In the digital era, where artificial intelligence has taken centre stage, the line between truth and illusion has blurred beyond recognition. Recently, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar found himself falling prey to this very technological deception. A few days back, an AI-generated video showing the actor portraying Maharishi Valmiki began circulating online.  This manipulated clip soon became a matter of great concern, which eventually led the actor and the court to intervene.

Reacting to this, Akshay Kumar took to his Instagram and wrote, “I have recently come across some AI-generated videos of a film trailer showing me in the role of Maharishi Valmiki. I want to clarify that all such videos are fake and created using AI.”

This incident took a serious turn as the Bombay High Court also intervened in this matter. The bench of Justice Arif Doctor said, “Such content needs to be removed from the public domain immediately, not only in the interest of the actor but also in the larger public interest.”

While hearing the actor’s plea, Justice Doctor expressed concern over the sophistication of AI-generated content. The court observed, “What is truly alarming in a number of these cases is the realistic nature of deepfake images and videos being created using AI. Both in the context of images and videos, the morphing is so sophisticated and deceptive that it is virtually impossible to discern that they are not genuine images or videos of the Plaintiff (Akshay).”

The judge called this situation “deeply concerning,” and said, “poses a grave risk to the safety and well-being of the Plaintiff’s family members and can also have an adverse and widespread impact on society and public order.” The court further added focus on “swift intervention is necessary to protect both the individual and the wider public.”

Story Highlights

1. Akshay Kumar clarifies that AI-generated videos showing him as Maharishi Valmiki are completely fake.

2 . Bombay High Court intervenes, ordering the immediate removal of the deepfake video from all platforms.

3  Justice Arif Doctor calls the situation “truly alarming” and “deeply concerning.”

4   The court warns of serious societal impact and urges action against the growing misuse of AI-manipulated media.