Deepfake Video of Javed Akhtar Circulates on Social Media
An AI-generated deepfake video showing screenwriter Javed Akhtar falsely claiming he "turned to God" circulated on social media in early January 2026. Akhtar denounced the video as completely fake, stating it misuses his image and words, and indicated he was considering reporting the matter to cyber police and pursuing legal action.
What happened
A fake video in circulation showed Javed Akhtar with a computer-generated image wearing a topi, claiming that he had "turned to God."
The video was generated using artificial intelligence and misrepresented Akhtar's image and words.
Reported impact
Akhtar stated the misinformation was damaging to his reputation and credibility.
Index analysis
This incident occurred a few days after Akhtar participated in a public debate titled 'Does God Exist?' at the Constitution Club of India with Islamic scholar Mufti Shamail Nadwi in New Delhi.
Governance controls
Akhtar said he was seriously considering reporting the matter to the cyber police and dragging the person responsible and those who forwarded the fake video to court.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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