Manipulated video shows Bollywood star criticizing Indian Prime Minister for military losses

Weeks after deadly clashes along the India-Pakistan border, a manipulated video circulated on social media falsely depicting Bollywood actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan confronting Prime Minister Narendra Modi about military losses. The footage was edited from her speech at a centenary event for Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba in November, where she did not discuss any conflict.

The misleading video, shared on X with a caption claiming, "Breaking News: Indian media is now being forced to delete this clip! Aishwarya Rai asks some very tough questions from PM Modi in Puttaparthi," has accumulated over 327,000 views since November 19, 2025. The 29-second clip appeared to show Rai asking why India allegedly lost jets, S-400 systems, soldiers, and territory to Pakistan, although these statements were entirely fabricated.

The video emerged months after the most severe India-Pakistan violence since 1999, which left at least 70 people dead. Both nations claimed victories, with New Delhi rejecting Islamabad's report of downed Indian aircraft, including three Rafale jets. The altered video was widely shared across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X. A reverse image search traced the footage back to an official ANI X post of Rais speech.

In reality, Rais speech in Puttaparthi focused on the spiritual leaders humanitarian work. She stated, "There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is only one religion, the religion of love. There is only one language, the language of the heart. And there is only one God, and he is omnipresent. Sairam. Jai Hind." She greeted Modi and other dignitaries before praising Sathya Sai Babas charitable initiatives. Nowhere did she address the Prime Minister about military matters.

Local media, including Live Mint and Times of India, covered her speech but did not report any confrontation with Modi. AFP analyzed the video using the University of Buffalo's deepfake detection tool, which confirmed it was 100% AI-generated. The altered clip also shows repeated movements and lacks natural audio echoes present in the original speech.

AFP has previously debunked other misinformation related to India-Pakistan tensions, emphasizing the importance of verifying manipulated content before sharing.

Author: Maya Henderson