Rashmika Mandanna Condemns Viral Deepfake Video as "Extremly Scary"

Actor Rashmika Mandanna has expressed her dismay over a viral deepfake video that falsely portrays her entering an elevator, deeming it "extremely unsettling." In a post on a social media platform, the Animal star conveyed her distress, saying, "I'm deeply saddened to address and discuss the deepfake video of me circulating online. This kind of deception is not only alarming for me but for anyone who is vulnerable to technological misuse. Today, as a woman and an actress, I'm grateful for my family, friends, and well-wishers who provide me with protection and support. However, if this had happened during my school or college years, I can't fathom how I would have coped. We must tackle this issue collectively and urgently before more individuals fall victim to identity theft."

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

A video clip depicting Rashmika Mandanna entering an elevator has gained widespread circulation, shocking the online community when it was revealed that the woman in the video is, in fact, British-Indian influencer Zara Patel. Deepfake technology was used to morph Ms. Patel's face into that of Rashmika Mandanna.

Original Video:

The original video is of Zara Patel, a British-Indian girl with 415K followers on Instagram. She uploaded this video on Instagram on 9 October. (2/3) pic.twitter.com/MJwx8OldJU

— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) November 5, 2023

AI Video:

🚨 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

Among those infuriated by this manipulated video is the iconic Amitabh Bachchan, who has called for legal action. Mr. Bachchan and Ms. Mandanna previously co-starred in the film "Goodbye."

yes this is a strong case for legal https://t.co/wHJl7PSYPN

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) November 5, 2023

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar has also responded to the video, reminding social media platforms of their legal obligations in combating misinformation.

PM @narendramodi ji's Govt is committed to ensuring Safety and Trust of all DigitalNagriks using Internet

Under the IT rules notified in April, 2023 - it is a legal obligation for platforms to

➡️ensure no misinformation is posted by any user AND

➡️ensure that when reported by… https://t.co/IlLlKEOjtd

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) November 6, 2023