Actor Ranveer Singh files complaint with Mumbai Police over viral deepfake video

Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the 'Padmaavat' actor fell prey to deepfake menace after his video surfaced online in which he was purportedly heard voicing his political views.

However, it turned out that the video was made using an artificial intelligence (AI) voice clone of the actor. The video, from the actor's recent visit to Varanasi, appears genuine but uses an AI-synthesized voice clone of Ranveer.

Ranveer filed a complaint with Mumbai Police's Cyber Crime Cell, confirmed an official on Monday.

His spokesperson issued a statement, confirming the filing of an FIR: "Yes, we have filed the police complaint, and an FIR has been lodged against the handle promoting the AI-generated deepfake video of Mr. Ranveer Singh."

After the AI-generated video went viral on social media platforms, Ranveer took to his Instagram Story on Friday (April 19) and dropped a post in which he wrote, "Deepfake se bacho doston (Friends, beware of deepfakes)."

Previously, a deepfake video of actor Aamir Khan promoting a political party had gone viral. "We want to clarify that Aamir Khan has never endorsed any political party throughout his 35-year career. He has dedicated his efforts to raising awareness through Election Commission public awareness campaigns for many past elections," Aamir's spokesperson clarified in a statement.

Many celebrities have expressed concerns about the misuse of deepfake technology.

Last year, a morphed video of actor Rashmika Mandanna circulated online, prompting her to clarify its falseness.

Many celebrities came out in support of Rashmika including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who shared a tweet calling for the 'urgent need for a legal and regulatory framework to deal with deepfake in India.'

Reacting to the tweet, the veteran actor, who worked with Rashmika in her first Hindi film Goodbye (2022), shared the video and wrote, "Yes, this is a strong case for legal." (ANI)