In a development that’s rippling across India’s entertainment and digital creator communities, a Mumbai civil court has issued an interim order restraining prominent YouTuber Ajey Nagar, better known as CarryMinati, from publishing or circulating any “defamatory, vulgar, or abusive” content against filmmaker Karan Johar. The order, passed on February 9, 2026, follows a defamation suit filed by Johar against CarryMinati and several associated parties, including his channel manager, production companies, and social media platforms themselves.
The controversy centers around a roast video uploaded on CarryMinati’s YouTube channel titled “Coffee With Jalan”, a parody reportedly modeled loosely on Johar’s celebrity talk show Koffee With Karan. According to Johar’s legal complaint, the video contained abusive language directed at him personally, portrayed him in an offensive manner, and extended its critical tone to Bollywood as a whole, connecting to long-running online debates regarding nepotism, privilege, and influence in the industry.
In response, Johar’s legal counsel argued before the court that the content was not merely satire but crossed the line into defamation and personal attack, potentially damaging his reputation and goodwill accumulated over decades as a filmmaker and producer. The suit names CarryMinati, his manager Deepak Char, One Hand Clap Media Pvt Ltd, Poptech Growth Pvt Ltd, and major tech platforms, including Meta and Google, as defendants, a reflection of how courts are increasingly treating content platforms as parties responsible for circulating disputed material.
Mumbai Civil Judge P.G. Bhosale agreed with the plaintiff’s counsel that the case presented a prima facie instance of defamatory conduct, sufficient to grant interim protection while the matter continues to be heard. The judge’s ad-interim order temporarily bars CarryMinati and others from creating, posting, re-posting, or distributing similar content about Johar on any social media platform until a fuller judicial review takes place. The court also directed intermediaries to remove URLs and material flagged in the lawsuit to prevent further circulation.
While CarryMinati’s legal team maintained before the court that the original videos had already been deleted, Johar’s counsel countered that the content had already amassed millions of views, with reposts and short clips still circulating widely on social networks and user-generated platforms, a key factor in seeking the injunction. The order also includes John Doe provisions to cover unidentified individuals who might continue redistributing the disputed material.
This ruling marks a rare instance where an Indian court has intervened before the final outcome of a defamation suit to restrain a content creator from further commentary pending litigation, a move that many see as significant in the evolving legal landscape around digital speech and accountability. Analysts note that such orders reflect broader questions about how creative expression, satire, and critic culture intersect with individual reputation and defamation law in the age of social media.
For the entertainment industry specifically, the case resonates with ongoing debates about nepotism, privilege, and power structures in Bollywood, topics that have frequently surfaced in public discourse over the past decade. CarryMinati’s roast videos and commentary have often positioned him as a voice of disaffected youth and digital audiences, while Johar has been a long-standing target of nepotism criticism. The legal clash between the two public figures now adds a judicial layer to what was once primarily an online argument about fairness and influence in cinema.
The matter is expected to return to court for a fuller hearing on Johar’s application for interim relief, where arguments on both sides will be examined in greater detail. Until then, CarryMinati and the other defendants are legally barred from posting or circulating similar content, a clear signal that courts are willing to intervene early when reputational harm and widespread online circulation intersect.
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