Deepfake video of Rashmika Mandanna goes viral, Amitabh Bachchan calls for legal action

A deepfake video has been circulating on social media that impersonates Rashmika Mandanna.

The video depicts a woman, dressed in black, entering an elevator, with her face manipulated and edited to resemble the actress. This incident highlights the growing issue of "unreliable" information spreading rapidly on the internet.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan has voiced the need for legal action in response to the incident.

The woman featured in the original video is Zara Patel, a British Indian with a significant following on social media, who posted the video on October 9. The deepfake is expertly crafted, making it difficult for viewers to detect the manipulation when the woman enters the elevator. However, upon close examination, the woman's face suddenly transforms into Rashmika Mandanna.

Reacting to the deepfake video, Rashmika Mandanna wrote, "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."

"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," she added.

This deepfake video has left many people shocked and has prompted calls for action from the authorities and the need for stronger regulation in dealing with deepfake content.

One user expressed their shock, stating, "Ok, this is terrifying."

Another remarked on the realism of the video, saying, "It's crazy how real this video looks!"

A third individual pointed out the concerning trend of unreliable online information, stating, "It's extremely worrying how unreliable online information is getting."

Another user commented on the implications for content creators and actors, noting, "This is horrifying for content creators and actors whose personality rights and even content/videos are in the public sphere. The worst part is that the current legal framework is not strong enough to criminalise those who attempt such deepfake videos. We need proper regulation."

A person also highlighted the potential for misuse, stating, "High-quality deepfake, very disturbing. I think the powerful will use it to their advantage, and the ordinary person will suffer. Enough to destroy anyone."