Ranveer Singh, who recently fell victim to AI manipulation, is pursuing legal action following the circulation of a deepfake video featuring him endorsing a political party.
The 'Don 3' actor has lodged a report with the Cyber Crime Cell of Mumbai Police.
Ranveer’s spokesperson told news agency ANI:
“Yes, we have filed the police complaint and FIR has been lodged against the handle that was promoting the AI-generated deepfake video of Mr Ranveer Singh.”
Ranveer has made headlines recently because of a widely circulated deepfake video, Following his visit to Varanasi for designer Manish Malhotra’s show alongside Kriti Sanon, a video surfaced showing him being interviewed and discussing a political party.
The clip has an AI-generated Ranveer criticizing PM Modi over unemployment and inflation in the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih1uHANjEKk&t=19s
The actor’s original sentence was that:
“Modi ji’s purpose and goal is to celebrate our rich culture, heritage, history, and legacy because we are moving ahead towards modernity very fast, but we should never forget our roots, our cultural heritage,” as per the FIR.
But in the fake video, made by X account holder @sujataindia1st, the actor is heard saying:
“Modi ji’s purpose and goal is to celebrate our painful life, fear, and unemployment because we are moving ahead towards injustice but we should never stop asking for our development and justice, vote for justice, vote for Congress,” the FIR said.
Following the incident, the actor took to his Instagram Stories to warn his followers about the risks associated with deepfake videos.
“Deepfake se bacho doston”
(Friends, beware of deepfakes.)
In a parallel event, superstar Aamir Khan found himself in a comparable situation when a deepfake video surfaced, showcasing him endorsing a political party.
Aamir's team clarified that he has never supported any political party throughout his career. His spokesperson highlighted his commitment to promoting awareness through Election Commission initiatives.
The statement reads:
“We want to clarify that Mr Aamir Khan has never endorsed any political party throughout his 35-year career. He has dedicated his efforts to raising public awareness through Election Commission public awareness campaigns for many past elections. We are alarmed by the recent viral video alleging that Aamir Khan is promoting a particular political party. He would like to clarify that this is a fake video and totally untrue. He has reported the matter to various authorities related to this issue, including filing an FIR with the Cyber Crime Cell of the Mumbai Police. Mr Khan would like to urge all Indians to come out and vote and be an active part of our electoral process,"
As artificial intelligence advances, the task of detecting and controlling deepfakes grows more complex. The recent situations with well-known Bollywood stars highlight the pressing requirement for thorough legal and technological approaches to tackle the abuse of such tools