Who is Payal Dhare? YouTuber Payal Gaming's alleged MMS video goes viral

Payal Dhare, an influencer and renowned YouTuber known as Payal Gaming on social media, has been drawn into internet conjecture when a private video surfaced on social media with suspicions that she was the lady shown in the footage. Her admirers immediately went to her defence, calling the video a deepfake.

The video quickly circulated on social media, with some attributing it to Payal Gaming despite the lack of official confirmation. Soon after, her admirers rushed in to defend her, claiming the footage seemed inauthentic and might be an AI-generated deepfake designed to grab attention. 

Despite the online conversation, Payal Gaming has opted not to speak publicly or issue a statement in response to the charges. She's been sharing peeks of her trip to Dubai.

As images and tiny video circulated, her admirers became more concerned. Many asked people to be responsible and desist from spreading unconfirmed material. One person added, "People must comprehend how simple it is to generate deepfake videos today. Dragging Payal Gaming's name into this without evidence is incorrect."

Another commenter criticised the exploitation of such information, writing, "I'm not even a fan, but this doesn't look authentic. Using AI movies to degrade someone's appearance for views is terrible (sic).

Payal Gaming began her YouTube adventure in 2019. She would share videos of herself playing Battlegrounds Mobile India, PUBG, GTA V, and other games. Within two years, she had 1 million YouTube subscribers. She has made history by being the first Indian female gamer to reach three million YouTube subscribers.

Payal received an international prize at the MOBIES in 2024, making her the first female gamer from India to do so. In the years that followed, she received multiple honours, including Female Streamer of the Year. 

Payal was also among the top Indian gamers invited to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where they discussed the future of India's gaming sector. In addition to her influencer engagements, Payal owns her own apparel line. Payal Gaming has 4.5 million YouTube subscribers and 4.2 million Instagram followers.