Filmmaker Karan Johar just scored a major victory in court. A Mumbai judge ruled in his favor on February 9, ordering YouTuber CarryMinati to immediately remove all defamatory content targeting the Bollywood producer. The court also banned the content creator from posting similar material in the future.
What Sparked the Legal Battle?
CarryMinati, whose real name is Ajey Nagar, uploaded a roast video titled “Coffee With Jalan” that kicked off the Karan Johar CarryMinati lawsuit. The YouTuber parodied Johar’s celebrity chat show “Koffee With Karan” and allegedly hurled vulgar language and direct personal attacks at the filmmaker.
Court documents reveal the video mocked Bollywood’s nepotism culture while specifically targeting Johar with what his legal team called “highly objectionable and defamatory remarks.” The video racked up millions of views within hours before CarryMinati took it down.
But users had already created the damage. They cut short clips, made reels, and posted reaction videos from the original content, spreading it across multiple platforms.
The Court’s Verdict
Judge Pandurang Bhosale delivered a scathing observation. “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 judge stated while hearing the defamation case.
The court slapped an ad-interim injunction on CarryMinati with clear directives. The order now stops CarryMinati, his team, and any associated individuals from posting, uploading, or circulating any defamatory or objectionable content against Karan Johar on any platform.
The judge also directed Meta Platforms and other social media intermediaries to take down the offensive URLs and prevent any re-uploads.
CarryMinati’s Defense Falls Short
CarryMinati’s legal team argued they had already removed the original video voluntarily. They accused Johar of filing the lawsuit “hurriedly” without giving Nagar a chance to explain his side or resolve the matter privately.
However, Karan Johar’s petition drove home a crucial point—millions had already watched the video, and derivative content kept spreading across social media platforms despite the original deletion.
The filmmaker claimed such content inflicted substantial damage on his reputation and professional standing in the industry. Johar has faced online criticism before. The director-producer has long sat at the center of Bollywood nepotism debates, regularly becoming the target of memes and social media trolling. But this case marks a turning point—he chose legal action over silence.
What This Means for Content Creators
CarryMinati and his team now face strict compliance requirements. Any violation could trigger contempt of court proceedings. The case draws a clear line for content creators who might cross from criticism into defamation territory. Karan Johar has secured his legal protection, and YouTubers now know exactly where entertainment ends and legal trouble begins.
