HYDERABAD: Bollywood actor Janhvi Kapoor has strongly condemned the malicious circulation of an AI-morphed deepfake video featuring her from Chuttamalle, the popular chartbuster track from Devara: Part 1. Denouncing the misuse of technology to objectify women, Kapoor termed the act as "deeply violating" and "bordering on sexual assault," emphasizing that the issue extends far beyond a single digital incident.
Taking to Instagram Stories, the actor delivered a fierce statement addressing consent, boundaries, and the rising tide of digital misconduct targeting women. She stressed that fictionalized content generated and spread without explicit consent must never be trivialized or treated as open to interpretation.
"The criminal misuse of technology to objectify women and circulate fictionalised content without consent is deeply violating, bordering on sexual assault," Kapoor wrote, pointing out that almost every woman in the entertainment industry has faced similar forms of harassment. She further emphasized that past choices or on-screen appearances do not strip away a woman's right to personal boundaries, noting that consent can never be assumed or treated as permanent.
The controversy drew massive outrage across the film fraternity. Earlier, actor Jr NTR had slammed the deepfake video as "disgusting, sick and shameless," warning that severe legal consequences await those responsible for creating and circulating it. Prominent figures including Megastar Chiranjeevi, Vijay Deverakonda, and Khushbu Sundar also stepped forward, condemning the abuse and urging both state governments and the Centre to implement strict regulations to curb AI-driven violations.
Echoing their sentiments, Janhvi expressed profound gratitude to her Devara co-star Jr NTR and other industry colleagues for their unwavering support. "I am deeply touched by NTR sir for taking such a strong stand and condemning this violation," she noted.
Kapoor urged users and netizens to completely refrain from viewing, sharing, or engaging with morphed content, even if done under the guise of condemnation, and instead report such material directly to cybercrime authorities. Concluding her statement with an earnest plea for basic human dignity, she wrote: "Is it really too much for a woman to ask to simply be treated and seen as a human being? Her body. Her image. Her boundaries. Her choice."
