Shah Rukh Khan’s National Award win sparks debate on X, supporter's AI-generated defence goes viral

The announcement that Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey would jointly receive the National Film Award for Best Actor ignited a contentious debate on Indian social media, particularly over Khan’s selection for his role in the commercial action film Jawan. The conversation soon escalated into a broader reflection on artificial intelligence and the authenticity of online discourse after it was revealed that a viral defence of Khan’s performance had been authored by ChatGPT.

The dispute originated with a post by @theskindoctor, who criticised the jury’s decision: “Shah Rukh Khan doesn't deserve the National Film Award for Best Actor for a masala film like "Jawan". Shah Rukh is a good actor; he should’ve gotten the award for films like "Swades", "Dil Se", or "Chak De! India". But not "Jawan". What precedent are you setting by rewarding a messy action film?”

This prompted a compelling counterpoint from the handle @Thread_Sutra, which defended Khan’s performance: “Totally disagree… The National Award is meant for excellence in acting, not just for those who do 'patriotic' or 'serious' films. Shah Rukh Khan delivered an incredible, powerful performance in Jawan, bringing depth, versatility, and mass appeal to the character.”

“Awards should go to those who bring their roles to life—regardless of genre. Let’s not gatekeep talent by sticking to outdated notions of what ‘deserves’ recognition. A great actor shines in every kind of role, and SRK proved exactly that. It’s about acting, not just the subject.”

The post quickly went viral and was hailed by many as a balanced rebuttal. However, in an unexpected twist, @theskindoctor later disclosed that the entire comment had been AI-generated using ChatGPT, revealing a screenshot of the prompt used: “Write a strong counterargument against this.” To this, @theskindoctor replied simply: “OK.”