Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has once again found herself at the center of controversy, this time falling victim to the perils of artificial intelligence (AI) deepfake technology.

This is not the first time Alia has been targeted by deepfake technology, which uses artificial intelligence to create realistic but fake videos.

The incident came to light when a video surfaced on Instagram, shared by a user named Unfixface, depicting Alia Bhatt in a pink saree with matching blouse. However, keen-eyed viewers noticed something amiss in her facial expressions, sparking speculation.

Captioned as 'Alia Bhatt off screen,' the video quickly gained traction, leaving fans bewildered. It was soon revealed that the video was a deepfake creation, with Alia Bhatt's face superimposed onto footage originally featuring Indian actress Wamika Gabi.

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A post shared by Unfixface (@unfixface)

The original video, shared by Wamika Gabi, showed her posing elegantly in a similar attire, captioned humorously as, "Your lover is really a fan of Chamkeela."

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A post shared by Wamiqa Gabbi (@wamiqagabbi)

Fans of Alia Bhatt have expressed outrage over the manipulated video, with many questioning its legality. "Is this legal? You're using Alia's face," commented one user. Another user pointed out that the original video belonged to Wamika Gabi and that someone had replaced her face with Alia's using AI technology.

The unauthorized use of Alia Bhatt's likeness in the deepfake video raised ethical concerns among social media users, with some questioning its legality and expressing outrage over the manipulation of her image.

While Alia Bhatt is currently in New York, having recently attended the prestigious 2024 Met Gala adorned in a floral saree by renowned designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the deepfake controversy serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by advancing AI technology in the realm of entertainment and digital media.