Deepfake video of the actor Rashmika Mandanna spreads on social media
What happened
In early November 2023 a video that appeared to show the actor Rashmika Mandanna spread widely on social media. Police later said it had been made by putting her face onto a video that another woman had posted on Instagram. It drew public concern from the Prime Minister and from other actors.
On 10 November Delhi Police registered a case of forgery and identity theft on a complaint from the Delhi Commission for Women, and wrote to Meta for details of the account that had posted the video.
- November 2023
- Online
- Online platforms and media
- Synthetic mediaAn AI-generated deepfake video. The tool used has not been named.
- Used deliberately to cause harm
- Reputational, psychological
- The actor whose face was used, and the woman whose video was altered
- An official statement
- Added 01.10.2026
What followed
On 7 November 2023 the IT ministry sent an advisory to large social media platforms, reminding them that they must remove such content within 36 hours of a complaint. On 20 January 2024 Delhi Police said they had arrested a man from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh who, they said, made the video to gain followers for a fan page he ran.
The ministry’s advisory does not name this case; we link the two by their timing. The allegations against the man arrested have not been tested in court.
Sources
- Union Government issues advisory to social media intermediaries to identify misinformation and deepfakes
Press Information Bureau, . Primary source.
- Rashmika Mandanna deep fake case: Delhi Police arrests mastermind from Andhra Pradesh
ANI,
- Creator of deepfake video of actress Rashmika Mandanna arrested from Andhra’s Guntur; wanted to increase Instagram followers: Delhi Police
The Tribune (PTI),
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