Bengaluru Court Restrains X from Hosting Defamatory Content Before Film Release

A Bengaluru court has issued an interim ex parte injunction restraining social media platform X from hosting, publishing, or circulating content described by the court as ‘false and defamatory’. The order was passed on September 19, 2026, just four days before the theatrical release of the film 'The Paradise'.

The lawsuit was filed by the film's producer, Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Cinemas LLP, against X. The producers argued that the content posted online constituted "deep, targeted commercial defamation calculated to destroy the commercial prospects of the film." The court stated that failing to grant protection would cause "unquantifiable and irreversible economic and reputational damage" to the plaintiff ahead of the release.

The injunction is specific to the content flagged by the producers, rather than a blanket ban on all future commentary. The court clarified that the restriction "is confined to specifically identified malicious URLs and does not hamper bona fide public reviews or genuine critique."

Producers had requested the court grant the order without prior notice to the defendants, arguing that notification could allow "unidentified entities an opportunity to delete, alter, or multiply the defamatory URLs, thereby frustrating the very object of seeking an injunction." The temporary injunction remains in force until the next hearing on October 28, 2026. X has been directed to comply with serving copies of the suit and order within 24 hours.