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| - The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela concluded on 26 February that reportedly saw over 65 crore devotees attending it, including several public figures, since the event started on 13 January.
While news channels shared thousands of visuals from the event, social media platforms witnessed an uptick in images generated using the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Team WebQoof found several AI-generated images that were peddled as instances of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and actors, such as Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Sanjay Dutt attending the Maha Kumbh Mela.
Did Virat Kohli Attend Kumbh Mela With Tamannaah Bhatia?
An image showing former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli posing with actor Tamannaah Bhatia went viral on Facebook claiming that both of them attended the Kumbh Mela together.
We noticed that the viral image had smoothened-out texture, which are commonly spotted in AI-generated visuals.
To further verify this, we passed the image through two detection tools namely — 'Hive Moderation' and 'Sight Engine'. Both of them showed substantial evidence of the image being an AI-generated one.
(Swipe right to view all screenshots.)
AI Images of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif Shared as Real Visuals From Kumbh Mela
A set of images of actors Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif dressed in saffron-coloured clothes was shared on a Facebook handle named 'Bollywood Collection'.
The post's caption suggested that the images showed the actors attending the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj together.
A closer look at the first image showed Kaif having two thumbs in a single hand as well as the fingers' appeared deformed. Look at the image below to spot the anomaly.
What did the detection tools show?: On passing the image through the two detection tools, the results made it clearer that it was indeed generated using the help of AI tools.
(Swipe right to view all screenshots.)
This Image Shows Ajay Devgn & Sanjay Dutt Attending Kumbh Together?
Social media users shared similar images of actors Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt dressed in saffron-coloured clothes as recent visuals from the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela.
As evident, both the AI detection tools showed results suggesting that the images were indeed generated using AI and were not real visuals.
While the first tool showed over 96 percent probability, the other gave around 95 percent chance of the images being AI-generated.
(Swipe right to view all screenshots.)
Was Yuzvendra Chahal Spotted With Mia Khalifa at Kumbh Mela? No, It’s AI!
Similarly, a photograph of Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal went viral on the internet with a claim that it showed him attending the Kumbh Mela with Mia Khalifa.
Team WebQoof noticed that the image had an evident smoothened-out texture, which, as mentioned earlier, is commonly spotted in AI-generated photos.
Take a look at the screenshots below to find out what the two detection tools said about the viral image.
This Image of Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan Taking a Holy Dip Is AI-Generated
An Instagram handle shared an image showing Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan talking a holy dip at the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela.
But as seen in this report, this image was generated using the help of AI tools as well. If you look closely at Shah Rukh Khan's face and hair, you would find that they appear be very smooth and carry artificial features.
Team WebQoof passed the image through the detection tools and found that both of them showed substantial evidence of it being generated using AI.
The Quint had previously published a cheatsheet to help people in differentiating AI images from real visuals. You can read it here.
Remember, you don't have to be an AI expert to fact-check such images. Do check for news reports and official sources to verify online claims and find the real visuals of public figures attending similar festivals/event.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
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