A controversial video of actor Urvashi Rautela has surfaced on the internet and shocked social media users. The 23-second clip shows Ms Rautela in a bathroom, apparently getting ready for a bath. Users on X and other social media platforms have questioned whether it is a "leaked" clip or a PR stunt. Ms Rautela, 30, has starred in films such as Singh Saab The Great, Great Grand Masti, and Hate Story 4, to name a few. She has also been a part of popular music videos.
The video comes at a time when celebrities like Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif and Rashmika Mandhana have been targets of AI-generated deepfake videos.
The clip featuring Ms Rautela has generated strong reactions on social media, with her fans flagging concerns about the privacy of women in the digital age and others demanding strict action against the person who posted the clip online.
One user, however, sought to know if this was a promotional video. "If it was a PR move, if, a bad one from Urvashi Rautela and the advisors," the user commented on X.
There is no comment from the actor or her team so far. NDTV has decided not to show the clip.
After deepfake videos of celebrities circulated online, several Instagram users had expressed concern over the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Deepfake videos are the ones which have been altered, in a convincing way, to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said. In most cases, the face of a person is swapped with the body of another person to make them appear in a particularly troubling scenario.
Deepfake videos of several celebrities - Rashmika Mandanna, Kajol, Katrina Kaif, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh and Sara Tendulkar - had earlier surfaced on the internet.
The government has advised all intermediaries - referring to social media platforms like Instagram and X - to ensure users "do not violate the prohibited content" rule of the IT Act, as it bids to combat the worrying trend of deepfakes.
