The digital age just got a little darker when an AI‑generated clip of Janhvi Kapoor, pulled from the romantic track "Chuttamalle" in "Devara", went viral on Oct 3 2026. Both Jr NTR and Vijay Deverakonda took to X to denounce the clip, calling it a digital assault that demands legal accountability.
But the song itself was a lush love ballad set against backdrops of Indian wilderness and seaside, originally performed by Shilpa Rao and penned by Ramajogayya Sastry. It forms a key narrative beat in the film, where Jr NTR plays dual roles of Devara and Varadha, making the scene emotionally charged.
Yet the clip was nothing from the original footage; it was an AI‑morphed mash‑up that inserted Janhvi Kapoor's face into explicit scenes that never existed. The hack not only disrespects the actress but also weaponises deepfake tech, raising alarms about consent and privacy in cinema.
Both actors have called for stringent legal measures, urging the government to treat such misuse as a serious crime. They warned that if left unchecked, the technology could target anyone, from celebrities to everyday citizens, turning the internet into a playground for predatory content.
Meanwhile, the film's producers have issued a statement promising to monitor the digital space, and the upcoming sequel slated for 2027 is already being drafted with tighter digital safeguards. Fans are divided—some see the scandal as a distraction, others view it as a wake‑up call for the industry.