Farah Khan spotted an impostor using her cook Dilip's identity. Then things escalated from there

Economic Times

4 days ago

Synopsis
Filmmaker and social media personality Farah Khan recently called out a fake Instagram account impersonating her cook, Dilip, who features prominently in her popular cooking vlogs. The impersonator had gained over 50,000 followers by sharing clips from Farah's videos and falsely claiming to be a blogger. After Farah publicly warned the user via Instagram Stories and stated that a complaint was being filed, the account quickly changed its name, removed all posts, and went inactive.
Farah Khan Finds a Fake 'Dilip' on Instagram Filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan, now also a prominent figure on social media through her celebrity cooking vlogs, has issued a public warning against an impersonator misusing the identity of her cook, Dilip. The impersonation took place on Instagram, where a fake account posing as Dilip gained over 50,000 followers using clips from Farah's popular cooking series.On Sunday morning, Farah took to her Instagram Stories to alert her followers about the fraudulent activity. She posted a screenshot of the account and clarified that it had no connection with her or her team. Labeling the account as fake, Farah stated that a formal complaint was being lodged. She directly addressed the impersonator, urging them to take the account down.At the time of the warning, the impersonating profile had posted 244 times, including several Reels with views crossing 100,000. Many of these videos were recycled snippets from Farah and Dilip's vlogs. Shortly after Farah's post, the account changed its name and display picture and deleted or archived all its content. The profile now appears under the name 'A1 Blogger' with zero posts.While this particular account managed to reach a sizable audience, other fake profiles attempting to pose as Dilip exist on Instagram as well. However, most of them have minimal following and negligible visibility.Dilip, Farah's long-time cook, has become a household name among viewers of her YouTube vlogs. His warm, candid personality and chemistry with Farah have made him a favorite. In a recent episode featuring actor Ajay Devgn, Farah shared how she first met Dilip. Recalling the moment, she told Ajay that she had found Dilip loitering outside his house nearly 12 or 13 years ago, a moment that unexpectedly led to their enduring working relationship.Farah entered the YouTube space in 2024 after facing delays in her film projects. During a candid conversation with content creator Apoorva Mukhija, Farah revealed that waiting for actors to align schedules had become a stressful process. Seeking a creative outlet she could control, she decided to launch a YouTube channel. Instead of chasing celebrity interviews or traditional content formats, she brought in her trusted cook, Dilip, to co-host light-hearted cooking sessions.These vlogs combine home-style recipes with casual interactions, filmed in the kitchens of various Bollywood celebrities. Over time, Farah and Dilip have been seen cooking with stars like Raveena Tandon, Malaika Arora, Sania Mirza, and Himesh Reshammiya. Their humorous exchanges and simple recipes have helped build a loyal online following.Farah Khan, married to filmmaker and editor Shirish Kunder, is known for her choreographic legacy and directorial ventures like Main Hoon Na. Her decision to venture into YouTube was driven by a desire to experiment with content on her own terms.