Bollywood star Salman Khan has been misidentified in a viral video from the Kumbh Mela event, sparking online misinformation. A reverse image search revealed that the clip was actually taken during his birthday celebration with friends and family.
The recent six-week-long Hindu celebration of prayer and bathing, known as the Maha Kumbh Mela, held in northern Prayagraj city, has attracted scores of India’s popular celebrities and prominent politicians.
Kumbh Mela is a massive Hindu festival held every 12 years in India.
It is one of the largest human gatherings on the planet, with over 100 million pilgrims attending since its inception in 1575.
The festival revolves around the sacred Ganges River and takes place at four different locations: Allahabad (Prayagraj), Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain.
Kumbh Mela is a celebration of spiritual renewal, where devotees take dips in the holy waters to cleanse their souls.
However, the event has also sparked online misinformation with posts misrepresenting videos unrelated to the gathering.
A video that racked up over two million views on social media platforms was falsely portrayed as showing Bollywood superstar Salman Khan at the Kumbh Mela festival. The 11-second clip showed bodyguards flanking Khan and energy tycoon Anant Ambani and his wife Radhika Merchant. The Hindi-language caption to the clip read, ‘Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant reach Maha Kumbh with Salman.‘
Salman Khan is a renowned Indian film actor, producer, and television personality.
Born on December 27, 1965, in Indore, India, he began his acting career with the film 'Biwi Ho Toh Aisi' (1988).
Khan's breakthrough role came with 'Maine Pyar Kiya' (1989), which cemented his position as a leading actor in Bollywood.
He has since appeared in over 80 films, including 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' (1994) and 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' (2015).
Khan is also known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly through the Being Human Foundation.
This misleading video was shared on various social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, with similar claims that Khan had attended the festival alongside Ambani and Merchant. Comments to the posts indicate that many believed the claim.
However, a reverse image search of the clip’s keyframes on Google found a longer video shared on X two weeks before the Kumbh Mela. The caption read, ‘Salman Khan was seen speaking with Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani at Reliance Green in Jamnagar._’ Visuals from the first 11 seconds of the video corresponded with the clip shared in the false posts.
Indian newspapers, Hindustan Times and Times of India, published various clips from Khan’s birthday celebration where he, Ambani, and Merchant can be seen sporting the same clothes as the circulating clip. Reports said Khan celebrated his 59th birthday with family and close friends in Jamnagar city in western Gujarat state on December 28, 2024.
As of February 17, there is no official report indicating that Salman Khan attended the Kumbh Mela festival. The government says more than 420 million pilgrims have attended the great or ‘Maha’ Kumbh Mela held every 12 years in northern Prayagraj city.
