Hanuman Ansh distributor Ravi Shankar slams AI misuse after Janhvi Kapoor deepfake

Ravi Shankar, the filmmaker distributing the Telugu version of Hanuman Ansh, has spoken out against the misuse of artificial intelligence and social media. He spoke after an AI-made morphed video of Janhvi Kapoor and Jr NTR surfaced online.

The fake clip was built from footage of their song 'Chuttamalle'. Speaking to the press in Hyderabad, Ravi Shankar said it is now easy for people to throw mud at each other online. With AI added to that, he said, nobody can tell what is real. "The youth have become polluted, be it online or otherwise," he said.

He sees spiritual cinema as one answer. "It is at a time like this that we need films with divine power that instill a fear of God," he added, saying such films only do society good.

Jr NTR was among the first to react to the deepfake. He called the people behind it "Disgusting, Sick and Shameless" and said he would take legal action. He also asked the state and central governments to bring in strict rules on AI use.

Janhvi Kapoor called the video criminal misuse of technology. "Using technology criminally to objectify women and circulate fabricated content without their consent is a serious violation," she wrote. She added that almost every woman in her industry has faced this in some form.

Khushbu Sundar, Vijay Deverakonda, Ram Pothineni and Chiranjeevi were among the other stars who condemned the clip.

Hanuman Ansh's Telugu version opens in theatres on October 9.