Rashmika Expresses Deep Concern as Loan Apps Allegedly Harass Women with Manipulated Explicit Images: Chinmayi Raises Awareness

In a show of unwavering support, renowned singer Chinmayi Sripaada has come to the defense of Rashmika Mandanna following the distressing circulation of a deepfake video featuring the actress on social media. Chinmayi expressed profound concerns over the implications of deepfake technology, highlighting the potential for it to be used as a tool for targeting and harassing women, including extortion, blackmail, and sexual assault.

Chinmayi, in an extensive statement shared on her official X account, recalled an earlier incident where a video featured one of the industry’s beloved actors, seemingly performing in an AI avatar to the song “Kaavaalaa” from the movie “Jailer.” However, it was later revealed that the video was a deepfake. The consent of the actor, Ms. Simran, to use her likeness in the deepfake AI rendering remains uncertain, as she shared it on her own social media platforms.

Chinmayi went on to address the recent appearance of a deepfake video involving Rashmika Mandanna, noting that the actress appeared genuinely distressed in her Instagram story. She emphasized that in a country where the exploitation of women’s bodies is rampant, deepfakes could become the next sinister weapon for targeting, harassing, and blackmailing girls.

Chinmayi called for a nationwide awareness campaign to educate the public about the dangers associated with deepfakes, especially in light of the Rashmika Mandanna incident. She stressed that loan apps are already harassing women borrowers with photoshopped images of their faces superimposed onto explicit content, and these victims often struggle to combat such offenses. However, deepfakes pose an even more challenging threat, as they can be harder for the untrained eye to detect, especially when not viewed on high-resolution screens.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan, who had the opportunity to work with Rashmika Mandanna in the film “Goodbye,” also endorsed taking legal action against such identity theft, commenting, “Yes, this is a strong case for legal intervention.”

Rashmika Mandanna had previously shared her deep distress over the viral deepfake video, expressing her concern for how she would have coped if such an incident had occurred during her school or college years. She strongly advocated for strict actions to be taken against the perpetrators of these harmful acts.