Authors
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.
Claim
Sunny Deol, a BJP MP in the Lok Sabha, was seen roaming the streets of Mumbai in an inebriated state.
Fact
Sunny Deol was shooting for his upcoming film ‘Safar’ and the video was shared out of context.
A video featuring Bollywood actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP Sunny Deol, seemingly drunk on the streets of Mumbai, has gone viral on social media. The footage shows the actor walking towards an auto-rickshaw, swaying and dawdling. He is then seen climbing into the vehicle, with the driver lending him a hand.
The post can be seen here. | Archived Post
Many other users have also shared the same video with similar claims. Such posts can be seen here, here, and here.
Fact Check/Verification
Newschecker began looking into the facts of the video by conducting a keyword search on the terms ‘Sunny Deol’ and ‘Drunk’, which led us to several reports that carried a clarification by the actor on the viral video. A report by Network 18 revealed that Deol, speaking to Zoom, said, “It is a video recording of a shoot, not a real video.”
“Let’s all just take it easy. If I decide to have a drink, why would I choose to do it on the road and in an auto-rickshaw? The reality is that I don’t drink, and that video is not real; it’s actually from a film shoot.”, he added.
Deol, who is a BJP MP from Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab, was last seen in the Hindi film Gadar 2.
We also found reports quoting the producer of his upcoming movie, Safar, saying, “This was a scene from our upcoming film tentatively titled ‘Safar,’ for which Sunny Paaji was shooting during a night schedule. I kindly request all our fans not to circulate false information about the video that is currently going viral on the internet.”
Sunny Deol also posted a behind-the-scenes video of the same shoot on his X page on December 6, 2023, with the caption, “Afwaahon ka ‘Safar’ bas yahin tak. #Shooting #BTS.” The footage, taken from a different angle, shows him surrounded by several crew members, including many camerapersons, even as one of them is heard giving instructions for the shoot.
Conclusion
The viral video of Sunny Deol apparently roaming the streets drunk is actually from a movie shoot and has been shared out of context.
Result: Missing Context
Our Sources:
1. Report published by News18, dated December 6, 2023
2. X post by Sunny Deol, dated December 6, 2023
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Authors
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.
