A clip of the famous Indian web series ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ went viral on social media platforms until it was proved to be fake by the presenting channel, SonyTV, on Monday. The viral video captured fans attention as it asked a derogatory question about the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister using the voice and face of iconic actor and show’s host, Amitabh Bachchan.
According to the official statement by SonyTV, “We have been alerted to the circulation of an unauthorised video from our show, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. This video misleadingly overlays a fabricated voice-over of our host and presents distorted content. Upholding the show’s integrity and our viewers’ trust is paramount, and we are actively addressing this matter with the cybercrime cell. We strongly condemn such misinformation, urge our audience to be vigilant, and refrain from sharing unverified content.”
The widely circulated video featured a clip from a KBC episode in which Amitabh Bachchan is seen questioning, “Among these chief ministers, who is known as the ghoshna machine because of their fake announcements?” They provided four choices, including Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Manohar Lal Khattar, Yogi Adityanath, and Bhupendra Patel were additional candidates; all three are BJP members. The video used a fake voiceover by Amitabh Bachchan.
It is not the first time people have used the actor’s voice and face for personal ideas, as last year, the Delhi High Court passed an interim order for using the actor’s ‘photo, voice, and name’ without their knowledge or consent. The court realized the power of the actor’s face and voice over the common population, which can lead to ‘‘irreparable loss and harm’.
“The plaintiff is aggrieved by the defendants using his celebrity status to promote their own goods and services without his permission or authorisation. Having considered the plaint, I am of the opinion that a prima facie case is made out,” the court states.
According to attorney Harish Salve, who represented the actor, the lawsuit was brought about after it came to light that Big B’s name and image were being used by book publishers, T-shirt sellers, and other businesses, and that mobile application developers were using it to conduct lotteries by improperly linking it to Kaun Banega Crorepati.
According to reports, a FIR has been filed against the viral video with the Bhopal police’s cybercrime cell.