Popular actress Rashmika Mandanna has become embroiled in a recent controversy due to a viral deepfake video. The video features a woman entering an elevator, but her appearance has been digitally manipulated to resemble Rashmika Mandanna. This incident has raised significant alarm and led to widespread demands for legal repercussions.
The video quickly spread across the internet, and subsequently, a journalist stepped forward to verify its falseness.
“There is an urgent need for a legal and regulatory framework to deal with deepfake in India. You might have seen this viral video of actress Rashmika Mandanna on Instagram. But wait, this is a deepfake video of Zara Patel,” he wrote on X.
🚨 There is an urgent need for a legal and regulatory framework to deal with deepfake in India.
You might have seen this viral video of actress Rashmika Mandanna on Instagram. But wait, this is a deepfake video of Zara Patel.
This thread contains the actual video. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/SidP1Xa4sT
— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) November 5, 2023
 “From a deepfake POV, the viral video is perfect enough for ordinary social media users to fall for it. But if you watch the video carefully, you can see at (0:01) that when Rashmika (deepfake) was entering the lift, suddenly her face changes from the other girl to Rashmika,” he added.
Amitabh Bachchan came in support of Rashmika Mandanna
Renowned Bollywood star and Mandanna’s co-star in the movie “Goodbye,” Amitabh Bachchan, has expressed his apprehension about the increasing prevalence of deepfakes and has advocated for legal action to address the issue. Big B wrote, “Yes this is a strong case for legal.”
yes this is a strong case for legal https://t.co/wHJl7PSYPN
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) November 5, 2023
Rashmika Mandanna’s reaction on video
The actress herself has now responded to the video and issued a statement, expressing, “I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online. Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.”
I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online.
Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.…
— Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) November 6, 2023
 “Today, as a woman and as an actor, I am thankful for my family, friends and well-wishers who are my protection and support system. But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can’t imagine how could I ever tackle this. We need to address this as a community and with urgency before more of us are affected by such identity theft.”
What is a deepfake video?
The term “deepfake” is a fusion of “deep learning” and “fake,” denoting videos that undergo alterations through algorithms to substitute the original person with another, often a public figure, in a manner that convincingly mimics authenticity.
Deepfakes employ a type of artificial intelligence known as deep learning to create fabricated visuals of events that never occurred. The prevalence of deepfake videos has surged with the proliferation of various AI tools. Some of these AI tools are accessible at no cost, further compounding the issue of counterfeit photos, videos, and audio recordings.
Rashmika Mandanna’s upcoming projects
In her upcoming projects, Rashmika is set to appear alongside Ranbir Kapoor in the film “Animal,” which also includes Bobby Deol and Tripti Dimri in significant roles. The revelations about “Animal” thus far have both impressed and elicited varied responses from the audience.
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