Celebrities may no longer be limited by time, geography or even physical presence.
With actor Rhea Chakraborty launching an AI-powered avatar named Mishty in collaboration with Collective Artists Network and its AI studio Galleri5, the business of fame is entering a new phase—one built on infinite scalability. Industry experts say such AI avatars allow public figures to extend their commercial life cycle far beyond traditional constraints, unlocking always-on engagement and personalized brand deals.
But as digital doubles become mainstream, legal and reputational risks are moving just as quickly. From unauthorized cloning of likeness and voice to disputes over digital identity ownership, the battle over control is only beginning, experts said.
Infinite scale
“The real opportunity is scale. A celebrity today can only be in one place at a time. An AI avatar removes that constraint entirely, opening doors to always-on fan engagement, brand partnerships, and personalised content at a volume no human can match. We are seeing a real shift where AI avatars are moving from a futuristic concept to a practical business tool,” said Rajnish Rawat, co-founder and CEO at Social Pill, a digital marketing agency.
Globally, stars like Lil Miquela have shown that a digital persona can land massive fashion deals with brands like Prada or Chanel without ever stepping onto a physical set, Rawat pointed out. In India, we are at the early adopter stage. Actors like Rhea Chakraborty with her Mishty avatar are testing the waters, and even legends like Sourav Ganguly have launched digital twins for virtual coaching and fan events.
“The business opportunity here is essentially about infinite scalability. A physical celebrity can only be in one place at a time, but an AI avatar can do a thousand hyper-personalized video endorsements in a hundred different regional languages,” Rawat said.
New revenue rails
To be sure, the possibilities with AI avatars are genuinely exciting, according to industry experts. Think personalized video messages at scale, AI-powered fan clubs, branded virtual appearances, language-localized content for regional markets, and even AI tutoring or mentorship products built around a celebrity’s persona.
For India specifically, the regional language opportunity alone is massive. A single avatar speaking in ten languages is something no human celebrity can replicate.
“We are actively leveraging advanced generative AI platforms and real-time engines to develop AI-driven worlds and characters such as Mohini, along with immersive VR experiences that meet international quality benchmarks. These integrations allow us to optimise production timelines, enhance visual fidelity, and create scalable intellectual property. We are also exploring strategic partnerships with leading AI and immersive technology platforms to further strengthen our capabilities,” said Khvafar Vakharia, executive business head and creative executive producer at Equinox Virtual.
Ushmi Desai, visual communication designer at digital marketing agency BC Web Wise said for brands, this fundamentally alters the economics of celebrity marketing. Campaign production becomes faster, costs fall and scale increases dramatically. Some AI-led campaigns have already reported up to 50% cost savings and significantly faster campaign rollouts compared to traditional shoots.
“In a diverse market like India, the localization potential is particularly powerful. Digital personas could power subscription-based fan experiences, personalised interactions and conversational AI built around a celebrity’s voice or identity. They may also play a role in commerce, hosting live shopping streams or appearing in thousands of hyper localized campaigns simultaneously,” Desai said.
Despite the excitement, AI avatars pose a fundamental marketing challenge: authenticity.
Digital influencers still struggle to match the trust levels of human creators. Audiences tend to connect more deeply with personalities who feel spontaneous and imperfect. Even the most technically impressive AI personas can sometimes feel distant or overly curated.
Shreya Suri, partner at CMS INDUSLAW, pointed out that the line between authentic representation and synthetic manipulation is still blurry given the ambiguity under the current IT Intermediaries Rules framework. Until that is clarified by the rulemaker (or through judicial precedent), reputational and legal risks can escalate quickly.
Legal minefield
“AI avatars raise immense legal and reputational concerns. The technology used to recreate a person’s face, voice or personality can overlap with deepfake tools, which have been associated with impersonation, misinformation and online fraud,” said Germaine Pereira, partner at Solomon & Co.
Concerns raised about AI chatbots or digital characters using the likeness of celebrities, deepfake videos and unauthorised use of their images without consent or generating statements that appear to come from the real person, using cloned versions of voices are common.
In India, where social media content spreads rapidly and legal framework around artificial intelligence is still evolving, such technology could potentially lead to misuse of personality rights, misleading advertisements or reputational harm if safeguards and transparency measures are not implemented since people wouldn’t know the difference between original AI avatar originating from the celebrity and the deepfake one, Pereira added.