SRK, Deepika granted interim relief in Hyundai car endorsement case
What's the story
Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone have been granted interim relief by the Rajasthan High Court in a case that accused them of misleading consumers through a car endorsement. The complaint, filed in Bharatpur, had named the two actors along with company officials, holding them responsible for alleged defects in a Hyundai vehicle. Here are more details on this.
Case background
Complaint alleged financial loss due to vehicle defects
Based on a complaint by a local car owner, Kirti Singh, an FIR was filed last month alleging financial loss due to defects in a Hyundai vehicle they purchased. Singh claimed that endorsements by Khan and Padukone influenced their decision to buy the car. In response, both actors moved the Rajasthan High Court seeking to have the FIR quashed, arguing their roles as brand ambassadors were "limited" and did not extend to "technical aspects."
Legal proceedings
Next hearing scheduled for September 25
Justice Sudesh Bansal, hearing the matter in Jodhpur, observed that the FIR lacked any factual basis. The court stayed the FIR against all accused, including Khan and Padukone, while fixing the next hearing for September 25. The actors' defense team argued that Singh had used the vehicle for nearly three years and driven over 67,000km before filing their complaint.
Brand ambassadors
Khan has been Hyundai's brand ambassador since 1998
Khan has been the face of Hyundai since 1998, making him one of its longest-serving and most recognizable brand ambassadors. Meanwhile, Padukone joined recently. The FIR's registration is a notable step as it directly questions the accountability of celebrity endorsers, an issue the Supreme Court flagged in its May 2024 ruling on misleading and deceptive advertising.