Vijay Deverakonda slams Janhvi Kapoor’s AI video, seeks legal action

The video digitally manipulates Kapoor's appearance from the song to depict her in a sexually explicit manner. It has now been taken down from the platforms.

New Delhi: Actor Vijay Deverakonda expressed disappointment over the AI-generated video of the song “Chuttamalle” from Jr NTR and Janhvi Kapoor starrer “Devara: Part 1”.

The video digitally manipulates Kapoor’s appearance from the song to depict her in a sexually explicit manner. It has now been taken down from the platforms.

Deverakonda questioned the reason for being such an insensitive society. He shared a note on his X handle on Saturday and said such actions should have legal consequences.

“We have stooped to the levels… Whoever is responsible for this should not be spared. They must face the harshest possible legal consequences and be made an example of. We must not let this go,” he wrote.

“When did we become so insensitive to each other? What kind of parenting is going on? What kind of society are we living in? Where do we find joy in degrading each other? At a time when the world is debating and fearing how AI disrupt livelihoods and takes away jobs, these idiots are using that very technology to do utter nonsense. This is the digital equivalent of sexual assault. The law must treat such acts with utmost seriousness,” he added.

Earlier, NTR called the video “vile” and “shameful beyond words”. In a land which worships women as mothers and goddesses, where ‘Matrudevo Bhava’ is not just a phrase but a part of our culture, some people have fallen so low that they are using AI to disrespect a woman in the most degrading way possible. Using AI to create something this vile is shameful beyond words,” he wrote.

The actor urged people not to engage with the video and said he would pursue legal action against those responsible for creating and spreading it. “To the scumbags behind this morphed ‘Chuttamalle’ video, I will not spare any of you. I will take every possible legal action against those who created it and those who are spreading it,” he said.

Jr NTR also urged state governments and the Centre to take stronger measures against the misuse of AI and introduce strict regulations to address such content.

“This is a serious issue, and I urge all the state governments and the Government of India to act strongly and bring in strict regulations against the misuse of AI,” he added.

Kapoor hasn’t commented on the video.

The generated deepfake videos and pictures of celebrities have turned into a serious concern, with more and more content emerging across online platforms. Actors including Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif, Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, among others, have been the victims of the deepfake content.

Mandanna was among the first actors to address the issue with a post in 2023 after a deepfake video with her face surfaced online. She called deepfake content “extremely scary”, with several celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan and Naga Chaitanya, voicing their support for the actor.