Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
A video of comedian Tiku Talsania wearing a skullcap, white ‘kurta-pajama’ and sporting long white beard has gone viral on social media platforms making the users believe that the veteran actor has converted to Islam. Several social media users have shared video and stills with the claim that the Bollywood actor has ‘accepted Islam.’ However, Newschecker has found out that the viral claim is false.
Links of the Facebook post can be found here, here and here.
Tiku Talsania is a well-known actor and comedian. Talsania has starred in several Bollywood films including Andaz Apna Apna, Ishq, Humgana, Raja Hindustani,and Special 26 to name a few. He has featured in many famous sitcoms such as Hum Paanch, and Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo among others.
Bollywood celebrities are easy targets of misinformation. Newschecker recently debunked a claim that actor Gagan Malik has become a monk. You can read our fact check here.
Fact Check/Verification
To verify the veracity of the claim, Newschecker conducted a keyword search for ‘Tiku Talsania Islam’ but found no news reports regarding the same.
We further conducted Google reverse image search for keyframes of the viral clip and came across a YouTube video uploaded on a channel called ‘KhushRang’ on February 6, 2022 with the title ‘Tiku Talsania With Topi and Beard Looking So Happy On His Upcoming Drama Serial.’ In the video, Talsania can be seen in the same get up as in the viral posts and a woman can be heard saying that the actor has donned this look for a serial.
Newschecker slowed down the playing speed of the YouTube video and at the counters of 47 seconds spotted a cameraman.
Another YouTube video uploaded on ‘KhanTV’ also confirms that Talsania’s ‘Muslim’ look is for drama or movie.
We also looked up the Instagram account of Tiku Talsania where he shared a story in which the actor can be seen as in usual look, without any beard, along with his daughter.
Newschecker reached out to Tiku Talsania who dismissed the claim that he had converted to Islam and said, “It was just a get up for a serial.”
Conclusion
The viral claim that actor Tiku Talsania has converted to Islam is untrue. Talsania had donned the viral look for his character in a serial.
Result: False Context/Missing Context
Sources
Direct Contact With Tiku Talsania
YouTube Channel Of KhushRang & KhanTV
Instagram Account Of Tiku Talsania
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
