Dawn Images

In the age of social media, where misinformation spreads faster than wildfire, another digitally altered image has found its way into the discourse — this time involving Indian filmmaker Rathna Kumar.

A manipulated photo of him holding a placard with offensive remarks against Mughal ruler Aurangzeb has gone viral, igniting controversy online.

The image, widely shared since March 24, claimed to show a Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fan displaying anti-Aurangzeb sentiments at an IPL match. But a closer look — and a thorough fact-check — reveals that the placard was doctored to fit a divisive narrative.

How it started

On March 24, an Indian account named Voice of Hindus posted the image on X, showing a man wearing a black cat mask while holding a placard with offensive remarks against Aurangzeb and his supporters. The post, captioned “CSK has the best fan base for a reason,” suggested that the IPL team’s supporters were behind the message.

Without any context on where or when the image was taken, the post racked up over a million views and 3,600 reshares, quickly gaining traction across X and Instagram. Similar posts followed, further spreading the doctored image.

The timing of the viral post wasn’t random. It surfaced in the middle of rising communal tensions in India, particularly in Maharashtra’s Nagpur city, where clashes broke out on March 17. Hindu nationalist groups, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad, have been demanding the demolition of Aurangzeb’s tomb and calling for a memorial dedicated to Maratha rulers instead.

The fact-checking process

To fact check the image, iVerify Pakistan ran it through multiple AI-detection tools. Sightengine, an AI image detector, found that the picture was “likely AI-generated” with a 94 per cent probability. Hive Moderation, another AI-detection tool, analysed the image and concluded with 99.8pc probability that the picture was “likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content.”

Additionally, a visual analysis highlighted multiple inconsistencies — the black cat mask on the man’s face appeared to be an emoticon-style overlay rather than a real mask, as it did not blend naturally with his face. The hand placement on the placard was unnatural, with the fingers positioned in a way that did not align with how a person would typically hold a sign.

A quick reverse image search led the iVerify team to a March 23 X post by Indian film director Rathna Kumar, who had originally shared a picture of himself at the IPL match. The placard in the original and untampered image read: “The man, The myth, The great.”

The caption accompanying Rathna Kumar’s post stated: “Thank you, Dhoni, for making my adulthood awesome. Thank you, universe, for yet another euphoria.”

The post included the hashtag ‘CSKvMI’, referring to the IPL match between the CSKs and the Mumbai Indians at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on March 23.

Verdict: Fake and manipulated

The viral image claiming to show a CSK fan holding an anti-Aurangzeb placard is completely false. The original picture, featuring Indian filmmaker Rathna Kumar, was digitally edited to insert inflammatory text.

This isn’t the first time social media has been used to spread misinformation, especially in politically charged climates. As communal tensions continue to simmer, it’s a stark reminder that not everything we see online is real. Before sharing, fact-checking is more important than ever.