Joined by her co-star Ranbir, the actress addressed a pressing concern affecting celebrities globally. Mandanna highlighted a surge in the circulation of deepfake videos, which have reportedly taken a toll on the privacy and reputation of public figures.
Speaking about the same at an event in Hyderabad, the “Mission Majnu” actor expressed her unease with the normalization of deepfake videos.
While stating that deepfakes have been circulating online for a while, she added, “we’ve normalized them, but it isn’t okay.”
Mandanna also expressed gratitude to fellow celebrities within the Indian film industry who rallied behind her when a morphed video circulated online. Thanking all the people in the film fraternity who spoke up against deepfakes. She said, “I’m glad people from across the film industries have supported me. I understand now how important it is to speak up. I want to urge women to take the help they need when it happens,” she urged.
Earlier this month, the actress found herself at the centre of a deepfake scandal when a fabricated video of her was posted online. Swift to respond, she took to Instagram stories to address the issue, and asked fans to join in and help, “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.”
Emphasizing the need for collective action, Mandanna added that everyone needed to address this situation as a community and with urgency before many others fall victim to identity theft.
The disturbing trend of deepfake videos has affected several prominent Indian stars including Kajol, Katrina Kaif, and Rashmika Mandanna. Alia Bhattstar of ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ also fell victim to identity theft with her likeness used for objectionable gestures.