A 24-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh was arrested for making a fake video of actor Rashmika Mandanna and spreading it on social media. The person, identified as Eemani Naveen, admitted to the police that he did it to get more followers on his Instagram fan page dedicated to Rashmika Mandanna. The video, created using deepfake technology, showed a woman in workout attire entering an elevator.
This deep fake video took the internet by storm, and when Amitabh Bachchan retweeted the video, it went viral like never before. Many celebrities came to her support, and soon, people realised what a big threat AI is. The Delhi Police immediately took action on the video and have been investigating this case since then.
Rashmika Mandanna expressed her gratitude to the Delhi Police for taking action against the culprit. In a note shared on her official page, she thanked the Cyber Crime Unit and emphasized the importance of consent when it comes to the use of someone's image.
"Expressing my heartfelt gratitude to @DCP_IFSO. Thank you for apprehending those responsible. Feeling truly grateful for the community that embraces me with love, support and shields me," she wrote.
The accused, Naveen, used artificial intelligence to morph the face of British-Indian social media personality Zara Patel to resemble the actor. Mandanna's colleagues, including Amitabh Bachchan, Mrunal Thakur, and Naga Chaitanya, supported her when the deepfake video circulated on social media.
The incident raised concerns about the misuse of deepfake technology, where one person's appearance can be convincingly replaced with another's using AI. The Delhi Police registered a case under sections 465 and 469 of the Indian Penal Code, along with sections 66C and 66E of the Information Technology Act, based on a complaint from the Delhi Commission for Women.
Rashmika Mandanna, in her message, encouraged others to speak out if their images are used without consent and reminded everyone that support is available. The arrest sparked a nationwide debate on the growing threat of deepfake technology and the need for stringent measures to curb its misuse.
On the work front, Rashmika Mandanna is currently busy with Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2 and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Chaava. She was recently seen in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal which ended as a blockbuster hit at the box office. She also has a film called Rainbow which is yet to release. She is said to have been considered to play the leading lady in in Ram Charan Tej's next with Buchi Babu Sana. Rashmika also has The Girlfriend in her kitty.
