“It Is Rubbish”: Javed Akhtar Reacts Strongly To Fake AI Video Claiming He Has Turned To God
Javed Akhtar slammed a viral AI deepfake targeting him and considered legal action as Bollywood celebrities face a growing wave of digital misinformation.
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize industries, its dark side is casting a long, predatory shadow over the entertainment world. Bollywood celebrities have become the primary targets for AI-driven disinformation, ranging from malicious deepfake videos to morphed images. From Rashmika Mandanna, Amitabh Bachchan, and Alia Bhatt to Ranveer Singh and Shilpa Shetty, the list of stars who have faced the brunt of AI misuse is growing. The latest veteran to be dragged into this digital crossfire is the legendary screenwriter-lyricist, Javed Akhtar.
The controversy erupted early Friday when a fake AI-generated video of Javed Akhtar began circulating on social media. The clip featured a computer-generated image of the veteran writer wearing a skull cap (topi), with misleading claims suggesting he had “turned to God”.
Javed Akhtar, a staunch and vocal atheist for decades, wasted no time in debunking the viral clip. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he shared a Facebook link to the video and expressed his outrage: “A fake video is in circulation showing my fake computer generated picture with a topi on my head claiming that ultimately I have turned to God . It is rubbish.”
He further revealed that he is not taking the matter lightly, stating: “I am seriously considering to report this to the cyber police and ultimately dragged the person responsible for this fake news and those few who forward it to the court for damaging my reputation and credibility.”
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) January 1, 2026
A fake video is in circulation showing my fake computer generated picture with a topi on my head claiming that ultimately I have turned to God . It is rubbish . I am seriously considering to report this to the cyber police and ultimately dragged the person responsible for this…
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) January 1, 2026
The fabricated image surfaced shortly after a high-profile intellectual exchange. Just days ago, Javed Akhtar and Islamic scholar Mufti Shamail Nadwi held a public debate in New Delhi titled ‘Does God Exist?’ at the Constitution Club of India. It appears the deepfake was created to exploit the buzz surrounding this discussion.
The internet quickly rallied behind Javed Akhtar. One user noted, “Deepfakes like this are pure poison,” while another pointed out the irony, saying the creator of the video needs God's help more than Akhtar does – specifically to pay for their upcoming legal fees.
Javed Akhtar’s legal threat comes on the heels of Kangana Ranaut slamming the circulation of AI-edited images of her. The actress-politician was targeted with photos showing her in various suits while exiting Parliament – outfits she never wore.
“Originally, these are my pictures from the Parliament in saris. Stop using AI on my pictures,” Kangana posted, calling the edits “violating beyond words”. She asserted that how she chooses to look is her “entire prerogative” and urged people to stop dressing others up via technology.
Last month, actors Sreeleela and Nivetha Thomas also spoke out, demanding ethical AI use and better protection against privacy violations.
The scale of the problem is backed by alarming data. According to McAfee’s annual “Most Dangerous Celebrity: Deepfake Deception List”, 90 per cent of Indians have encountered fake or AI-generated celebrity content. Victims have also lost an average of Rs 34,500 to scams involving these fakes.
The report identified Shah Rukh Khan as the most exploited celebrity for deepfakes, followed closely by Alia Bhatt in second place and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in fourth. Other global icons on the danger list include Elon Musk, Cristiano Ronaldo, MrBeast, Lionel Messi, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and BTS members
As technology evolves, the battle between celebrity privacy and AI-generated disinformation is reaching a boiling point, with Javed Akhtar’s potential legal move signalling a new era of fighting back.
