Viral clip of Indian actor Sonakshi Sinha 'walking the ramp in a golden bikini' is a deepfake

What’s the claim?

A video purportedly depicting Indian actor Sonakshi Sinha walking the runway in a golden bikini has been circulating on social media platforms. At the time of writing, a Facebook post featuring this clip had garnered over 42,000 likes and more than 500 shares. Archived versions of similar posts can be found here and here. Sinha has recently been in the news due to her marriage to actor Zaheer Iqbal.

Screenshot of the viral claims online. (Source: X/YouTube/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, this video is digitally altered, and the woman in the original footage is not Sinha.

How did we find out the truth? 

A reverse image search led us to a YouTube video posted by the channel ‘A Vision Supreme’ (archived here) on January 7, 2024. This video shows a different woman wearing the same golden bikini. The video's description identifies the model as Alejandra Talles and states that the footage is from the Fusion Fashion Events Fashion Show at Art Basel Miami. It's worth noting that this video is shot from a slightly different angle and plays at a slower speed than the viral clip.

A subsequent Google search uncovered a longer version of the viral video on YouTube, uploaded by a channel named ‘BME VISUALS’ (archived here) on February 8, 2024. Visuals similar to the viral clip can be seen at the 12:02-minute mark. The video description indicates that the footage was recorded in Miami during the Miami Art Basel 2023 Show for Coconut Bikini.

Upon closer examination of the viral video, we noticed discrepancies suggesting that Sinha's face had been superimposed onto the original footage of the model on the runway. For instance, at the 0:03-second mark in the viral clip, the strand of hair falling on the actor's face appears to be slightly blurry.

A screenshot highlighting the discrepancy. (Source: X/YouTube)

We discovered that the viral clip was originally shared on Facebook by a user named ‘SuperFake,’ (archived here), garnering over two million views. The account's bio states, "AI content creator." We have contacted this user and will update the story upon receiving a response.

Itisaar, a deepfake detection tool developed by IIT Jodhpur under Mayank Vatsa, also analyzed the video and classified it as fake.

This evidence suggests that a video of model Alejandra Talles walking the runway at a fashion event has been digitally manipulated to superimpose Sinha's face.

The verdict

The viral video circulating on social media is not genuine and has been edited using AI technology. The original footage shows a Miami-based model walking the runway for Fusion Fashion Events' show at Art Basel Miami.