Indian singer Kumar Sanu has found himself at the centre of a political remix gone awry. The '90s musical icon, best known for his soulful ballads, has been thrust into an unusual headlineallegedly crooning a song in support of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. But before fans start imagining Sanu swapping his classic love songs for political anthems, let's clear the air.
The supposed track, which has been making waves across Pakistani social media, features a deepfake audio purportedly of Sanu's voice. The song, apparently championing Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, is a digital charade. It proclaims: "Imran Khan ko azaad karaenge, wazir azam banayenge. Zulm ke khilaaf awaaz uthayenge, naya Pakistan hum banayenge." Translation? "We will free Imran Khan and make him the Prime Minister. We will raise our voices against injustice and form a new Pakistan."
But Sanu is singing a different tune. In a post that has since gone viral, he took to Instagram to set the record straight. "I want to clarify that I have never sung any song for Pakistan's former Prime Minister," Sanu declared. "The audio circulating on Facebook is not my voiceit has been created using AI."
The singer, whose voice once serenaded millions in the 90s hit Chori Chori Dil Tera from the film Phool Aur Angaar, isn't amused by this technological faux pas. "Some people are trying to defame me," he said. "This is a serious misuse of technology, and I urge the Government of India to take immediate action to prevent the abuse of AI and deepfake technology."
With a call to halt the spread of misinformation, Sanu's plea is a reminder of the times we live inwhere even a legend's voice can be hijacked by digital trickery. So, while the audio might have been a clever mix of nostalgia and political fervour, Sanu's only political stance appears to be a firm one against the misuse of his voice.
Read the full story at the express tribune website.
