AI-generated videos of Na'vi Govinda's ‘cameo’ go viral after Avatar Fire and Ash release: ‘Yaar goosebumps aa gaye’

NErds feature found a young path to trolling the net using AI tools and this time, Avatar fans are getting dragged into the mischief. After the release of James Cameron's latest CGI spectacle, Avatar: Fire and Ash, video of Bollywood star Govinda’s ‘cameo’ are all over social media. Except, they are all fake.Govinda, a Na'vi?The AI-genrated videos show Govinda, now in the blue colours of the Na'vi people from Avatar, giving someone a hefty serving of his ‘batti bujha’ lines. Another picture shows viewers watching the film in a theatre with Govinda on screen in a Gujarati-style colourful jacket, bonding with Jake Sully.Multiple versions of this make-believe cameo exist online, each more disturbing than the other.People on the internet are jumping in on the joke with their comments. “Sch me h kya ye (Is this for real),” asked an innocent soul. Another wrote, “Yr iss scene pr goosebumps aa gye the (Guys this scene gave me goosebumps),” worsening the confusion. “This was totally unexpected but loved the cameo,” joked another. “Og is back 🙌 phaly akshay Khana or ab lord govinda (first it was Akshaye Khanna and now Govinda),” wrote a fan.Of course, none of this is real. Govinda is not a part of Avatar: Fire and Ash.How did the meme start?If you are still wondering about the origin of this meme, then it likely stems from an old interview of Govinda, in which he claimed that James Cameron's Avatar was first offered to him, but he refused it.Govinda told Mukesh Khanna in an interview this year that he rejected the film— which ultimately became one of the biggest films ever made, grossing $2.9 billion at the box office —because he wasn't sold on the idea.Govinda had shared that there have been many such incidents where he inadvertently helped others. He recalled an incident and said, “I even left an offer of ₹21.5 crore, although I remember this because it was painful. I had met a Sardarji in America and gave him a business idea to work in sweets and delicacies. Some years later, he said that the idea worked wonders for him. There, he made me meet James Cameron. He asked me to do a film with James, so I invited them for dinner to discuss it.”He added, “Picture ka title bhi maine hi diya tha. Maine Rajesh Khanna ji ko dekha tha left hand kata hua… maine kaha, ‘Yaar accha aadmi he pata nahi kyu ajeeb sa role kar liya!’ Toh maine kaha, ‘Second time banegi Avatar!’ Toh mujhe kehta hai, ‘The hero is lame!’ (I had only given the title. I had seen Rajesh Khanna and wondered why he did that part. I only predicted the sequel). Maine kaha, ‘Lame? Govinda! Hello? I am not doing your picture!’ He said, ‘I am offering you 18 crores.’ I said, ‘I don’t want your 18 crores.' He said the shoot will be for 410 days. I said that is okay, but if I paint my body, I will be in the hospital!"No one bought that.Even Govinda's wife Sunita Ahuja denied it. “Arey yaar mujhe toh nahi pata yeh kab offer hui, 40 saal toh mujhe hogaye hain Govinda ke saath. Vo Avatar ka director-producer kab aaya mujhe nahi malum. Hui bhi hai ki nahi mujhe nahi malum. Main jhooth nahi bolti naa main kisi ka side lungi. Main jhooth ka saath nahi deti (Oh man, I have no idea when this was offered. It’s been 40 years for me with Govinda. I don’t even know when that Avatar director-producer came. I don’t even know if it actually happened or not. I don’t lie, nor do I take anyone’s side. I don’t support falsehood),” she said in a podcast with Uorfi Javed.About the Avatar franchiseThe first Avatar film was released in 2009, starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana in the lead roles. The second instalment, The Way of Water, was released on December 16, 2022. The third film is currently in theatres worldwide. It made ₹65 crore over the first weekend in India.