Rashmika Mandanna recently found herself at the center of controversy when a morphed video featuring her went viral on social media. The actress has now shared her thoughts on the deepfake video, expressing her concerns about the misuse of technology.
In her Instagram stories, Rashmika 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.”
As a woman and an actor, Rashmika expressed her gratitude for her family, friends, and well-wishers who serve as her protection and support system. She highlighted the potential impact such incidents could have on young individuals, saying, “We need to address this as a community and with urgency before more of us are affected by such identity theft.”
For those unaware, a deepfake video featuring Rashmika has been circulating on social media platforms. The video shows a woman entering an elevator, but Rashmika’s face has been digitally altered onto the woman’s face. While some social media users were misled into believing that the woman was Rashmika, others correctly identified it as an AI-generated manipulated video, with the woman in the clip not being the actress.
Numerous users shared the original video and criticized those creating such content for the sake of views. Some, including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, called for “strict action” against those responsible for uploading the video and falsely claiming the woman in it to be Rashmika.
This incident is part of a growing trend of deepfake videos featuring celebrities, including Tom Cruise, Anne Hathaway, Mohanlal, Mammootty, Fahadh Faasil, and others, appearing on social media and generating headlines.
On the professional front, Rashmika is set to appear in “Animal” alongside Ranbir Kapoor. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film also stars Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, and Triptii Dimri. It is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 1.
Additionally, Rashmika has projects like “Pushpa: The Rule” with Allu Arjun, “Rainbow” opposite Dev Mohan from “Shaakuntalam” fame, and an untitled film with Vijay Deverakonda in her pipeline.
