Feb 23, 2026 11:53am IST
Shatrughan Sinha on Winning the Copyright Over His ‘Khamosh’ Expression (EXCLUSIVE)
While Artificial Intelligence and the things it can do are both a boon and a curse, it has indeed raised alarms for celebrities and the general public to secure their likeness. Indian personalities like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Kajol, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and others have copyrighted their likeness, which prohibits unauthorised use. Now there is a new addition: legendary superstar Shatrughan Sinha has claimed personality rights over his famous dialogue, “Khamosh.”
Shatrughan Sinha and the exclamation ‘Khamosh’ (meaning Be Silent) have, for decades, been synonymous. Now, the Bombay High Court has ruled that the signature 'Khamosh’ expression is "exclusively associated" with Sinha’s persona.
Related Stories
The court has also prohibited the use of his name, images and other personal attributes to create online content without his consent.
Speaking exclusively on the court order, Sinha says, “For decades and decades, ‘Khamosh’ has been associated with me. Countless impersonators have mimicked me and made money. I don’t grudge them their livelihood. But my family and friends felt that I should exercise my personality rights. Do your own thing. Be original. Don’t copy me, Anil Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan or Asha Bhosle.”
The news comes a few days from when Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey raised concerns and advised fellow actors to protect their personality rights against unauthorised use of their likeness.
McConaughey was at a town hall event at the University of Texas at Austin alongside his Interstellar co-star Timothée Chalamet, where he revealed that he has recently trademarked his iconic catchphrase from Dazed and Confused. “It’s coming. It’s already here. Don’t deny it. It’s not going to be enough to sit on the sidelines and make the moral plea that, ‘No, this is wrong.’ It’s not gonna last. There’s too much money to be made, and it’s too productive. So I say, own yourself, voice, likeness, et cetera. Trademark it. Whatever you gotta do, so when it comes, no one can steal you,” McConaughey said, as per Variety.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.