Actress Janhvi Kapoor has strongly condemned the circulation of a sexually explicit deepfake video involving her, calling the non-consensual use of technology to create and circulate fictionalised content “deeply violating” and saying it borders on sexual assault.
In a lengthy statement shared on her Instagram Stories, Kapoor criticised the misuse of technology to objectify women and stressed that consent and personal boundaries cannot be treated as negotiable.
“The criminal misuse of technology to objectify women and circulate fictionalised content without consent is deeply violating, bordering on sexual assault,” she wrote, adding that women in the entertainment industry and elsewhere increasingly face such violations.
The video circulating online is a doctored clip from her film Devara, in which she starred opposite NTR Jr.
Kapoor said a woman’s clothing or appearance never constitutes permission to photograph, record or digitally manipulate her body without consent. She stressed that decisions about what a woman is comfortable with, where she sets her boundaries and what she chooses to do with her body belong exclusively to her.
She also placed the issue within the broader experience of women dealing with harassment, judgement and concerns over personal safety, saying the threat has now extended into the digital sphere.
Kapoor argued that society’s response should go beyond telling women to protect themselves and should also address attitudes that make people feel entitled to violate another person’s boundaries.
The actress also thanked her Devara co-star NTR Jr for publicly standing up for her, saying his decision to speak out could make a difference to women who have experienced similar behaviour.
She expressed gratitude to Chiranjeevi, Vijay and Khushbu for also amplifying the message and calling for action against what she described as immoral practices.
Concluding her statement, Kapoor questioned whether asking to be treated simply as a human being was “too much” and reaffirmed a woman’s right to control her body, image, boundaries and choices.
