Bollywood filmmaker Aanand L Rai has finally spoken out strongly against the re-release of his film ‘Raanjhanaa’, which has some alterations using Artificial Intelligence.
In an Instagram post, he expressed his disappointment and anger over the film being modified and shared again without his permission.
Rai, known for directing emotional and meaningful films, said the last few weeks have been extremely disturbing for him. “The past three weeks have been surreal and deeply upsetting,” he wrote. “To watch ‘Raanjhanaa’, a film made with care, conflict, and collaboration, get altered and re-released without my knowledge or consent has been nothing short of devastating.”
Here is what Aanand L Rai writes about ‘Raanjhanaa’:
He was particularly shocked by how casually this AI-editing was done. According to him, neither he nor the original team who worked on the 2013 film had any part in the new version. “I had no role in it. Neither did the team that made the film,” he clarified. “Whatever this new version claims to be, it is ‘not’ the film we created.”
The director made it clear that he does not support the AI version in any way. He said the altered version was not a tribute, but a complete misrepresentation of the original work. “It was shaped by human hands, human flaws, and human feeling. What’s being circulated now is a reckless takeover,” he said.
Also Read: Will Raghav Chadha swap politics for Bollywood? This is what the AAP MP says
He went on to explain that the film’s original meaning and emotional depth have been lost in the AI process. “This is not innovation, this is not creativity. This is a betrayal of everything the film stood for,” Rai said in his message. He believes that changing such a personal and emotional film with machines, without permission, is deeply insulting to the entire team behind ‘Raanjhanaa’.
Rai ended his note by thanking the original team. This includes the actors, writer, music composer, lyricist, technicians, and every person who worked on the film. He also appreciated the support from the film industry, the audience, and fellow artists, all of who stood by him during this upsetting experience. “The love and solidarity have reminded me what ‘Raanjhanaa’ was truly about. Connection, courage, and truth,” he said.
‘Raanjhanaa’, starring Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor, released in 2013 and was both a critical and commercial hit. Over the years, the film has become special to many fans.