Janhvi Kapoor Breaks Silence on AI-Altered 'Chuttamalle' Video: 'Deeply Violating, Bordering on Sexual Assault'
Janhvi Kapoor has spoken out about the AI-manipulated video built from her song Chuttamalle in Devara: Part 1, describing the circulation of the digitally altered clip as "deeply violating" and "bordering on sexual assault" in a detailed statement shared on Instagram.
"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 said, according to NDTV.
The controversy began after a manipulated video using footage of Janhvi and her Devara co-star Jr NTR from the song started circulating on social media. The clip was digitally altered to depict the actor in sexually explicit and degrading imagery that was not part of the original song.
Consent is not complicated
In her statement, Janhvi argued that consent should never be treated as a complex concept. "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," she wrote.
She went on to say that neither a woman's past consent nor what she wears can ever be treated as permission to violate her boundaries. "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. If she happens to wear a miniskirt, it does not give anyone permission to put a camera up her skirt, capture violating angles or visually exploit her body," she said.
Janhvi framed the issue as far wider than her own experience. "This goes far beyond the AI videos I have dealt with over the last few days, or anything I have personally experienced throughout my career. It is about the larger reality of being a woman, the gaze, the judgement, the constant negotiation for safety, and the feeling that our boundaries somehow remain open to interpretation," she said, adding that the answer "cannot simply be to 'protect your daughter.'"
Thanks to Jr NTR and other supporters
The actor thanked Jr NTR for taking a strong stand, writing that she was "deeply touched by NTR sir for taking such a strong stand and condemning this violation," and that when someone millions look up to speaks up, "it makes a difference to every woman who has experienced some degree of this behaviour." She also thanked Chiranjeevi, Vijay Deverakonda and Khushbu Sundar for amplifying the message and calling for action against such practices.
Jr NTR had earlier condemned the video as "disgusting, sick and shameless" and said legal action should be taken against those responsible. Janhvi closed her statement with a line that summed up her message: "Her body. Her image. Her boundaries. Her choice."
Sources: NDTV · Hindustan Times · Economic Times
Janhvi Kapoor has spoken out about the AI-manipulated video built from her song Chuttamalle in Devara: Part 1, describing the circulation of the digitally altered clip as "deeply violating" and "bordering on sexual assault" in a detailed statement shared on Instagram.
"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 said, according to NDTV.
The controversy began after a manipulated video using footage of Janhvi and her Devara co-star Jr NTR from the song started circulating on social media. The clip was digitally altered to depict the actor in sexually explicit and degrading imagery that was not part of the original song.
Consent is not complicated
In her statement, Janhvi argued that consent should never be treated as a complex concept. "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," she wrote.
She went on to say that neither a woman's past consent nor what she wears can ever be treated as permission to violate her boundaries. "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. If she happens to wear a miniskirt, it does not give anyone permission to put a camera up her skirt, capture violating angles or visually exploit her body," she said.
Janhvi framed the issue as far wider than her own experience. "This goes far beyond the AI videos I have dealt with over the last few days, or anything I have personally experienced throughout my career. It is about the larger reality of being a woman, the gaze, the judgement, the constant negotiation for safety, and the feeling that our boundaries somehow remain open to interpretation," she said, adding that the answer "cannot simply be to 'protect your daughter.'"
Thanks to Jr NTR and other supporters
The actor thanked Jr NTR for taking a strong stand, writing that she was "deeply touched by NTR sir for taking such a strong stand and condemning this violation," and that when someone millions look up to speaks up, "it makes a difference to every woman who has experienced some degree of this behaviour." She also thanked Chiranjeevi, Vijay Deverakonda and Khushbu Sundar for amplifying the message and calling for action against such practices.
Jr NTR had earlier condemned the video as "disgusting, sick and shameless" and said legal action should be taken against those responsible. Janhvi closed her statement with a line that summed up her message: "Her body. Her image. Her boundaries. Her choice."
Sources: NDTV · Hindustan Times · Economic Times
