According to an official, the Mumbai Police have filed a formal complaint (FIR) against an unidentified person about a deepfake video that allegedly shows Bollywood actor Aamir Khan endorsing a political party.
The official stated that Khan’s office filed a complaint at the Khar police station on Wednesday, citing relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including the Information Technology Act, 419 (impersonation), and 420 (cheating).
Khan appears in the alleged 27-second tape, which appears to have been edited using artificial intelligence (AI), discussing avoiding hyperbole (jumla).
Although Mr. Khan has previously increased awareness through Election Commission efforts over the years, a representative for the actor stated on Tuesday that he has never supported a political party.
The contentious deepfake video features Mr. Khan in a scene from a previous episode of his show, “Satyamev Jayate,” which aired ten years ago.
“We want to clarify that Mr Aamir Khan has never endorsed any political party throughout his 35-year career. He has dedicated his efforts to raising awareness through Election Commission public awareness campaigns for many past elections,” the statement from Mr. Khan’s spokeswoman said.
“We are alarmed by the recent viral video alleging that Aamir Khan is promoting a particular political party. He would like to clarify that this is a fake video and totally untrue. He has reported the matter to various authorities related to this issue, including filing an FIR with the Cyber Crime Cell of the Mumbai Police,” Khan’s spokesperson stated in a statement.