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The re-release of Raanjhanaa with an AI-altered ending has sparked intense debate across India’s film and creative industries. It is not just about a single film, but about what artificial intelligence could mean for the future of storytelling.
Globally, surveys by international media houses show 81 percent of audiences want transparency when AI is used in films, and more than half say they would prefer a human-made movie over a technically superior, AI-generated one. These numbers highlight a tension that India’s film industry, rooted in deep traditions yet open to innovation, can no longer overlook.
AI is already making inroads into filmmaking: from dubbing and subtitling in multiple languages, to digitally altering scenes, enhancing effects, or even reimagining alternate endings. But with these advances come difficult questions of authorship, ethics, ownership, and audience trust.
For Savitaraj Hiremath, Co-Founder of Tandav Films Entertainment, AI is a creative enabler. “It's not necessary that you make part two, part three and you already have a content which can actually give you liberty to expand further without even investing, going big about making part two, part three and all that. And that's a fantastic thing,” she said. Drawing a parallel with music, she recalled the early backlash against remixes: “Somebody has courage to create fresh thinking on the old stuff, it's more creative. I totally support that.” For her, innovation is vital for survival: “Keep it alive and keep it young, it's your product. What's wrong? So, it can be a whole new revenue stream.”
Lloyd Mathias, Business Leader and Brand Strategist, acknowledged AI’s potential but flagged the ethical stakes. “I think AI is, in that sense, a bit of a path breaker... you can literally re-imagine the ending and obviously create something entirely new. However, having said that, I think the main issue is that I think there's a lot of ethical issues involved. The original creative rights owner, a movie maker or artist or whatever, has envisioned something a certain way,” he said. For him, consent is crucial: “Anyone that seeks to take creative liberties, changing the ending, modifying it, etc., should seek the permission of the original rights owner doing it without it is just not acceptable. And to my mind is a clear ethical violation.”
N. Chandramouli, CEO of TRA Research, framed the issue through the lens of trust. “As a business that involves trust, I believe any meaningful narrative, cinematic or otherwise, is a contract between creator and audience. Altering a film’s ending through AI risks breaching that implicit contract,” he said. He added that innovation must come with accountability: “Consent, credit, and clarity are non-negotiable.”
Ownership of AI-modified content remains a thorny issue. Mathias argued: “The producer of the movie has the ultimate right, because that was his creative product, which he funded, financed, got the director on board, got the actors on board. So he's the primary creative owner of that.” Chandramouli agreed on moral grounds: “While studios may hold legal rights, and AI may enable new expressions, moral ownership lies with the creator.”
On how audiences may respond, the experts differed. Hiremath felt experimentation is inevitable: “In today's time you don't know what clicks with your audience, every new innovation is welcome.” Mathias noted some may welcome alternate versions while others could see them as violations, stressing the importance of permission and transparency. Chandramouli warned that ambiguity could damage the bond between films and audiences: “Any ambiguity, where viewers are unsure whether they’re watching an original vision or an AI-imposed variant, can fracture trust.”
Looking ahead, all agreed AI will shape Indian cinema, though in different ways. Hiremath saw commercial opportunities, Mathias predicted AI renditions could become mainstream provided ethics are safeguarded, and Chandramouli emphasized that the industry’s ability to uphold trust will determine acceptance.
As India’s film sector navigates this turning point, the debate is far from settled. AI may expand cinematic horizons, but it also tests the very foundations of creative integrity and trust. Whether audiences embrace AI as a collaborator or reject it as a disruptor will shape the future of Indian cinema.
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