Fact Check: Viral photo of Indira Gandhi drinking with Dhirendra Brahmachari is AI-generated

Allegedly, the man seated in the middle was Dhirendra Brahmachari, Indira Gandhi’s personal yoga instructor. Those sharing it called the photo a rare one of Indira Gandhi with Brahmachari, whom they claimed shared a romantic relationship with her.

A closer inspection of the viral image revealed several inconsistencies typical of AI-generated content — including a missing armrest and arm and anatomical distortions in Dhirendra Brahmachari's frame. The nature of the relationship between Indira Gandhi and Dhirendra Brahmachari has long been a subject.

What Happened

Brahmachari began as Indira Gandhi's yoga teacher in the late 1950s and went on to become one of her most trusted confidants. Through the 1970s and 1980s, his closeness to the Prime Minister gave him significant access to political power, despite holding.

• Riddhish DuttaKolkata,UPDATED: Aug 17, 2026 18:31 IST A photo of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi drinking champagne with an ascetic and another man has gone viral on social media.

• Hive Moderation, a third-party AI detection tool, gave a 98.1 per cent probability that the image was AI-generated, further confirming the finding.

• Frank's biography also records that Brahmachari was permitted to use a four-seater M-5 private aircraft during the Emergency in 1976, a privilege that earned him the nickname “Flying Swami”.

Key Details

Despite all this, however, claims suggesting a romantic relationship between Brahmachari and Indira Gandhi remain unsubstantiated.

• Katharine Frank, biographer and author of “Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi”, described Brahmachari as an important and enigmatic presence in Indira Gandhi's life, noting his unusual access to her private space during.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge