A video circulating on social media platforms shows Indian actor Rashmika Mandanna posing in a red bikini at a picturesque waterfall. The video, which has received an extensive number of likes and shares, is receiving a lot of attention. However, a deeper investigation reveals that the video is a deepfake.
Another Rashmika Mandanna Deepfake Surfaces Despite Previous Arrests
The viral video has been traced back to an Instagram account belonging to Daniela Villarreal, a model and content creator based in Santander, Colombia. Villarreal originally posted the video on April 19, 2024, on her Instagram profile. This account, along with other pictures and videos of Villarreal in the same bikini, confirms that she is the individual in the original footage, not Mandanna.
A close examination of the viral clip shows discrepancies that indicate manipulation. Notably, the woman's eye movements, especially her right eye's unnatural motion as she looks down, suggest that the video has been altered. This aligns with typical signs of deepfake technology, where facial movements often appear slightly off.
Further evidence was provided by a reverse image search, which linked the video to a post by the Instagram page onlybikinimodel, identifying the person as @danielavillarreal_a. This connection confirms that the setting and the individual in the video belong to Villarreal, not Mandanna.
To substantiate these findings, the video was analysed using the Itisaar tool by ABP for their Fact-Check report, a deepfake detection technology developed by IIT Jodhpur. This tool, verified by Mayank Vatsa, a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Jodhpur, categorised the video as a deepfake with a very high confidence rating. The analysis highlighted that the face in the video was altered using a face-swapping approach.
Previous Incidents and Official Actions
This is not the first time Rashmika Mandanna has been targeted by deep-fake creators. In November 2023, a deepfake video of her in a black bodysuit circulated widely, prompting the Indian government to issue directives to social media platforms to remove such content within 24 hours of a complaint. This response underscores the growing concern and proactive measures against the misuse of fake technology. Read about the whole case here.
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