Actress Yamini Malhotra is facing a wave of backlash across the digital entertainment media industry after issuing copyright claims over a viral video showing an old wardrobe malfunction—a clip that was originally shot by a media outlet covering the event at the time.
The video, which resurfaced recently on Instagram, shows a brief wardrobe slip during one of Malhotra’s past public appearances. While the footage had faded into the background, it regained attention after being reshared by several Bollywood-focused pages—some of which credited the original source.
Copyright Strikes Instead of Takedown Requests
Rather than requesting removal or editing of the footage, Malhotra (or her management) responded by filing copyright takedown notices through Instagram’s automated system. This resulted in the removal of content and triggered warnings or strikes on several Instagram accounts—despite the fact that the video was filmed by one of the affected media outlets.
Several Bollywood gossip and celebrity coverage platforms have now announced a boycott on covering Yamini Malhotra, calling her actions “unprofessional” and an abuse of copyright policy.
“The footage was captured by our team years ago during a public event,” said a representative of the media outlet. “She has no legal ownership of our video. Had she simply asked us to remove or blur it, we would’ve complied. Instead, she chose to weaponize copyright tools to silence us.”
Demanding an Apology — and Getting None
What further fueled the outrage is the revelation that Malhotra is now demanding apology letters from the same platforms she filed claims against. However, the platforms have refused to issue any apology, stating that they were well within their rights to post or repost the footage.
“We don’t owe her an apology for sharing our own content,” said the admin of one popular Bollywood page. “She could’ve asked nicely. Instead, she tried to penalize us and now wants us to say sorry? That’s not how this works.”
A Growing Pattern of Selective Outrage?
The incident has reignited debate in media circles about celebrities wearing intentionally provocative outfits for publicity and then backtracking when the narrative doesn’t go in their favor.
“This isn’t new,” said media analyst Shruti Nanda. “Certain celebs intentionally dress to stir buzz, hoping to go viral. But if it gets awkward or too real, they suddenly claim harassment or copyright. It’s calculated—until it backfires.”
Legal Experts Weigh In
According to intellectual property lawyers, if the content was filmed by a media outlet and no exclusive rights were granted to the celebrity, the copyright belongs to the videographer or media company, not the public figure.
“She has no legal ground to file a copyright claim unless she owns or commissioned the footage,” said Mumbai-based IP attorney yasir alam. “This may backfire if challenged.”
Several affected platforms are now in the process of filing counter-notices with Instagram to dispute the copyright claims and are considering formal action if repeat abuse continues.
As of now, Yamini Malhotra’s presence has been scrubbed from several Bollywood portals, fan pages, and influencer platforms. Unless the issue is publicly addressed or retracted by her team, insiders suggest her media visibility may remain limited for the foreseeable future.
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