Actor Shalini Pandey has become the latest Indian celebrity to speak out against the growing misuse of artificial intelligence to create fake videos using a person’s likeness. The actor took to Instagram on Monday to clarify that a video circulating online is AI-generated and does not depict her.
The actor’s statement comes at a time when manipulated videos involving celebrities have become increasingly difficult to distinguish from authentic footage, raising concerns about privacy, consent and the misuse of generative AI.
What Did Shalini Pandey Say About The Fake AI Video?
Sharing a note on Instagram, Shalini categorically denied any connection with the video and called it “completely fabricated”. She said the incident was “deeply disturbing” and condemned the misuse of technology to target individuals, particularly women. The actor also made an appeal to social media users: do not share, forward or download the video. Instead, she urged people who encounter it to report the content.
Her message comes with an important warning about the way such material spreads online. Even when a video is fake, repeated sharing can increase its reach and make it harder for the affected person to contain the damage.
Deepfake Videos Have Targeted Several Indian Celebrities
Shalini is far from the first Indian celebrity to face this problem. Rashmika Mandanna, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh have previously been targeted by manipulated or AI-generated content. Rashmika was among the most prominent early cases to spark widespread discussion in India after a fake video using her face went viral in 2023. The incident triggered calls for stronger safeguards against deepfake technology.
More recently, actor Mrunal Thakur also issued a warning over fake content featuring her likeness, describing the creation or circulation of such material as “illegal and unacceptable” and warning that further misuse could invite legal action. The growing number of cases has turned deepfakes from a technological curiosity into a serious digital safety issue, particularly for women whose identities can be exploited without their consent.
Who Is Shalini Pandey?
Shalini rose to fame with her 2017 Telugu debut Arjun Reddy, opposite Vijay Deverakonda. She later appeared in films including Mahanati and Jayeshbhai Jordaar, which marked her Hindi-film debut opposite Ranveer Singh. She was also part of Netflix’s Maharaj and has continued to work across Hindi, Telugu and Tamil projects.
For now, Shalini’s message is less about the technology itself and more about what happens after a deepfake appears: every click, download and share can give fabricated content another life.