Ahi Mahi Ravana and deep fake news!

As a child, if there was one story I loved to hear, it was the one centered on “Ahi Mahi Ravana”. I pestered my uncle repeatedly to narrate the story. The plot was filled with intrigue and suspense. Each time I heard my uncle, it was with the same wide-eyed wonder. “And then, what happened uncle? And then?”

An adaptation from Krttivaasa’s Ramayana, the story went as follows. Ravana had lost almost everyone in the battle against Rama. Ravana’s brother Kumbhakarna was no more. His mighty son Indrajit was felled by Lakshmana. Ravana was distraught. How can he combat Rama? He suddenly remembered Ahi-Mahi Ravana. (In some versions, there is only Mahi-Ravana, but uncle’s version had 2 separate characters Ahi and Mahi Ravana, based on a Tamil film in uncle’s time).

Ahi and Mahi were Ravana’s sons. They ruled the nether world, paataala loka. The moment Ravana thought of them, Ahi and Mahi immediately materialized. Hearing Ravana’s predicament, they calmed him down. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We can easily take care of Rama and Lakshmana!”

Meanwhile, in Rama’s camp, spies informed Vibhishana that Ahi and Mahi had been summoned by Ravana. Vibhishana was terribly worried. He cautioned Hanuman, “Ahi and Mahi Ravana are “mayavis”, master magicians. We must be extra careful! Do not allow anyone close to Rama and Lakshmana. Remember, Ahi-Mahi Ravana can take any form, at will. The security must be top-notch!” Hanuman was confident, “Vibhishana, don’t worry! Not even a fly can touch Rama and Lakshmana!”

Hanuman beefed up the security. With his tail, he created a huge conical fortress. The entire vanara army sat inside the fortress, all around the circumference. Rama and Lakshmana were placed at the center. Vibhishana himself manned the fortress on the outside, doing the rounds. Each time Vibhishana passed Hanuman, he warned him, “Be careful Hanuman! You never know what Ahi-Mahi Ravana are up to!” During one of the rounds, Vibhishana wanted to re-assess the security inside the fortress. “Hanuman, let me in. I want to double-check that all is fine!” Hanuman let Vibhishana inside.

Vibhishana was suddenly back doing the rounds. Hanuman caught Vibhishana by the scruff of his neck, “I know you are Mahi Ravana! You think you can fool me by taking this fake Vibhishana form? The real Vibhishana just went inside!” Vibhishana struggled to speak, his voice choked by Hanuman’s vice-like grip, “Hanuman! I do not know what you are talking! I…I…I am the real Vibhishana. I do not know whom you let inside. That was not me! He was fake!”

It was a Trojan Attack- you couldn’t differentiate between the real and the fake! Hanuman was caught napping. He rushed inside the fortress. The entire vanara army lay unconscious. Rama and Lakshmana were gone- whisked away to the nether world by Ahi and Mahi Ravana!

Today’s world is exactly like the world spun by Ahi-Mahi Ravana. If you read a piece of news, you later learn, it was fake news. Videos are faked, even the voice is faked. Recently, a song was released in the voice of musicians, who no longer exist. It’s like Maareecha faking Rama’s voice, so much so, even Seeta was tricked. Generative AI is already here. It has taken over- creating a virtual world, blurring the boundary between the real and the unreal.

How will it change the world? Earlier, the “chashmadeed gawaah”, the “eyewitness” played a pivotal role in cracking many a riveting crime case. Will his account be tenable anymore? “Yes, you were an eyewitness, but what your eye witnessed was not real. It was just a hologram, a fake reality!”

What is real? What is unreal? Those searching questions are suddenly our questions- questions that only a philosopher grappled with. Till now, the rule was simple- you “see” an object, and hence the object is “real”. We are set to revise this rule- “You see an object, and hence, that object is unreal!”

“And then uncle? And then? What happened to Ahi-Mahi Ravana?” Uncle continued, “Well, Hanuman had to go to paataala world. Rama and Lakshmana were held captive. It was not easy to kill Ahi-Mahi Ravana. Their “life” was carefully protected- across the seven seas, in a secluded place. Hanuman had to blow out 7 flames, all at the same time, to take the life out of Ahi-Mahi Ravana. Rama and Lakshmana were eventually freed. Hanuman once again came to their rescue!”

“And then uncle? And then? What happened after that uncle?”