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Why did Karan Johar sue YouTuber CarryMinati? Everything to know about the case and its verdict
Karan Johar, who has long been a target of online memes, just won the defamation suit against YouTuber CarryMinati. Here's everything to know about the case
Filmmaker Karan Johar has once again found himself in the middle of an online controversy, but this time, it has reached the courtroom. Known for being a frequent target in debates around Bollywood nepotism, Karan has often faced criticism and jokes online. However, things took a legal turn when YouTuber CarryMinati uploaded a roast video that allegedly contained objectionable remarks about the producer.
On Monday, February 9, a Mumbai court restrained CarryMinati, whose real name is Ajey Nagar, and his team from posting or circulating any defamatory or objectionable content against Karan Johar. The court also directed Meta Platforms and others to ensure such videos are taken down.
The video that sparked the case
The legal action stemmed from a roast video uploaded on CarryMinati's YouTube channel titled Coffee With Jalan, a spoof on Johar’s popular talk show Koffee With Karan. According to Karan's plea, the video used abusive language and made direct attacks on his name while mocking Bollywood’s nepotism culture.
Judge Pandurang Bhosale, who heard the case, noted that “prima facie it appears that Ajey Nagar and Deepak Char (manager of the CarryMinati channel) have made defamatory statements and used vulgar language against the plaintiff.” The court ordered that the videos be taken down immediately and prohibited their further circulation on any social media platform.
Court order and CarryMinati’s defence
In his petition, Karan argued that the statements made in the roast were highly vulgar and had already been viewed by millions before being deleted. He added that several users had begun making short clips and reels from the original video, causing further damage to his reputation.
In response, CarryMinati’s legal team maintained that the original video had already been removed and that there was no reason for Karan to pursue the case further. They claimed Karan filed the suit “hurriedly” without giving the YouTuber an opportunity to clarify his side.
However, Judge Bhosale issued an ad-interim injunction, restraining CarryMinati, his team, and any associated individuals from posting, uploading, or sharing any more defamatory content related to Karan. The order also directed social media intermediaries to take down the URLs and ensure no re-uploads occur.
