A Mumbai court has ruled in favor of filmmaker Karan Johar in a defamation suit against YouTuber Ajey Nagar, popularly known as CarryMinati. Civil Judge P. G. Bhosale passed an interim order on Monday, February 9, 2026, restraining Nagar from creating or publishing "defamatory, vulgar, and abusive" content targeting Johar. The court has also directed social media platforms, including Google and Meta, to remove existing videos aimed at him.
Johar filed the suit alleging that videos circulating on social media were ridiculing him and harming his reputation and goodwill, which he has built over decades. Represented by DSK Legal, Johar sought a temporary injunction to prevent Nagar and his associates from making or uploading such content. The suit also names Nagar's manager, Deepak Char, One Hand Clap Media Pvt Ltd, and social media platforms Google and Meta as defendants.
The controversy stems from a "roast" video uploaded on Nagar's YouTube channel, reportedly titled "Coffee With Jalan," a parody of Johar's popular talk show "Koffee With Karan". The video allegedly contained abusive language targeting Bollywood nepotism and specifically Johar.
The court found that Johar had established a prima facie case regarding the use of "vulgar and abusive" language in the digital content. Judge Bhosale stated that "prima facie it appears that the Ajey Nagar and Deepak Char have made defamatory statements and used vulgar language against the plaintiff". The court emphasized the need to immediately take down the videos and issued an injunction against those who circulate and re-circulate the videos on social media platforms.
Nagar's lawyer submitted that the YouTuber had already deleted the videos and other material in question, arguing that there was no cause of action left. However, Johar's legal team argued that even though Nagar had deleted the main video, the damage was ongoing because numerous smaller clips were still being shared as reels and shorts. To prevent further dissemination, the judge issued a John Doe order, allowing the court to take action against unidentified individuals who might attempt to re-upload the content anonymously.
This legal victory for Johar establishes a significant precedent for personality rights, protecting celebrities' control over the use of their name and image for commercial or satirical purposes. The case serves as a warning to creators that using abusive language against public figures can have serious legal repercussions.
The DSK Legal team, including advocates Pradeep Gandhi, Parag Khandar, Anaheeta Verma, and Pratyush Dhodda, represented Karan Johar in the suit. The court's decision clarifies the reason for the video's removal, which had previously been attributed to negative feedback from viewers.