Fact Check: Truth Behind Photos Showing Virat And Anushka Playing Holi Before Champions Trophy Final

Three purported images of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli along with his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma were recently shared on social media. Users claimed that these images were from their Holi celebrations this year. However, an investigation by the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the photos shared on social media were fake. AI-generated pictures were shared on social media as real with a false claim.

Claim

A Facebook user going by the name "Cric News" shared multiple images on March 2, featuring Indian cricketer Virat Kohli along with his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. The images allegedly showed the celebrity duo playing Holi.

Here is the link and archive link to the post, along with a screenshot:

Investigation: 

The Desk ran all three images shared in the social media post through Google Lens; however, the search results did not lead to any credible report that could corroborate the authenticity or origin of the images.

In the next part of the investigation, the Desk carefully analyzed the images and found multiple discrepancies suggesting that they were digitally altered or AI-generated. For instance, the background in all three images appeared visibly blurred, and the hands of the duo seen in the first and third images looked distorted.

Below is a screenshot highlighting the same.

Next, taking cues from the above-generated inputs, the Desk ran the images one by one through Hive Moderation, an AI detection tool, which suggested a substantial presence of AI-generated or deepfake content in all three images.

Below, a combination image has been attached highlighting the results of the AI detection in the images.

Subsequently, the Desk concluded that the images of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma from their Holi celebrations this year are AI-generated.

CLAIM: The images show Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma celebrating Holi this year.

FACT: The images are AI-generated.

CONCLUSION: A social media user shared three purported images of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, showing them celebrating Holi this year. However, the Desk found in its investigation that the photos of the celebrity duo were AI-generated and were shared on social media as real with a false claim.

(This story was originally published by PTI Fact Check, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)