Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar issued a clarification after an AI-generated video showing him as Valmiki surfaced online, criticising media outlets for resharing it without fact-checking and warning against the spread of manipulated content.

“I have recently come across some AI-generated videos of a film trailer showing me in the role of Maharishi Valmiki. I want to clarify that all such videos are fake and created using AI,” the 58-year-old actor wrote on X Tuesday.

Slamming some media outlets for re-sharing the video without verifying its authenticity, Akshay wrote, “What’s worse, some news channels decide to pick these up as ‘news’ without even verifying if these are real or morphed.”

“In today’s time, when misleading content is being produced at great speed through manipulative AI, I sincerely request media houses to verify and report only after authenticating the information,” the actor wrote.

The AI-generated trailer, circulating on YouTube for months, falsely suggested that a film features Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi, and Paresh Rawal in lead roles.

The conversation around AI and morphed images is gaining momentum in the Hindi film industry.

Recently, at the trailer launch of Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, Janhvi Kapoor voiced her concerns. She said, “When I see on social media, there are so many AI images being circulated against my will. You and I can say it’s an AI image, but the common man will think, ‘She actually went out wearing this.’I don't know what the protocol is for this.”

Akshay is currently busy shooting for his upcoming film Haiwaan alongside Saif Ali Khan. The film is an adaptation of Mohanlal’s 2016 Malayalam film Oppam.

The actor has wrapped up shooting for Priyadarshan’s upcoming horror comedy Bhooth Bangla. The film also stars Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Wamiqa Gabbi and Jisshu Sengupta.