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.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma announced the arrival of their second child last week. The couple issued a joint statement informing the birth of their son “Akaay” on February 15.
Following this, multiple social media users shared a set of four pictures, congratulating the couple, claiming to show Anushka Sharma with her newborn. Newschecker investigated the images one-by-one and found that they have been falsely shared to show the actress with her newborn son.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
Image 1
A Google lens search on the viral image led us to a report by Newsroom Post, dated January 12, 2021, carrying a similar photograph of wrestler Babita Phogat holding her newborn. It stated, “Gold medalist wrestler-turned-politician, Babita Phogat and her husband Vivek Suhag have been blessed with a baby boy on 11th January.”
On comparing the two images, we could conclude that the photo of Babita Phogat has been digitally edited to show Anushka Sharma with her second child.
Phogat shared the photograph on January 11, 2021, while announcing the birth of her son.
We could thus conclude that a photograph of wrestler Babita Phogat with her son has been digitally edited to show Anushka Sharma holding her newborn.
Result: Altered Media
Image 2
We looked up the viral picture allegedly showing a side angle picture of Sharma holding her son on Google lens , which yielded a report by Algerie 360, dated September 14, 2018. It featured the viral photograph as a representative image for a report on an abandoned newborn.
Further, we found the photograph was uploaded on Getty Images on May 3, 2016 and has been used as a stock image. The title stated “A newborn baby enters the world and mother holding a newborn baby girl in the hospital. (sic)”
The website also featured another photograph in the same series in which the face of mother can be clearly seen.
Hence, a 2016 stock image of a woman holding her newborn child has been falsely shared to show Anushka Sharma with her son.
Result: False
Also Read: No, 2024 Lok Sabha Poll Dates Not Out Yet, Fake ‘Schedule’ Viral On Whatsapp
Image 3
A Google lens search on the viral image led us to an article by Filmfare, dated November 14, 2021. It carried the viral photograph, confirming that it predates the birth of their son.
We found that the actress had shared the photograph on her official Instagram account on October 13, 2021, with the caption, “Making me braver and more courageous every day . May you always find the strength of the goddess in you my little Vamika”
We could thus conclude that a photograph of Sharma with her first child has been shared out of context.
Result: Missing Context
Also Read: Farmers’ Protest -Cops Attacked With Swords By Farmers? No, Month-Old-Video Viral With False Claims
Image 4
A Yandex image search result showed a similar photograph of actress Sonam Kapoor with a child. Though the link to the same was broken, we found multiple reports from July, 2022 carrying the same picture.
These reports clarified that the alleged image of Sonam Kapoor holding a newborn was actually altered, and that the actress hadn’t given birth till then.
We compared Kapoor’s edited image with the alleged photograph of Sharma holding her newborn, and could conclude that they both have been digitally manipulated from the same original picture.
Hence, a digitally edited photograph of Anushka Sharma holding a newborn has gone viral on social media platforms.
Result: Altered Media
Sources
X Post By @BabitaPhogat, Dated January 11, 2021
Getty Images Website
Instagram Post By @anushkasharma, Dated October 13, 2021
Report By TOI, dated July 11, 2022
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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.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
