Janhvi Kapoor She recently opened up about her first encounter with deepfakes, revealing how she discovered her altered images as a teenager. The actor admitted that while he initially tried to normalize the experience, it still worries him today.
‘I saw a picture of myself in one porn sites ‘
In an interview with Raj Shamani, Janhvi shared that her first brush with what she recognizes as a deepfake happened during her school days. “I don’t know if it was a deepfake, but it was something like that. I saw a picture of myself on a porn site,” he said.Recalling the moment, he added: “We used to have a computer class at school and the boys would go to these places to have fun. My photos were there. And this was at school. So it was a strange experience.”At the time, he said, he tried to rationalize it. “At one point, I said: This is the cost you have to pay. There’s no morality in a lot of things with social media,” he said, adding that his perspective has since changed.
“I’m not at peace with that”
Reflecting on it now, the actor admitted that he still struggles with the impact of that content. “I’m not at peace with that. There are images of me out there, even shared by official news pages, that are completely AI. I’ve never worn those clothes or taken pictures like that,” she said.He pointed out how easily such visuals can distort reality. “It circulates as if it were something I took out. That creates a certain impression,” he added.Janhvi also highlighted how this can affect her work. “If I tell a manager tomorrow that I’m not comfortable wearing something, someone can take those pictures and say, ‘But you’ve done this before.’ Even if they don’t say it, it makes you think,” he explained.
“I don’t feel like I have that much of a voice”
Despite the discomfort, Janhvi admitted that she often feels hesitant to speak up. “Of course it makes me angry. But I feel like I don’t have that much of a voice to complain,” he said.He added that the perception of privilege complicates the issue. “There’s this attitude: you’ve got so much in life, don’t complain. So I don’t think my voice has that credibility yet. There will be a reaction, and the cause may be removed,” he said.However, he emphasized that the issue is widespread. “It’s not just me. I think many others have also spoken about it,” he said.
He calls it non-consensual sexualization
The actress also addressed the way women, especially public figures, take and consume photographs. Recalling her last interaction with the paparazzi, she said: “I told them – it’s invasive, it’s not consensual. Even if we go out dressed a certain way, we don’t expect someone to enlarge a body part.”He added: “For money and views, you are commoditizing a woman’s body against her will. How do you respect yourself when you do that?”At the same time, he recognized a larger trend. “Sexualized content is the most consumed content in the world. That’s why it continues to be promoted,” he said.
“I Can’t Stop Caring”
Janhvi concluded by reflecting on how such narratives shape public perception and her career. “The perception created affects the audience, the filmmakers and the opportunities I get,” he said.Calling it a “tragedy of the human mind”, “it’s wrong, but it’s everything”.As much as he wanted to let it go, he admitted that it wasn’t possible. “I wish I could say I don’t care, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not in a position of power to say that and still get the job,” he said.“For now, I’ll play it safe, do what I have to, until I build that credibility. Then maybe I can do things my way,” he signed off.
