Viral Video Claiming Deepika Padukone Spotted Buying Alcohol During Lockdown Misleading
A new video is going viral on social media, of an unrecognizable woman walking out of a store wearing a mask. According to the claims being made by users sharing the video, the woman in question is actress Deepika Padukone, who was spotted buying liquor during the ongoing extended lockdown in Mumbai. The clip is doing the rounds with the caption, “Deepika Padukone buying liquor in Mumbai….. Best example in social distancing….. No servants………No drivers.”Â
The video is being shared on Facebook with the above caption:-
The video is also being spread across multiple WhatsApp groups and chats:-
TRUTH
The woman that has been captured in the viral video is actress Rakul Preet Singh, who has been misidentified as Deepika Padukone. Further, she is actually walking away after buying goods from a medical and provisional store, and not a liquor store as is being claimed in the posts.
The video was uploaded by Bollywood Photographer, Viral Bhayani on his official TikTok account, on 5th May with the caption #rakulpreetsingh.
Shutting down speculations about what she was doing outside during the lock down, Singh clarified in a tweet that she had indeed gone out to buy medicines. While retweeting a tweet by Bollywood news and trade information handle KRK Box Office, the actress verified that she hadnt been buying alcohol, with the caption, “Oh wow ! I wasnt aware that medical stores are selling alcohol”.
Oh wow ! I wasn’t aware that medical stores were selling alcohol 🤔😂😂 https://t.co/3PLYDvtKr0
— Rakul Singh (@Rakulpreet) May 7, 2020
In this screenshot of the video, the shop from which the actress has exited is in the background. In the highlighted area, the plus sign associated with medical facilities can be seen along with the word ‘MEDICAL’ written twice. Below the counter of the store, the logo of the food company Amul can also be seen.
The sale of liquor was permitted by standalone shops in Mumbai in accordance to the orders of the Maharshtra Government, on 4th May. However, due to increasing rush and flouting of social distancing norms, Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) decided to discontinue the operations of all non-essential shops in red zones on 6th May owing to increasing number of positive Covid-19 cases in Mumbai, cause all liquor stores to also shut shop.
Through the above mentioned facts, it has been ascertained that the viral video is that of actress Rakul Preet Singh exiting from a medical and provisional store, and not that of actress Deepika Padukone buying alcohol during the lock down.
Journalism Student.
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