly complex landscape of personality rights in the digital age, where information spreads rapidly and remains accessible indefinitely. It highlights the need for clear legal frameworks that protect individual rights during life while ensuring that these protections do not unduly restrict creative expression and public discourse after death. This approach ensures the free flow of information and creative expression while maintaining respect for individual rights within appropriate temporal bounds.

The Krishna Kishore Singh case significantly contributes to India’s jurisprudence on personality rights and their posthumous application. The Court’s decision establishes clear principles regarding the non-inheritability of personality rights while balancing creative freedom with personal rights.

The ruling provides important guidance on several key aspects:

1. Posthumous Rights: The decision clarifies that personality rights, including privacy and publicity rights, are personal and expire with the individual, addressing a previously grey area in Indian law.
2. Public Domain Usage: The judgment establishes that information already in the public domain, if unchallenged when originally published, can be used for creative works without requiring additional permissions.
3. Celebrity Rights: By rejecting the concept of special “celebrity rights,” the Court ensures equal treatment of personality rights for all individuals, regardless of their public status.
4. Freedom of Expression: The decision strongly upholds the right to creative expression under Article 19(1)(a) when based on publicly available information.

The case represents a significant development in Indian media law, particularly regarding the balance between artistic freedom and personal rights. It provides clear guidelines for filmmakers and content creators while establishing boundaries for the exercise of posthumous rights by legal heirs. The judgment also aligns with international jurisprudence, particularly in jurisdictions like New York, where publicity rights exist only during a person’s lifetime.