Recently a photo of actor and filmmaker Prakash Raj allegedly taking a “holy dip” at Mahakumbh in Prayagraj went viral on social media. Sharing the photo on Facebook, a user wrote, “Hindu hater Prakash Rai, who doesn’t believe in God, has gone to Kumbhamela to pollute it! Now I understand what they mean by pollution!”
Facebook Link | Archived Link.
However, as we investigated, we came to know that the claim was false. The photo is AI-generated. Here’s the fact check.
Fact Check
We started our investigation by conducting a relevant keyword search. This led us to a tweet from the official X handle of Prakash Raj on 28 January 2025. Sharing a screenshot of a tweet where the viral photo was uploaded, Prakash Raj tweeted in the Kannada language, the translation of which reads, “Fake news is for the cowardly army of the “Lie King”.. Their job is to spread fake news and make a mess even in their holy worship. A police complaint has been filed. Let’s see what they do in the courtroom #justasking😊”
We found another tweet on the official X handle of Prakash Raj on 28 January 2025, the caption of which was written in English. Sharing a screenshot of a tweet that uploaded the viral photo, Prakash Raj wrote, “FAKE NEWS ALERT
the last resort of bigots and coward army of “Feku Maharaj” is to stoop down and spread FAKE NEWS.. even during theire Holy ceremony.. what a SHAME .. Complaint has been filed against the Jokers .. face the consequences #justasking”
Moving forward, we checked the viral photo with the help of the AI detector tools available online. The tools confirmed that the photo is AI-generated.
This makes it clear that the viral photo is AI-generated.
Conclusion
From our investigation, we can say that the claim is false. The viral photo of actor and filmmaker Prakash Raj taking a “holy dip” at Mahakumbh is AI-generated.
Title:Prakash Raj Took The “Holy Dip” At Mahakumbh? No, The Viral Image Is AI-Generated.
Fact Check By: Debanjana BaishyaResult: False
