Not my film’: Aanand L Rai slams AI-altered re-release of ‘Raanjhanaa’ without consent
Celebrated filmmaker Aanand L Rai has strongly condemned the unauthorised AI-edited re-release of his 2013 romantic drama Raanjhanaa, branding it a “reckless takeover” that distorts the heart and soul of the original film. The altered version, titled Ambikapathy, was released in Tamil across theatres on August 1 with an AI-generated “happy ending”, a significant deviation from the film’s original and tragic conclusion.
What has sparked outrage is that the reimagined version was produced and distributed by Eros International without the consent, or even the knowledge,of its director. According to Rai, neither he nor any of the film’s core creative team were consulted before the AI-modified version was released.
In an Instagram post, Rai wrote, “The past three weeks have been surreal and deeply upsetting. To watch Raanjhanaa, a film born out of care, conflict, collaboration, and creative risk, be altered, repackaged, and re-released without my knowledge or consent has been nothing short of devastating.”The director, known for weaving emotion and nuance into his stories, said what disturbed him further was the “complete ease and casualness” with which such a fundamental creative alteration was carried out. “Let me say this as clearly as I can: I do not support or endorse the AI-altered version of Raanjhanaa. It is unauthorised. I had no role in it. Neither did the team that made the film,” Rai clarified.He asserted that Raanjhanaa was never just a film to him or his collaborators, it was “shaped by human hands, human flaws, and human feeling.” The director expressed concern over the growing trend of AI-driven content tampering, calling it “a betrayal of the team’s work and emotional legacy.”
“The idea that our work can be taken and modified by a machine, then dressed up as innovation, is deeply disrespectful,” he wrote. “To cloak a film’s emotional legacy in a synthetic cape without consent is not a creative act, it’s a betrayal.”Raanjhanaa, which starred Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles, was a critical and commercial success upon its release in 2013. Known for its poignant portrayal of unrequited love and complex social commentary, the film developed a strong cult following over the years.
The controversy comes at a time when the director is actively expanding the Raanjhanaa universe with an upcoming film titled Tere Ishq Mein, which again stars Dhanush, alongside Kriti Sanon.While Eros International has not yet responded to the backlash, the incident raises fresh questions around ethics, ownership, and consent in the era of AI-driven creativity.