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Mrunal Thakur Threatens Legal Action Against AI-Generated Deepfake Content
Actress Mrunal Thakur has become the latest Bollywood star to publicly call out the misuse of her identity through AI-generated deepfake content, issuing a sharply worded warning on social media that leaves little room for ambiguity: stop, or face legal consequences.
What Mrunal Thakur Said
Taking to her social media account on Tuesday, Thakur shared a firm note addressing the growing problem of AI-manipulated content bearing her likeness. In the statement, she made clear that she considers such content both unlawful and unacceptable, describing her post as a formal notice demanding an immediate stop to the practice. She further warned that any continued misuse of her identity would result in legal action being pursued.
Notably, Thakur did not specify which particular piece of deepfake content, account, or platform prompted the warning, keeping the statement broad rather than pointing to a single incident. The move comes amid a wider pattern of Indian celebrities speaking out — and increasingly turning to the courts — over the unauthorised use of their faces, voices, and likenesses in AI-generated material.
Part Of A Bigger, Worrying Trend
Mrunal Thakur’s warning is far from an isolated incident. Over the past couple of years, deepfake content targeting Indian actors and actresses has become an escalating concern, with several high-profile names taking a public stand against it.
The issue first grabbed major national attention in 2023, when a manipulated video appearing to show actress Rashmika Mandanna went viral, sparking widespread outrage. The clip was later revealed to be a deepfake built using footage of a British-Indian social media personality, with Mandanna’s face digitally superimposed onto it. The incident triggered strong reactions from within the industry, including from Amitabh Bachchan, who called for a proper legal and regulatory framework to address deepfakes in India. Mrunal Thakur herself was among the actors who spoke out in support of Mandanna at the time, urging people in the industry not to stay silent as morphed content targeting female actors continued to circulate online.
Since then, the problem has only grown more serious. Earlier this year, actor Akshay Kumar secured interim protection from the Bombay High Court over his personality rights, with the court restraining social media platforms, e-commerce sites, and AI content creators from using his name, image, likeness, or voice without authorisation. The court specifically flagged how realistic AI-generated deepfakes have become, noting the threat they pose not just to an individual’s dignity but potentially to public order and personal safety.
More recently, veteran actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan approached the Delhi High Court over similar concerns, with her legal team highlighting that her likeness had been used online in deeply inappropriate ways. The court indicated it was likely to grant an interim injunction to curb further misuse while the case proceeds — a sign that Indian courts are increasingly willing to act swiftly on these petitions.
What The Law Says
India’s regulatory response to deepfakes has also been evolving. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued advisories directing social media platforms to act decisively against the spread of deepfake content, and under the IT Rules, 2021, platforms are legally required to take down flagged deepfake material within a set window after receiving a complaint — failing which they can face legal consequences themselves. Authorities have also encouraged individuals affected by deepfakes to file First Information Reports (FIRs), noting that such content disproportionately targets women and can cause serious personal and reputational harm.
Even so, enforcement remains a challenge. The sheer speed and accessibility of modern AI tools means new deepfake content can surface faster than platforms or courts can act — which is likely part of why more celebrities are now choosing to issue public warnings themselves, in addition to pursuing formal legal routes.
The Bigger Picture
Mrunal Thakur’s statement adds her name to a growing list of Indian celebrities — including Rashmika Mandanna, Akshay Kumar, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan — who have taken a public stand against the misuse of their identity through AI. While her post didn’t reference a specific case, the message fits into a broader industry-wide shift: public figures are no longer treating deepfake misuse as something to quietly ignore, but are instead responding with direct warnings and, increasingly, formal legal action.
As AI tools become cheaper and more widely accessible, the debate around personality rights, consent, and digital identity protection is likely to remain a pressing issue — not just for celebrities, but for the millions of ordinary internet users who are increasingly vulnerable to the same kind of misuse.
