Actress Mrunal Thakur has issued a stern warning to people who use deepfake or similar AI technology to violate her identity. The message comes as Thakur is one of the Bollywood celebrities who have repeatedly become victims of such AI misuse.
“Creating or sharing deepfake content using my likeness is illegal and unacceptable. Consider this your formal notice to stop immediately. Any further misuse of my identity will result in legal action,” wrote on social media.
The post has gone viral, garnering more than 1 million views on X (formerly Twitter). Social media users have reacted to her post.
“This is criminal! Cyber (cell) needs to act upon and punish these people,” wrote one user.
“You are completely correct and have all the rights to speak up for yourself as, behind all the headlines, there is a real person who is you, so you shouldn’t be afraid to say what they need to hear,” commented another user.
Another user wrote, “Looks like a lobby behind this. Register a formal complaint and name some people that you think may be behind this. This will send the message all across the PR agencies. Let there be collateral damage.”
“No need to give one more chance, take legal action right now, ma’am,” came from another.
At the same time, one user pointed out, “There are tons of deepfakes of every actress from the start of the Internet. You can’t erase it. Most actresses will ignore it for the better. Whoever tried to stop it suffered more damage, because the internet is a weird place. If you flag anything, it will multiply.”
AI deepfakes in Bollywood
Several Bollywood stars have approached the courts over unauthorised use of their images, voices or both. Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty joined this legal movement. Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Karan Johar also filed cases.
They followed the earlier action by Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. Singers Kumar Sanu, Asha Bhosale and also joined the movement.
Experts, however, note that enforcement remains genuinely difficult despite court injunctions granted. Content spreads rapidly, making comprehensive online monitoring nearly impossible.
Indian courts also lack jurisdiction over websites hosted abroad. Individuals typically bear responsibility for finding new infringements themselves.
Personality rights protect names, images and voices from misuse. These rights aren’t explicitly codified but stem from common law.
Courts can grant injunctions, damages or takedown orders accordingly. Ankit Sahni, partner, Ajay Sahni & Associates, earlier told LiveMint that it would be impossible to
“The practical approach is to prioritise high-impact violations such as fake endorsements, sexually-explicit deepfakes, and impersonations that cause reputational or financial harm, while using platform tools and targeted monitoring. Systemic fixes are essential, including KYC-backed accountability, better AI detection by platforms, and swift injunctive and contempt remedies,” he said.