When the demarcation line between reality and digital deception begins to blur all the more suddenly, the new targets of this technological change are the most highly anticipated couple from Tollywood, superstars: popular Mahesh Babu and legendary director SS Rajamouli.
Fans were eagerly awaiting any little information on their upcoming collaboration - tentatively called SSMB29 or Varanasi – when last week they encountered one such shocking video playing a violent physical altercation, apparently featuring the actor and the director. It shot fast across social media, a frenzy spread so fast that fans were stunned until they realized everything on camera was a high-fidelity AI-generated deepfake.
The video portrays a real-life incident in which Mahesh Babu and Rajamouli are seen trading blows and 'hitting each other's faces' without restraint -- uploaded by an Instagram account under the name rishikesav_m. However, while the video comes with a clear disclaimer, asserting that it had been "100% AI-generated", the realism of both the facial expressions and body language set off a huge panic.
CINEMA IS DEAD https://t.co/JUPhPHPTDz
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) February 24, 2026
The video has already received millions of views, once again demonstrating the two-edged sword of artificial intelligence. Despite the technology presenting amazing creative opportunities for filmmakers in the future, its potential to be misused and used to make inaccurate or derisive content on celebrities is becoming a growing threat.
Veteran filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV), who makes jokes about many things in the industry and gets into pretty hot debates about them, became familiar with the controversy that unfolded on the controversial clip. RGV spoke rationally about how he felt about the deepfake and lamented what technology has become: "Cinema is dead." He notes a wider anxiety in the creative community that if an algorithm can effectively reproduce the look and behavior of a star in order to craft dramatic “scenes” that engage audiences on social media, the sanctity and exclusivity of traditional cinema itself may be endangered.
RGV’s denunciation helped lend weight to the debate taking place around celebrity AI that is increasingly about ethics. The video’s response to the public was polarized into fear, contempt and dark humor. Most of who put out that response were angry, as one user commented, “Stop this thing. It is dangerous,” while another said they would not even watch something like this fake-for-free,” even if it’s posted on video creators.
Some who saw it, however, went more satirical and hit back by sending the video to take shots at the industry instead. Others joked that the AI video had better special effects than they found in most of the other big-budget films at the time, including The Raja Saab.
Others sneered: “Well in a video clip of AI we can see different expressions than Mahesh Babu,” in reference to the actor’s usually understated acting style. With the video gaining widespread circulation, the field waits for an answer from Rajamouli or Mahesh Babu, and now they are both currently working towards prepping their live-action presentation of the film at the helm.
