Janhvi Kapoor condemned the circulation of an AI-generated deepfake video, calling it a violation of women's consent and boundaries. She emphasized the importance of respecting a woman's choice and urged society to rethink its approach to women's safety. Kapoor thanked her co-stars for their support and called for accountability against such digital exploitation.
Janhvi Kapoor has broken her silence days after a sexually explicit AI-generated deepfake built from the Devara: Part 1 song 'Chuttamalle' began circulating online. In a detailed statement, posted on Kapoor's Instagram story, the actor condemned the misuse of technology to objectify women without their consent, calling it a violation of a woman's body, image and choice.
The controversy began when footage from 'Chuttamalle,' which features Kapoor and Jr NTR, was digitally manipulated to depict her in a sexually explicit and degrading manner. The video was then circulated online. "The criminal misuse of technology to objectify women and circulate fictionalised content without consent is deeply violating, bordering on sexual assault. Almost every woman in my industry has faced some version of this, and women everywhere are increasingly being subjected to it," Kapoor said.
Kapoor stressed that consent should never be treated as complicated. "Consent, choice and respect for a woman's body should be among the most basic notions of humanity, yet somehow, they continue to be treated as complicated. They are not."
Adding on, Kapoor also spoke about respecting a woman's boundaries irrespective of what she wears or has agreed to in the past. "It is surprising that it still seems too nuanced for some people to understand that even if a woman says yes five days in a row and no on the sixth, that no must be respected. If she happens to wear a miniskirt, it does not give anyone permission to put a camera up her skirt, capture violating angles or visually exploit her body. What a woman is comfortable with, where she draws the line and what she chooses to do with her body are decisions that belong exclusively to her. This is basic."
The actor said the issue extends well beyond the AI-manipulated videos she has dealt with in recent days. "This goes far beyond the AI videos I have dealt with over the last few days, or anything I have personally experienced throughout my career. It is about the larger reality of being a woman, the gaze, the judgement, the constant negotiation for safety, and the feeling that our boundaries somehow remain open to interpretation. That threat has now expanded into the digital sphere, when we have not even adequately addressed the very real, physical fear that continues to disrupt the lives of women every day."
Kapoor also called for a shift in how society thinks about women's safety and boundaries. "The answer cannot simply be to 'protect your daughter.' We also need to undo the conditioning that makes people believe they are entitled to violate somebody else's boundaries in the first place, and part of that change will come from exemplary men. With the moral compass and the spine to say clearly what is right and what is wrong."
Jr NTR was among the first to publicly condemn the video, calling the act "disgusting, sick and shameless" and saying legal action should be taken against those responsible. Chiranjeevi, Vijay Deverakonda and Khushbu Sundar also spoke out against the misuse of AI, backed Kapoor and called for stronger action and greater accountability around digitally manipulated content.
Kapoor thanked her Devara co-star for taking a stand. "I am deeply touched by NTR sir for taking such a strong stand and condemning this violation. Thank you, sir. When someone whom millions look up to speaks up about something that may not directly concern him, it makes a difference to every woman who has experienced some degree of this behaviour."
The actor also thanked the others who backed her. "Thank you also to Chiranjeevi sir, Vijay and Khushbu ma'am for amplifying that sentiment and calling for action against this mentality and these immoral practices. I hope everything unfolding around us right now forces those who participate in any form of harassment to introspect. Is it really too much for a woman to ask to simply be treated and seen as a human being?"
Kapoor ended her statement with a line that summed up her message: "Her body. Her image. Her boundaries. Her choice."
On the work front, Janhvi was last seen in the Telugu sports drama Peddi, opposite Ram Charan, which released in June. Kapoor is currently shooting for the romantic revenge drama Lag Jaa Gale with Tiger Shroff and Lakshya, and is reportedly set to team up with Pagglait director Umesh Bist on an untitled film produced by Ekta Kapoor and Guneet Monga.