Bollywood

The year was 2013 and we were blessed with once-in-a-lifetime performances by Dhanush, Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol. It was the year when ‘Raanjhanaa’ was released.

13 years later, the film was re-released in the theatres, but with a twist. The makers have altered the ending with the help of AI. In the new version, Kundan lives. He gets up from the hospital bed, and everyone is happy. But some netizens are not.

Audience, director, actor not happy with ‘Raanjhanaa’ alternate ending

Artificial Intelligence has long outgrown its science-fiction roots. From generating scripts to creating entire scenes without a camera, AI is increasingly becoming involved with storytelling.

That debate just got a whole lot louder with the re-release of ‘Raanjhanaa.’ The production house gave fans a “happy ending,” promising fans an alternate emotional payoff. But not everyone’s applauding.

Even director Aanand L Rai, who co-produced and helmed the original, publicly distanced himself from the re-release. Taking to Instagram, he penned a long note, “...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. And whatever it claims to be, it is not the film we intended or made. This was never just a film to us. It was shaped by human hands, human flaws, and human feeling. What’s now being circulated is not a tribute. It is a reckless takeover that strips the work of its intent, its context, and its soul. The idea that our work can be taken and modified by a machine, then dressed up as innovation, is deeply disrespectful. To cloak a film’s emotional legacy in a synthetic cape without consent is not a creative act. It’s an abject betrayal of everything we built. I’m speaking for everyone who helped bring this film to life. The writer, actors, composer, lyricist, editor, technicians, and larger crew. None of us were consulted. None of us were heard.”

Meanwhile, Dhanush was left disturbed. In an official statement, the actor shared, “The re-release of Raanjhanaa with an AI-altered climax has completely disturbed me. This alternate ending has stripped the film of its very soul, and the concerned parties went ahead with it despite my clear objection.”

While some audiences were happy that Kundan is alive, most thought that it took away from the essence of the movie.

Even Hollywood is feeling the tremors

Hollywood is not far behind. Films like ‘Emilia Pérez’ and ‘The Brutalist’ have openly used AI to enhance various aspects of their productions. These films have found both critical acclaim and commercial success, even sweeping awards. And yet, the ethical question remains: how much AI is too much?

The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike in the U.S. brought this tension to the forefront. Among the many demands was a clause against the use of AI-generated likenesses of actors without consent.

So, here’s the million-dollar question: if your favourite movie was re-released with an AI-altered ending, would you watch it?