A purported image of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan with his wife and fellow actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, seemingly at a hospital bed, was shared on social media. The post insinuated that the two were clicked at Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital, where Saif is currently admitted for injuries sustained after being stabbed multiple times at his residence earlier.
In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk, however, found that the photo shared on social media was fake. An AI-generated image was shared on social media as real with a false claim.
It is pertinent to note that Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan sustained multiple injuries after an intruder attacked him with a knife during an alleged burglary attempt at his residence in Mumbai in the early hours of January 16. Khan, 54, was taken to Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent surgery and is currently recovering.
Claim:
An X (formerly Twitter) user shared a purported photo of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan on January 19, with a claim that they were clicked in a hospital where Saif is currently recuperating from the injuries he sustained after being stabbed multiple times at his residence in Mumbai. The user shared the image with the caption, “Get well soon, Saif Ali Khan.”
Here is a link and archive link to the post, along with a screenshot of the same:
Investigation
The Desk ran the viral photo through Google Lens and found that the same image was shared by veteran Bollywood actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha. In an X post, the Lok Sabha MP from Asansol, while sharing the image, appealed to the masses to stop the “blame game” and let the law take its own course as things are moving in the right direction. “We certainly appreciate our CM & HM, Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, for his concern & remedial measures. Let’s not complicate the matter further,” he added.
Here is a link to the post, along with a screenshot of the same:
On further analysis of Sinha’s post, the Desk noticed several users commented that the image shared along with it was AI-generated. Below are screenshots of two such comments:
In the next part of the investigation, the Desk examined the photo carefully and noticed several discrepancies, strongly suggesting that it was AI-generated.
For instance, the background in the image is blurred, and a Grok (an AI-generative artificial intelligence chatbot) logo was also seen placed at the bottom right corner of the photo, confirming that the image is AI-generated. Below is a photo highlighting the same:
Taking a cue from this, the Desk ran the image through ‘Sightengine,’ another AI detection website, which also suggested the substantial presence of AI content. Below is a screenshot of the result:
Subsequently, the Desk concluded that the photo of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan shared on social media was fake.
Conclusion: A social media user shared a photo claiming to show Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan at a hospital where Saif was allegedly recuperating from stab injuries sustained at his Mumbai residence. However, an investigation revealed that the photo was AI-generated and shared on social media with a false claim.
(The fact-check article was originally published by PTI Fact Check and has been republished by Lighthouse Journalism as a part of Shakti Collective.)
