The issue of AI-generated imagery and deepfakes has been plaguing not just the film industry but the world as a whole. Even the Commissioner of the Hyderabad City Police, VC Sajjanar, isn’t safe, as an AI image of him recently circulated on social media. The commissioner tagged Jr NTR in an X (formerly Twitter) post, asking the actor to take cognisance of his fans’ use of the image to spread misinformation in the Janhvi Kapoor deepfake case.
Hyderabad commissioner informs Jr NTR of his fans’ antics
In a post, Sajjanar reshared an image from an X page claiming that an arrest was made in the recent case involving Jr NTR and Janhvi’s Chuttamalle song from Devara, which was objectionably morphed. “This is an AI-generated image, not a genuine photograph. Please do not fall for such deepfakes or share them without verifying their authenticity,” wrote Sajjanar, resharing a now-deleted post.
He also added, “With AI-generated images becoming increasingly realistic, it is important to question what we see online. Just because a photograph looks convincing does not mean it is real. Misinformation spreads faster when people share content without checking the facts,” tagging the Hyderabad police and cyber police handles. The commissioner then addressed Jr NTR, writing, “I ask @tarak9999 garu take note of the misuse of my image by some of his fans.”
The X page that circulated the image deleted it and apologised to Sajjanar in the comments of his post. However, Jr NTR’s fans doubled down, defending themselves and their favourite star. They also claimed that the ones circulating the image aren’t fans of the actor. Jr NTR is yet to respond to Sajjanar’s post.
The Janhvi Kapoor deepfake issue
Recently, an AI-morphed video of Janhvi and Jr NTR from the song Chuttamalle in Devara began circulating on social media. “What a woman is comfortable with, where she draws the line, and what she chooses to do with her body are decisions that belong exclusively to her. This goes far beyond the AI videos I have dealt with over the last few days, or anything I have personally experienced throughout my career. It is about the larger reality of being a woman, the gaze, the judgement, the constant negotiation for safety, and the feeling that our boundaries somehow remain open to interpretation,” read a portion of Janhvi’s lengthy note in response. Jr NTR, too, vowed legal action against whoever made and circulated the video.