Who is Payal Dhare? Female gamer caught in 19-minute viral video controversy, fans say the clip is…

Payal Dhare is currently in the news after an alleged private video of her, similar to the now infamous 19-minute viral video, was leaked online.

MMS Video: Barely weeks after the explicit ’19-minute viral video’ featuring Bengali influencers Sofik SK and his girlfriend Dustu Sonali triggered a social media storm, another private video, allegedly of Payal Dhare– a prominent Indian female gamer– has been leaked on the internet.

Who is Payal Dhare?

Born in Umranala village in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district on September 18, 2000, Payal Dhare, aka Payal Gaming, is a renowned YouTuber and gaming streamer, and holds the distinction of being the first Indian female gamer to cross 3 million subscribers on YouTube. A popular influencer across various social media platforms, Payal Dhare has over 4.3 million followers on her Instagram page, and over 4.5 million subscribers on YouTube, as of December 17, 2025.

Payal, who is primarily famous for her gameplay videos and live streaming of popular gaming titles such as Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), PUBG, and GTA V, has received multiple awards in recent years, including Gaming Creator of the Year and Mobile Streamer of the Year at the 2024 MOBIES awards.

Why Payal Dhare is in news?

Payal Dhare is currently in the news after an alleged private video of her, similar to the now infamous 19-minute viral video, was leaked online. Akin to Sofik SK’s 19-minute viral video, Payal’s alleged private clip has gone viral on social sites, bringing disrepute and infamy to the young creator, even though many have pointed out that the viral MMS video is an AI-generated deepfake.

After the video went viral, Payal’s fans came to her defence on social media platforms, contending that the alleged clip is an AI-generated deepfake, and the girl seen in the viral video is not Dhare.

Meanwhile, Payal Dhare, who is currently believed to be in Dubai, broke her silence on the viral clip. In an Instagram post, Payal wrote, “I never expected to have to speak publicly about something so personal and distressing.”

What is the ’19-minute viral video’ controversy?

Earlier this month, a 19-minute viral video, allegedly featuring Bengali YouTuber Sofik SK and his girlfriend Dustu Sonali, went sparked a social media storm. Following the controversy, the couple took to their individual social media handles to issue separate apologies, and blamed a mutual close friend for leaking the private video, claiming that he had been blackmailing them.

In his video, Sofik SK said the viral MMS was “over a year old”, which was leaked by “trusted” friend, whom the young couple had trusted with personal information, including their phone passwords. Sofik said the friend “stole” the video from their phone, and tried to blackmail them, before leaking it online when the influencer couple decided to cut ties with him.