Anushka Shetty is one of the most influential actresses in the history of South Indian cinema. Known affectionately by fans as the "Lady Superstar," she has redefined female-led commercial cinema with iconic performances in blockbusters like Baahubali and Arundhati . During the late 2000s and early 2010s—a transitional era for the mobile internet—platforms like Peperonity became massive hubs for fans looking to track her extensive filmography and download her most popular videos.

The resurgence of this false claim is directly linked to . Deepfakes use artificial intelligence (AI) to create hyper-realistic but completely fabricated videos where a person appears to say or do something they never did.