Fact Check: Viral Kumbh Mela Photos of Celebrities Fake
Images of celebrities at the 2025 Kumbh Mela are AI-generated. No credible sources confirm their participation
Several images featuring actors, politicians, wrestlers, and sports personalities allegedly participating in the 2025 Prayagraj Maha Kumbh Mela are circulating (here, here, here, here, here & here) widely on social media, with claims that they are genuine photos from the event. Let’s investigate the authenticity of these images.
Claim: Images of actors, politicians, wrestlers, and sports personalities participating in the 2025 Prayagraj Maha Kumbh Mela.
Fact: These images are AI-generated, and no credible reports verify the participation of the mentioned individuals in the event. Therefore, the claim in the post is FALSE.
Wrestlers in Kumbh Mela:
Images (here, here & here) of wrestlers like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Dwayne Johnson (Rock) are being circulated, claiming to show them at the Kumbh Mela. However, we have not found any credible reports confirming this matter to date. A reverse image search of the viral images led us to a Facebook page named “Wrestling Community,” where these images were uploaded earlier. The page states that the photos of the wrestlers are AI-generated.
Furthermore, inconsistencies can be observed in the images, such as missing fingers, distorted faces, and blurry backgrounds. We also analyzed these images using AI detection tools like Hive and Sight engine, which identified them as AI-generated.
Politicians in Kumbh Mela:
Another set of images (here, here & here) featuring political personalities such as Narendra Modi, Asaduddin Owaisi, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Elon Musk, and Prakash Raj are also being shared, claiming to depict them at the Kumbh Mela. However, no credible reports confirm their participation in the event. At the time of writing, media reports indicate PM Modi is scheduled to visit the Kumbh Mela on 05 February 2025, while Prakash Raj’s team has denied his participation.
Upon closer inspection, we noticed inconsistencies in the images, raising suspicions that they were AI-generated. Further analysis using AI-detection tools confirmed that these images are indeed artificially created.
Actors and Sportsmen in Kumbh Mela:
Similarly, another set of images (here, here & here) featuring actors like Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif, and sportsmen like Virat Kohli, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo have been shared, claiming their participation in the Kumbh Mela. However, as of now, no credible reports confirm their participation in the event. Additionally, their social media handles do not reflect any such involvement.
These images also exhibit several inconsistencies, and AI-detection tools have confirmed them to be AI-generated. Previously, FACTLY debunked similar claims where AI-generated images of Indian actors were falsely shared as genuine photos of them at the Kumbh Mela.
To sum up, the viral images claiming to show public figures participating in the 2025 Prayagraj Maha Kumbh Mela are AI-generated and lack any credible evidence to support their authenticity.
(This article was first posted by FACTLY and re-shared by Deccan Chronicle as part of the Shakti Collective Fact Check initiative).
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