Disgusting, sick: Jr NTR shreds those who morphed Janhvi Kapoor's Chuttamalle video
Tollywood star Jr NTR has had enough of the AI abuse surrounding actor Janhvi Kapoor. The Devara star publicly called out those behind a sexually explicit, AI-morphed version of Janhvi’s Chuttamalle video, branding it “disgusting, sick and shameless” and warning that he’ll pursue legal action against both its creators and those circulating it.
What’s particularly striking is how directly Jr NTR has addressed the people behind the clip. In a strongly worded post on X, he urged people not to watch, share or engage with the video, while calling for stricter regulations to prevent AI from being used to manipulate and sexualise women in this way.
The video uses footage of Janhvi from Chuttamalle, her popular song with Jr NTR from Devara, and digitally alters her appearance to create sexually explicit imagery that wasn’t part of the original. Jr NTR has urged people not to watch or share the clip, while calling on governments to bring in stricter regulations around the misuse of artificial intelligence.
In his post, the actor wrote, “Disgusting, sick and shameless. In a land that worships women as mothers and goddesses, where ‘Matrudevo Bhava’ is not just a phrase but a part of our culture, some people have fallen so low that they are using AI to disrespect a woman in the most degrading way possible (sic).”
He then turned his attention to those behind the altered video. “To the scumbags behind this morphed Chuttamalle video, I will not spare any of you. I will take every possible legal action against those who created it and those who are spreading it (sic),” Jr NTR wrote.
He also asked people not to engage with such content, adding, “Today it is someone else. Tomorrow, it could be your mother, sister, wife or daughter.”
The actor ended his post with a wider appeal for action against the misuse of AI. “This is a serious issue, and I urge all the state governments and the Government of India to act strongly and bring in strict regulations against the misuse of AI (sic),” he said.
While Jr NTR directed his anger at those behind the morphed clip, playback singer Chinmayi Sripada called out another troubling part of the episode – the people actively looking for it.
The singer condemned men on social media who were openly asking for the deepfake’s link in the comments. “Someone has made an AI Deep Fake video of an actress and men are thirsting under this page for the link of the video (sic),” she wrote.
She went on to call the reaction “disgusting”, adding, “The rape culture in these Indian men is disgusting; no wonder they rage and rant when people talk about consent (sic).”
The controversy comes around Chuttamalle, one of the most recognisable songs from Devara. The romantic track features Janhvi and Jr NTR and follows her character’s feelings for his character against beach and wilderness backdrops.
Composed by Anirudh Ravichander, the song was written by Ramajogayya Sastry and sung by Shilpa Rao. Bosco Martis choreographed the track. It was released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam.
Devara marked Janhvi’s Telugu debut and starred her alongside Jr NTR, Saif Ali Khan, Prakash Raj, Srikanth Meka, Tom Chacko and Narain. Directed by Koratala Siva, the film released in theatres on September 27, 2024.
Set against a coastal backdrop, the film followed Jr NTR in a dual role as Devara and Varadha, with a story built around shifting power equations. Produced by Kosaraju Hari Krishna and Sudhakar Mikkilineni under NTR Arts and Yuvasudha Arts, Devara was presented by Nandamuri Kalyan Ram.
The film ended with a cliffhanger that opened the door for a second chapter, leaving fans waiting for the sequel. For now, though, it’s the misuse of footage from one of its most popular songs that has brought Devara back into the spotlight.- EndsALSO READ | Bosco Martis demands equal credit for choreographers after Chuttamalle's success
