Indian cricket fans were left astounded when a social media video went viral showing a life-sized statue of Indian batter Virat Kohli erected at the Times Square in New York.
However, an Indian media outlet has now revealed that the statue was not real and was actually the result of computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology used to create images or videos.
The video gained traction as soon as it was first shared by a Facebook user going by the name of VIRAT KOHLI Fangirl.
“Just Unveiled: A larger-than-life statue of Virat Kohli at the iconic Times Square. This King’s Duty, we are going global and making history!” the Facebook user wrote.
Following the post, several Indian media outlets reported the same and shared the news with their readers and audience.
Read more: WATCH: Topley castles Virat Kohli in T20 WC 2024 semi-final
However, INDIA TODAY revealed that the viral video of Virat Kohli’s statue was created and shared by Duroflex, a mattress company.
In an Instagram post on June 23, Duroflex uploaded the CGI video, but what Indian media outlets missed was the mention of CGI video along with #CGIanimation hashtag in the caption of the viral video.
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Quoting a Duroflex official, INDIA TODAY confirmed that the statue of the Indian batter was not real but was created using CGI.
According to the official, the CGI-made video was part of Duroflex’s marketing campaign after Virat Kohli was made its brand ambassador in May last year.
