AI video of Kerala CM dancing over power cuts goes viral, Meta blocks it in India

A viral AI-generated video showing Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan dancing with KSEB officials over the power crisis has been restricted in India by Meta following a government notice, its creators said. The clip had 1.78 crore views. Satheesan said he enjoyed the video despite its mocking tone and warned of AI's legal implications.

In Short

• The clip gathered 1.78 crore views within days on Instagram
• Satheesan said he enjoyed the spoof despite its mocking undertone
• Creators said Meta cited a Government of India legal notice

Meta has restricted access in India to a viral AI-generated Instagram video showing VD Satheesan dancing with Kerala State Electricity Board officials over the recent power crisis, its creators said on Monday. The video was posted on the Instagram page 'aikavala' on Thursday and had received 1.78 crore views by Sunday, according to the page's operator.

The restriction came even though Satheesan had referred to the video at a public event and said he was excited to see it. On Monday too, he spoke about the clip, said he was happy with it despite it partly being meant to mock him, and noted that artificial intelligence could raise legal issues.

In a post on Sunday, 'aikavala' said access to the video had been restricted in India after Meta complied with a legal request. The creators shared a message from Meta that said: "We have restricted access to your content in India pursuant to notice from the Government of India." Abhijith, who runs the Instagram page, told reporters that he did not believe the move was due to any objection from Satheesan's side. "We don't know the reason. But the CM had appreciated it in a public forum. The video can be viewed from other countries," he said.

Abhijith also said, "The CM really enjoyed it. So I don't think it came from his side. But there might be some cyber wings who might have initiated the steps." He said a disclaimer had been added to the video and that this was why it had not been taken down completely. Asked if his team would challenge the restriction, he said no decision had been taken yet. "People everywhere have embraced it. We view that widespread acceptance itself as a major achievement," he said.

Satheesan had earlier referred to the video at an event organised by the Kerala High Court, where he said he could dance better than Malayalam actor Mohanlal and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

Speaking again on Monday after inaugurating the graduation ceremony of the 2026 graduating batch of Thiruvananthapuram Government Law College, he said: "I was shocked seeing the dance. I saw myself leading a group dance. I said that the splendid dance was enough to shock both Mohanlal and my friend, Vijay." He also said that although the video was partly intended to mock him, he was happy about it. "A five-year-old child came up to me and said, 'Sir, your dance was splendid!' So that child believed I had actually danced," he said.

Referring to the wider issue of AI-made content, Satheesan said: "Artificial intelligence is creating many such things nowadays. There will be legal issues there. When they imitate many things like this, legal implications are bound to arise." Earlier, Meta had removed news videos critical of the state government and Satheesan. He had then denied that any request to remove the posts had been made from his office, and the CMO later wrote to Meta seeking their reinstatement. Meta had then cited "technical reasons" for removing the videos. The latest case centres on the India-only restriction of the AI-generated dance video, even as the creators said it remained viewable in other countries and Satheesan said he had taken it in good spirit.

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