CarryMinati vs Karan Johar: Mumbai court grants injunction over alleged defamatory content

In a defamation suit against YouTube personality Ajey Nagar, also known as CarryMinati, the civil and sessions court in Mumbai on 9 February 2026 granted interim relief to filmmaker Karan Johar, restraining Nagar and others from publishing or circulating what the court described as “objectionable, defamatory, vulgar and abusive” content targeting the Bollywood director.

The ad-interim injunction also applies to Nagar’s manager, Deepak Char, and includes broad “John Doe” orders covering anyone who shares or re-circulates such material on social media platforms.

Karan Johar, a producer-director and host of the long-running talk show Koffee with Karan, has often faced online criticism, particularly over issues of nepotism in Bollywood.

CarryMinati released a roast-style video titled Coffee with Jalan, a parody of Karan Johar’s hosted show Koffee with Karan. The content allegedly featured abusive language, vulgar remarks, and statements that Johar’s legal team described as defamatory, targeting him personally along with broader jabs at Bollywood’s insider culture. Johar approached the Mumbai court seeking urgent relief, leading to the hearing before Judge Pandurang Bhosale.

According to LiveLaw, Johar’s lawyers argued in court that the video’s statements and tone were not only offensive but also harmful to his reputation and the goodwill he has built over decades in Indian cinema. They noted that although Nagar had taken down the original video, it had already been viewed millions of times and continued to circulate through short clips and reposts on digital platforms, prompting urgent legal action.

Judge Pandurang Bhosale noted in the ad-interim injunction that the material prima facie appeared to contain defamatory statements and vulgar language directed at the plaintiff, and that immediate relief was warranted to prevent further harm. The order temporarily restrains Nagar, his manager Deepak Char and other named parties, as well as unspecified third parties (often referred to as “John Doe” defendants), from creating, uploading, posting, reposting, or otherwise disseminating similar content in any form until further notice.

CarryMinati’s defence counsel, however, argued that the main video and related content had already been deleted and maintained that there was no ongoing cause of action when the suit was filed. Nevertheless, the court found sufficient grounds to grant interim relief while the matter awaits further adjudication.

This case illustrates the evolving challenges faced by content creators in balancing creative freedom with legal accountability. While roasts and satirical commentary have long been part of digital entertainment, the ruling highlights that courts are willing to intervene when content is deemed to veer into defamation or uses excessively abusive language. For Karan Johar, the move represents a firm stance against persistent online trolling that he and his team have endured for years.