Rashmika Mandanna recently responded to a viral deepfake video that featured her face. This video, originally of social media influencer Zara Patel, had Rashmika’s face seamlessly morphed onto Zara’s body, making it almost indistinguishable as AI-generated content.
On Monday, shortly after the video went viral, Rashmika expressed her deep concern about the misuse of technology and the potential threat it poses to everyone. She took to social media to share her thoughts on the matter.
“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 wrote in her post.
The actress went on to thank her family, friends, and well-wishers for being her pillars of support and protection. She admitted that had this incident occurred when she was a student, she would have struggled to cope with it.
“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 I could ever tackle this. We need to address this as a community and with urgency before more of us are affected by such identity theft,” Rashmika concluded in her statement.
Rashmika also tagged the Cyber Security Cell in her post, emphasizing the need for greater attention to the issue.
The viral video has raised questions among netizens about the implications for various news items, as it becomes increasingly easy to manipulate images and cast doubt on the authenticity of information on the internet. Responding to the concerns, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan reposted the video and remarked, “Yes, this is a strong case for legal action.”
Meanwhile, Rajiv Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister of Electronics and Technology, addressed the viral video and highlighted that, according to the IT rules enacted in April 2023, it is a legal obligation for platforms to remove deepfake videos within 36 hours or face potential legal action by the complainant.
The video in question is only a few seconds long and shows Zara Patel wearing a black gym outfit with a plunging neckline. The deepfake is so convincingly executed that it is difficult to discern that Rashmika Mandanna’s face has been digitally superimposed onto the video.
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