Hindu The sexually explicit video of Janhvi Kapoor that created a buzz on social media on Thursday was later revealed to be a case of manipulated visuals as a woman’s face was put on Kapoor’s body. While the video was made using AI, the real video of the original song ‘Chuttamalle’ did not have any such contents. Actor Janhvi Kapoor. Pic/FILE Web Series | Entertainment The incident has brought attention back to the creation of non-consensual and sexually explicit videos using AI.
How was Chuttamalle music video altered? The first Chuttamalle song is from Devara: Part 1, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Jr NTR. The song gained massive popularity since its release in 2024.
In the manipulated video, footage of Janhvi Kapoor from the original song was used and her face was digitally changed.
The clip was shared on social media before it was deleted.
Jr NTR Condemns the AI-Morphed Video
Jr NTR, who was seen with Janhvi Kapoor in the song originally, denounced the creating and sharing of the manipulated video. Jr NTR called the act “disgusting, sick and shameless” and stated that he would take legal action against those who made and posted the content.
Jr NTR further requested everyone to avoid watching, sharing or participating in any such content. The actor urged the Central and State Governments to crackdown on the misuse of AI and bring in stringent policies to regulate such instances.
Chiranjeevi Calls for Industry Action
Actor Chiranjeevi also condemned the incident and called the filming of such humiliating AI-morphed videos of women as “barbaric and unacceptable”. “This issue should not be looked at as a matter involving one actor or one film,” he added.
“I will speak to the Telugu Film Chamber, Producers’ Council and others on the issue,” Chiranjeevi said. The actor-turned-politician also suggested a panel and a support cell of industry representatives that could work with cybercrime officials to help victims and take steps for removal of such content from the internet.
He also advised people not to download, circulate or share such videos even when their purpose is to condemn them. Rather, he said, people should report such materials to the appropriate platform and cybercrime authorities.
Vijay Deverakonda and Other Actors Speak Out
Actor Vijay Deverakonda too condemned the video, and endorsed the complaints made by Jr NTR. “This is digital ‘sexual assault’. Such misuse of AI must be checked. These culprits should face the wrath of the law,” he wrote.
Another actor turned politician Khushbu Sundar defended Janhvi Kapoor. She said that people shouldn’t use artificial intelligence to strip a woman of her dignity and asked whether the content was not cruel, violent and unbarebly shameful.
The reactions have taken the issue beyond the entertainment world, with actors and public figures speaking out about how simple it is to use artificial intelligence to abuse someone’s image and generate content at will.
The Legal Questions Around AI Deepfakes
The incident prompts questions for Indian law in relation to: privacy, dignity, personality rights and the production, creation and dissemination of sexually explicit content. In circumstances where an individual’s image has been digitally altered, it could touch multiple areas of law depending on the nature of the material, how it was created, and who distributed it.
The Information Technology Act and Regulations Thereunder set out legal remedies in respect of illegal content online. Criminal provisions may also come into play when the material which has been digitally altered is obscene, sexually explicit or otherwise illegal or defamatory.
Things get trickier when AI is generating an imaginary video. It may not have existed at all, but the fact that it uses the voice or image of a real person opens up privacy and personality rights issues.
Why the Incident Matters Beyond One Actor
This raging debate over the Chuttamalle video is just one of many issues that have arisen with the use of increasingly advanced AI technology. A person can now be pictured or filmed producing easily convincing-looking content without their knowledge or consent.
The actor himself has addressed the issue of digitally manipulated content. “In my latest statement, she said, “This issue is bigger than the AI videos involving me, and it is about the bigger issue of dignity for women, personal boundaries, and technology.
Indeed, the incident brings about a broader legal and societal issue: how does the law defend an individual when artificial intelligence allows for the production of convincing yet entirely false images of that person?
For victims, curbing the spread of the content is also crucial because manipulated material can be disseminated on various services for several hours or even days after the original upload. Calls for increased cooperation between film authorities, social media platforms and cybercrime authorities indicate the increasing importance of effective response mechanisms to AI-enhanced abuse.
