India TV Fact Check: A conflict is ongoing between Israel and various Palestinian groups, including Hamas. Both sides have been launching missiles, leading to the tragic loss of thousands of lives. Amidst this Israel-Hamas conflict, a concerning trend of fake and misleading videos is spreading on social media. We also came across one such which falsely claims that Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is expressing support for Palestine. However, when we fact-checked this video, it turned out to be edited and misleading.
What is going viral?
Many such videos are going viral on Facebook. Among these, we came across a video posted by a Facebook user named Syed Juead. It is a reel in which Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is shown, and the caption reads, "Akshay Kumar supports Palestine."
In this video, flags of Pakistan, Palestine, and India are displayed, along with the text, "Deut with me and say free Palestine." Furthermore, in the video, Akshay Kumar's voice is heard saying, "Akshay loves Palestine... You should duet with me, and everyone should say 'Free Palestine'." However, there is suspicion regarding the authenticity of Akshay Kumar's voice, lip-syncing, and accent in the video, suggesting that his voice may have been dubbed or manipulated in the video.
India TV did fact check
When we watched this video, we began to have doubts about the authenticity of the voice and Akshay Kumar's lip-syncing in the video. To address these concerns, we initiated a Google search using relevant keywords to investigate whether Akshay Kumar had made any statements about the Israel-Palestine conflict. During our search, we came across a news report from India TV which was published on October 10, 2023.
As per India TV's news report, Akshay Kumar expressed his views on the Israel-Palestine conflict during an interview. He mentioned that any kind of terrorism is unacceptable, and he found the ongoing events deeply troubling. Akshay expressed hope for a resolution to the situation, saying it was all very sorrowful. He also strongly disapproved of violence against children and women, emphasising his prayers for a quick return to peace and normalcy. "Any form of terrorism is wrong, and what is happening is very distressing. I hope everything will be fine. It's all very saddening," he said. Akshay further stated, "I strongly condemn any form of violence against children or women. I pray for a swift return to normalcy."
Since the viral video on Facebook is presented in the form of a reel, we decided to investigate the actual reel by checking Akshay Kumar's Instagram handle. When we explored Akshay's Instagram handle, we found a video that had been shared on August 9. Upon viewing this video, we observed Akshay Kumar promoting his fashion brand alongside his film OMG-2. In the video, he talks about offering coupons for his brand. Nowhere in this entire video did Akshay Kumar discuss anything related to Israel or Palestine.
Translation and paraphrase: Since the viral video on Facebook appears to be in the form of a reel, we took it upon ourselves to search for the original reel on Akshay Kumar's Instagram handle. When we examined Akshay's Instagram profile, we discovered a video posted on August 9th. After watching this video, we observed Akshay Kumar promoting his fashion brand alongside his upcoming film OMG-2. In the video, he mentioned providing coupons for his brand. Importantly, at no point in this video did Akshay Kumar make any remarks regarding Israel or Palestine.
What came out in the fact check?
Following a thorough fact-check of the viral video, it's clear that Akshay Kumar did not endorse Palestine. The viral video was created by cropping content from another one of Akshay's videos, and a fabricated voice was incorporated using editing software.
