In recent dramatic events, famous Bollywood actress Rashmika Mandhana found herself in a fake video controversy. A short time ago, a video went viral on social media in which a British-Indian woman named Zara Patel entered an elevator, with the help of deepfake technology, her face changed to the face of Rashmika.

On Monday, 6 November Rashmika went to Instagram and called for legal action against the regulatory framework of deepfake. The incident sparked extensive concern and everyone called for legal action supported by the mega start of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan.  

Rashmilka was distressed about the incident and posted an upset note on her Instagram story saying, “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, scary not only for me but also for each one of us who is vulnerable. It can cause so much harm because of how technology is being used.

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. However, if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I did not even imagine how could I handle this.” She added, “As a community, we need to address this urgently before it makes a larger impact.” 

 Zara Patel also wrote on her Instagram story, “Hello everyone, I just discovered that someone used my body and the face of a well-known Bollywood actress to create a deepfake video. I was not involved in the deepfake video, and I find this whole situation to be extremely upsetting and disturbing.

Concerning women and girls, who now have to worry even more about posting anything on social media, I worry about their future. Please stand back and verify the information you find online. On the internet, not everything is as it seems. This is really upsetting to me.”

Prominent figures such as Mrunal Thakur, Naga Chaitanya, and Chinmayi Sripada have expressed their support for Rashmika and spoken out against the improper use of artificial intelligence (AI). Netizens also raised widespread concern about the issue and demanded a probe into the matter.