RGV Slams Celebrity Outcry Over Janhvi Kapoor AI Video

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma criticized film stars for speaking publicly about an objectionable morphed video of actor Janhvi Kapoor. The manipulated clip altered visuals from the song Chuttamalle from her Telugu debut film Devara: Part 1.

Varma argued that public outrage only amplified the circulation of the offending material. He stated that the industry should focus on catching the perpetrator instead of publicizing the video link.

Varma shared his thoughts on social media platform X without directly naming Janhvi Kapoor. He argued that the widespread celebrity statements produced the wrong outcome.

“The only thing all the celebrities succeeded in, is to publicise and thereby make crores and crores of people see the objectionable link,” Varma wrote.

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The director asserted that public complaints brought unnecessary attention to the victim. He insisted that legal action should have remained the sole priority.

noting that the smart thing would have been to concentrate on catching the perpetrator and publicise that Varma posted. He added that drawing attention to the offensive content and the victim’s identity also constitutes a crime.

Varma also commented on the broader rise of artificial intelligence. In another post, he wrote, When you can’t WIN, you should JOIN…. If you fight A I, it will ERASE you out of EXISTENCE.

The controversy started when an explicit morphed clip went viral online. On Friday, co-star Jr NTR publicly condemned the manipulation of visuals from their 2024 film Devara: Part 1.

Jr NTR invoked Indian cultural respect for women to criticize the abuse of modern tools. He stated that in a culture where "Matrudevo Bhava" guides society, some people fell low enough to degrade a woman using AI.

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Janhvi Kapoor responded on Sunday through an extensive statement on her Instagram stories. She described the non-consensual creation and circulation of fictionalized content as deeply violating behavior bordering on sexual assault.

She emphasized that almost every woman in her industry has faced similar digital misconduct. The actor also thanked Jr NTR, Chiranjeevi, Vijay Deverakonda, and Khushbu Sundar for defending her.

Janhvi Kapoor entered Telugu cinema under director Koratala Siva in the 2024 release Devara: Part 1. She subsequently signed the film Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana and starring Ram Charan.

That production previously faced separate public discussions regarding the depiction of her character. The latest episode has sparked wider industry debates regarding deepfakes and actor safety.