Viral Rashmika Mandanna deepfake video has duped the Internet
A recent deepfake video featuring Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna has caused both controversy and concern in Bollywood. The video, which purportedly shows Mandanna entering an elevator, was discovered to be a deepfake, a digitally altered video manipulated to make it appear as if the actress was present in the footage.
What
Mandanna’s deepfake video quickly garnered massive attention, with many on social media completely duped by the video's authenticity.
🚨 There is an urgent need for a legal and regulatory framework to deal with deepfake in India.
— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) November 5, 2023
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
What is particularly unsettling about this deepfake is how convincingly it deceived the average netizen. However, upon closer examination, subtle signs reveal the video's inauthenticity.
Deepfake debunked
The original video was posted on Instagram on October 8 and featured a woman named Zara Patel. There is no concrete evidence linking Patel to the creation of the deepfake video.
Comparing the genuine video with the deepfake, one can observe that Patel's face is visible at the beginning of both videos. However, after approximately one second, the face morphs into that of the popular actress in Indian cinema.
- The motivation behind the creation of the deepfake remains unclear, as it is still a mystery who was responsible for it. However, this isn't an isolated incident.
Rashmika reacts
In response to the video, Mandanna tweeted her response explaining how the experience has been "extremely scary" and highlighting the urgent need to address the dangers of identity theft and the misuse of tech as a community.
I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online.
— Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) November 6, 2023
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.…
Big B responds
The incident has prompted strong reactions from Bollywood, with Big B, Amitabh Bachchan himself publicly supporting legal action in response to Mandanna’s deepfake.
yes this is a strong case for legal https://t.co/wHJl7PSYPN
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) November 5, 2023
Anil Kapoor vs AI
In a separate but related development, Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor recently celebrated a significant legal victory that highlights the intersection of celebrity rights and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI).
- The Delhi High Court issued an interim order that effectively protects Kapoor's personality rights including his name, image, voice, and even his iconic catchphrase, "jhakaas," preventing their commercial exploitation.
Kapoor emphasized the role of AI technology in these cases, indicating that in the future, he could simply issue a court order and injunction to have infringing content removed.
- He stressed the importance of these legal actions not only for his own protection but also to ensure that his family could safeguard his personality rights and benefit from them in the future.
With landmark verdict’s of the sort, it will be interesting to see whether Mandanna proceeds forward with legal action against the misuse of deepfake tech.