Rashmika Mandanna reacted to a deepfake video of her which has been circulated on social media. Sharing to her Instagram stories, the Animal actress wrote, 'I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online.'
She added, '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 could I 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.
A journalist has stepped up to verify the video's fraudulent nature, highlighting the pressing need for legal and regulatory frameworks to address deepfakes in India. The viral video on Instagram, initially thought to feature Rashmika Mandanna, was unveiled as a deepfake of Zara Patel. The video was eerily realistic from a deepfake perspective, but a discerning eye could spot a significant discrepancy at the 1-second mark, where the deepfake transitioned from Zara Patel to Rashmika.