Rashmika Mandanna reacts to viral deepfake video: 'really hurt, extremely scary'

A seemingly innocent video of actor Rashmika Mandanna entering an elevator has set off a maelstrom of controversy. What initially appeared as a genuine moment turned out to be a meticulously crafted deepfake and prompted top actors, union ministers and fact-check journalists to call for action including Mandanna's reaction that is now at the centre of this storm.

Reacting to the deepfake video that has amassed millions of views, Mandanna voiced her concerns on X. She expressed, "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."

Mandanna, who stands as both a woman and an actor in the limelight, shared her gratitude for her family, friends, and well-wishers who have been her pillars of support during this challenging time. She also talked about the potential consequences if such an incident had occurred during her school or college years, stating, "But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can’t imagine how I could ever tackle this."

The 'Animal' actor emphasized the need to address this issue as a community before more individuals fall victim to such fake videos. She tagged relevant authorities, including Cyberabad Police, cyber safety handle @Cyberdost, and Maharashtra Cyber in her tweet.

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.…

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— Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) November 6, 2023

Abhishek Kumar, the fact-check journalist with AltNews who exposed the deepfake video, pointed out the urgent requirement for a legal and regulatory framework to tackle such incidents in India. He debunked the video saying, "You might have seen this viral video of actress Rashmika Mandanna on Instagram. But wait, this is a deepfake video of Zara Patel."

Supporting evidence included the original video of Zara Patel, a British-Indian girl with a substantial Instagram following, initially shared on October 9.

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

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar labeled deepfakes as "more dangerous" than misinformation stressed the need for stern measures and regulations on platforms to address this issue.

Zara Patel, the subject of the original video, and Rashmika Mandanna appear to have had no involvement in the creation of the deepfake version. The motivations behind the circulation of the video remain unclear.

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

Upon closer examination, telltale signs of the deepfake's artificiality became evident. At the 1-second mark, as Mandanna (the deepfake) enters the elevator, a seamless transition occurs, morphing her face from that of Zara Patel to Rashmika Mandanna.

Kumar explained, "From a deepfake POV, the viral video is perfect enough for ordinary social media users to fall for it. But if you watch the video carefully, you can see at (0:01) that when Rashmika (deepfake) was entering the lift, suddenly her face changes from the other girl to Rashmika."

Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan threw his support behind Abhishek Kumar's investigation by retweeting the thread and deeming it a strong legal case.