The FIR has been registered under Sections 465 (punishment for forgery) and 469 (forgery for intending to harm the reputation of a party) of the IPC, and Sections 66C (identity theft) of the IT Act, 2000, among others.

Reacting tofake viral video, Rashmika Mandanna said the same incident could have traumatised her had she not been an actor and instead a schoolgirl.

Delhi Police Special Cell on Friday registered a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with deepfake AI-generated video of actor Rashmika Mandanna. Earlier this week, the deepfake video of the actor went viral on X and other social media platforms, where she was seen dressed in a black workout outfit inside an elevator. The video, which was originally posted by British-Indian influencer Zara Patel, was morphed and Zara’s face was edited to Rashmika’s using artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 465 (punishment for forgery) and 469 (forgery for intending to harm the reputation of a party) of the IPC, and Sections 66C (identity theft) of the IT Act, 2000, among others.

‘In regard to the deep fake AI-generated video of Rashmika Mandanna, an FIR u/s 465 and 469 of the IPC, 1860 and section 66C and 66E of the IT Act, 2000 has been registered at PS Special Cell, Delhi Police and an investigation has been taken up,’ the Delhi Police told ANI.

On Friday, the Delhi Commission for Women had sought action after the deepfake video of the actress went viral.

‘The Delhi Commission for Women has taken suo-moto cognizance on media reports of a deepfake video of an Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna circulating widely on several social media platforms. Reportedly, the actress has also raised her concerns in the matter and has stated that someone has illegally morphed her picture in the video,’ the statement said.

DCW highlighted that no arrests have been made in the case till date and sought a copy of the FIR with details of the accused in the matter by November 17.

‘The Commission has learnt that till date no arrests have been made in the case. This is a very serious matter. In view of the above, please provide a copy of the FIR registered in the matter, details of the accused arrested in the matter and detailed action taken report in the matter,’ the statement further read.

Deepfake can be defined as a digital method where users can replace one person’s likeness convincingly with that of another using AI technology.

Government’s action

The Centre on Wednesday issued an advisory to significant social media intermediaries which clearly instructed them to exercise due diligence and make reasonable efforts to identify misinformation and deepfakes.

The government has reminded social media companies such as Facebook, Instagram, X, Snap and others about the consequences if they fail to curb the spread of misinformation and fake media.

The government said that the intermediaries are required to take action against such cases within the timeframes stipulated under the IT Rules 2021. Besides, they are also instructed to prevent users from hosting such information or content. Any content reported must be removed within 36 hours of reporting.

Also read: Rashmika Mandanna Deepfake Video: Govt warns social media companies about consequences of deepfakes, misinformation

Rashmika Mandanna’s reaction

Hours after the deepfake video went viral, Mandanna on Monday demanded action against the makers of the video. Mandanna took to her Instagram story and wrote, “I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online. 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.”

Mandanna further said that the same incident could have traumatised her had she not been an actor and instead a schoolgirl.

Mandanna wrote, “Today, as a woman and as an actor, I am thankful for my family, friends and well-wishers who are my protection and support system. But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can’t imagine how could I ever tackle this. We need to address this as a community and with urgency before more of us are affected by such identity theft.”

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was first to react to the video. He retweeted a post and wrote, “yes this is a strong case for legal.”

Later, actors Mrunal Thakur, Naga Chaitanya and singer Chinmayi Sripada also extended their support for Mandanna.

Patel, on whose body Mandanna’s face was morphed, also condemned the deepfake video and said she had ‘no involvement’ with the clip.

‘Hi all, it has come to my attention that someone created a deepfake video using my body and a popular Bollywood actress’s face. I had no involvement with the deepfake video, and I’m deeply disturbed and upset by what is happening (sic)’ the model wrote on her Instagram Story on Monday night.

‘I worry about the future of women and girls who now have to fear even more about putting themselves on social media. Please take a step back and fact-check what you see on the internet. Not everything on the internet is real. I’m deeply upset by what is happening,’ Patel added in her post.