Actor Imran Ashraf has reassured fans that he is alive and well after a wave of Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated videos falsely claimed that he had died.
The fabricated clips, which featured digitally generated versions of journalists and celebrities, spread widely on social media and left many viewers confused.
Ashraf addressed the rumours directly in a message posted on his Instagram story. “ALHAMDULILLAH I AM ABSOLOUTLY FINE ITS A FAKE NEWS NEED YOUR PRAYERS,” he wrote.
One TikTok account shared several such clips featuring AI generated versions of actor Bilal Abbas, former cricketer Shahid Afridi and journalist Mansoor Ali Khan.
Another fabricated video went further, depicting what appeared to be Ashraf’s funeral.
Ashraf is not the first Pakistani celebrity to face this kind of hoax. Singer Tahira Syed dealt with similar rumours earlier this year and posted a video confirming she was alive and in good health, while urging people to verify information before sharing unconfirmed reports.
Ashraf built his career as a child actor before rising to prominence as an adult performer. He earned widespread recognition and a Lux Style Award for Best TV Actor for playing the mentally challenged character Bhola in the 2018 to 2019 drama Ranjha Ranjha Kardi.
He followed that role with other major projects, including Mushk and Raqs e Bismil, both released between 2020 and 2021, and Dum Mastam in 2022.
He has also hosted the comedy talk show Mazaaq Raat since 2023.
