In a concerning turn of events, a deepfake video purportedly featuring Bollywood star Ranveer Singh has surfaced online, leading to the filing of an FIR by the actor’s father, Jugjeet Singh Bhavnani. The video, which was posted by an unknown user under the handle @sujataindia1st, falsely depicted Singh endorsing a political party. However, Singh has vehemently denied making such a statement and has clarified that he has no association with any political organization.
The FIR, which was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Information Technology Act, alleges that the deepfake video was created with malicious intent to harm Singh’s reputation. The video, which has since been removed from the internet, was allegedly altered to make it appear as though Singh was endorsing a political party.
According to the complaint filed by Bhavnani, Singh had given an interview to the media while in Varanasi to promote a fashion show. During the interview, Singh praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to celebrate Indian culture and heritage. However, the deepfake video manipulated Singh’s words to make it appear as though he was endorsing a different political party.
The Maharashtra Police’s cyber cell is currently investigating the case and is actively working to identify the individual responsible for creating and uploading the deepfake video. The incident highlights the increasing use of deepfake technology to spread misinformation and underscores the need for vigilance against such malicious content.
