Shatrughan Sinha Moves Bombay HC To Stop 'Misuse' Of His Iconic Dialogue 'Khaamosh'

 

 

Veteran actor and Lok Sabha member Shatrughan Sinha has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking protection against the alleged misuse of his iconic dialogue 'Khaamosh' on social media platforms.

In the petition filed through his son Luv Sinha, the Trinamool Congress leader has sought protection against the alleged misuse of his name, image and the unauthorised use of his famous dialogue, stating that the same is damaging his reputation.

 

The petition that came up before a single bench of Justice Sharmila Deshmukh on Monday has named Meta, X, Google, several e-commerce websites, bloggers, electronics companies, and the Central Department of Information Technology and Broadcasting as respondents, along with unknown individuals.

Sinha has based his claim on the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the rights of artists under copyright law. In the petition, he stated, "The reputation I have earned through my long career is being tarnished on various social media platforms."

 

He has sought an interim injunction to stop the use of his persona, name, voice, signature, and the famous 'Khaamosh' dialogue without his consent. He has also claimed damages of Rs 20 crore or any profits earned from such unauthorised commercial use.

The petition further stated that anonymous persons, various websites, and many fake social media profiles are circulating memes using clips, dialogues, photos, and voice recordings from his films. According to Sinha, this misuses his image and harms his reputation through satirical content. The petition argues that his right to choose the context in which his character is used is being violated and seeks an immediate court order to stop such practices.

After hearing his arguments, the court has reserved its interim order on the petition.

Notably, the iconic dialogue 'Khaamosh!' was delivered in a powerful voice by Sinha while playing the role of Raju Dada in the 1974 film Badla. The dialogue was written by Jagdish Kanwal.