Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan (born 1965), often called Bollywood’s “Mr. Perfectionist,” is one of India’s biggest and most bankable stars, known for Lagaan (2001), 3 Idiots (2009), and Dangal (2016) — for years the highest-grossing Indian film ever — as well as the social-issues TV series Satyamev Jayate.

“You have to learn to evolve with it”

Khan’s stated view of AI itself is acceptance, not alarm. Speaking at the ABP Ideas of India Summit in February 2024, he said “AI is taking the world by storm,” that no profession or industry can curb a new technology, and that there is “no need to stop it either — you have to learn to evolve with it,” framing the technology as something storytellers should absorb rather than resist.

A deepfake in the middle of an election

In April 2024, at the height of India’s Lok Sabha election campaign, a deepfake video went viral showing Khan appearing to criticize the ruling BJP’s unfulfilled promises and ending with the message “Vote for justice, vote for Congress.” The AI-manipulated clip repurposed his likeness and voice to fabricate a political endorsement he never made.

Khan’s office responded immediately: a spokesperson stated he had never endorsed any political party in his 35-year career, and his team filed an FIR with the Cyber Crime Cell of the Mumbai Police against the unknown creator, under Indian Penal Code sections for impersonation and cheating along with the IT Act, 2000. The statement urged Indians to vote — but through their own judgment, not manufactured celebrity endorsements.

The episode made Khan one of the most prominent faces of India’s election-season deepfake problem, alongside cases involving Rashmika Mandanna and other stars, and fueled calls for platforms and regulators to act faster against synthetic political media.