Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor has strongly condemned a sexually explicit deepfake video of herself that has been circulating online, calling the criminal misuse of technology to fabricate such content “bordering on sexual assault.” The actress shared her response on Sunday, 4 October 2026, via a lengthy note posted to her Instagram Stories, directing sharp criticism at those responsible and at the broader failure to respect women’s consent.

What Janhvi Kapoor Said

In her own words, Kapoor wrote: “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.”

She drew a clear line on consent, adding: “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. 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.”

The deepfake in question is reportedly a doctored clip sourced from her film ‘Devara’, in which she starred opposite actor NTR Jr.

Beyond the Deepfake: Kapoor on the Broader Reality

Kapoor broadened her statement beyond AI-generated content, addressing the everyday experience of women being surveilled and exploited. She wrote: “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.”

She also pointed to the expansion of threat from the physical world into the digital sphere, arguing that society has not yet adequately addressed physical harassment of women. “The answer cannot simply be to ‘Protect your daughter,’” she said. “We also need to undo the conditioning that makes people believe they are entitled to violate somebody else’s boundaries in the first place.”

She called on “exemplary men with the moral compass and the spine” to clearly distinguish right from wrong, arguing that male voices with large platforms carry particular weight in shifting social norms.

Support from Co-Stars and Colleagues

Kapoor expressed gratitude to her ‘Devara’ co-star NTR Jr., who reportedly condemned the deepfake publicly. “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,” she wrote.

She also thanked actors Chiranjeevi, Vijay, and Khushbu Sundar for amplifying the call for action against what she described as “this mentality and these immoral practices.”

A Pattern Across the Industry

Kapoor’s statement comes amid a growing pattern of deepfake incidents targeting women in Indian entertainment. Several actresses have previously spoken out about AI-generated explicit content being circulated without their knowledge or consent. Critics argue that existing legal frameworks have not kept pace with the scale of the problem, and advocacy groups have long called for dedicated legislation criminalising non-consensual deepfake pornography. Kapoor’s response, notable for its length and directness, is being widely shared as one of the more comprehensive public statements on the issue from a mainstream Bollywood figure.

She closed her note with a pointed question: “Is it really too much for a woman to ask to simply be treated and seen as a human being? Her body. Her image. Her boundaries. Her choice.”