Fact Check: Viral photo of Indira Gandhi drinking with…

In August 2026, a photo depicting former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi drinking champagne with her yoga instructor, Dhirendra Brahmachari, circulated widely on social media. The image was presented by users as a rare, historical piece of evidence suggesting a romantic relationship between the two figures.

What happened

India Today Fact Check conducted a formal investigation into the image and determined it was entirely AI-generated. A visual inspection revealed significant digital artifacts, including anatomical distortions in Brahmachari’s frame and a missing armrest. To verify these findings, the team utilized OpenAI’s detection tools, which confirmed the image was created using their technology. Additionally, the third-party detection platform Hive Moderation assigned the image a 98.1 percent probability of being AI-generated.

While the image attempted to capitalize on historical speculation regarding the relationship between the Prime Minister and the yoga instructor, the claims remain unsubstantiated. Brahmachari was a prominent and enigmatic figure in Gandhi’s life, known for his access to the Prime Minister during the 1970s and 1980s and his frequent use of a private aircraft, but no historical record supports the narrative presented in the fabricated photograph.