Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Premium
‘I was 15 and in IT class’: Janhvi Kapoor recalls the horror of finding her morphed images online
Janhvi Kapoor recalls finding a morphed explicit image of herself at 15 in school, opening up about the trauma and warning against the growing threat of AI-driven deepfakes.
Janhvi Kapoor shared her experience with deepfakes and digital harassment.
Janhvi Kapoor recently spoke about the darker realities of growing up in the spotlight, recalling a traumatic experience from her teenage years. In a recent conversation, she shared how she first came across a morphed, sexually explicit image of herself while still in school.
A classroom nightmare
On Raj Shamani’s podcast, Janhvi recalled being just 15 years old when the incident occurred. While attending an IT class at school, she realised that male classmates were looking at a pornographic website. To her horror, the site featured a deepfake-style image of her face morphed onto someone else’s body.
“I remember I was in my IT class and I saw boys in my class looking at this site and there was a photo of me on it,” she shared. Janhvi described the experience as isolating, noting that at such a young age, she felt she had to “rationalise” the lack of morality on social media because of her family’s fame.
The evolution of digital harassment
While the initial incident happened years ago, Janhvi emphasised that the problem has only evolved with the rise of Artificial Intelligence. She expressed deep concern over how AI-generated visuals are now used to create false narratives.
View this post on Instagram
She added, “I am not at peace with it. There are visuals of me out there, even shared by official news pages, which are completely AI. I have never worn those clothes or been photographed like that.”
View this post on Instagram
The actor noted that even reputable news pages occasionally share AI visuals of her in outfits she has never worn. This, she argues, poses a professional threat and said, “It gets circulated as if it’s something I’ve put out. That creates a certain kind of impression. Suppose tomorrow I go to a director and I say, ‘Listen, I am not comfortable wearing this,’ they can point to a morphed image and say, ‘But you’ve done it before.’”
The “price of privilege”
Janhvi Kapoor added that while it affects her deeply, she often feels hesitant to complain about such things. “It upsets me, of course. But I feel like I don’t have that much of a voice to complain,” she said, adding that perceptions of privilege make it harder to speak out.
“There’s this attitude — you’ve got so much in life, thoda seh lo, don’t complain. So I don’t think my voice has that credibility yet. There will be backlash, and it might take away from the cause,” she added. However, she said that a lot of other women in the film industry have also called out the deepfakes.
Several actors across the film industry have spoken out against the growing misuse of AI. Alongside Janhvi Kapoor, stars like Rashmika Mandanna have flagged viral morphed videos, while Aishwarya Rai Bachchan reportedly explored legal options after explicit AI-generated content surfaced online. Anil Kapoor has also taken legal action to safeguard his personality rights in the digital space. Globally, actors such as Scarlett Johansson have raised concerns about how easily deepfake technology can be misused.
Story continues below this ad
Disclaimer: This report discusses incidents of digital harassment and the psychological impact of AI-generated deepfakes. The information provided is for educational and awareness purposes and does not constitute professional psychological or legal advice. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress due to online harassment or digital exploitation, please reach out to a qualified professional.
MENTAL HEALTH HELPLINE NUMBERS
AASRA
Contact: 9820466726
Email: aasrahelpline@yahoo.com
Timings: 24×7 Languages: English, Hindi
Snehi
Contact: 9582208181
Email: snehi.india@gmail.com
Timings: 10am – 10pm, all days
Languages: English, Hindi, Marathi
Fortis Mental
Health Contact: 8376804102
Timings: 24×7; All days
Languages: Achiku, Assamese, Bengali, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
Connecting NGO
Contact: 9922004305, 9922001122
Email: distressmailsconnecting@gmail.com
Timings: 12pm – 8pm; All days
Languages: English, Hindi, Marathi
Vandrevala Foundation
Contact: 18602662345
Email: help@vandrevalafoundation.com
Timings: 24×7
Languages: Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and English
WATCH: Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE — India’s Most Credible Film Awards Are Back!
Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Live Blog