Last week, SCREEN reported that the producers of the 2013 film Raanjhanaa were planning to re-release the movie with an AI-generated ending on August 1. The news sent shockwaves through the film industry, sparking widespread concern from fans and celebrities online. Now, filmmaker Aanand L Rai, in a heartfelt Instagram post, has clarified that neither he nor the original team had any involvement with the AI-altered version of the film.
“The past three weeks have been surreal, and deeply upsetting,” he wrote. Reflecting on the unauthorized changes made to the film’s climax, Rai added, “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. What makes it worse is the complete ease and casualness with which it’s been done.”
‘This AI-altered version does not reflect who we were’
Despite the shock, Aanand L Rai acknowledged the outpouring of support from the industry and the audience: “And yet, in the middle of all this, the support and solidarity from the industry, our audiences, and the larger creative community has reminded me of what Raanjhanaa stood for in the first place, connection, courage, and truth. I’m deeply grateful for that.” Making his stance unequivocally clear, the filmmaker stated, “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.”
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He continued, “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. If Raanjhanaa meant something to you, as it did to us, please know that this AI-altered version does not reflect who we were. Nor does it carry the spirit of the film we made.”
When SCREEN had reached out to Eros Media World, the studio behind the film, Group CEO Pradeep Dwivedi responded with a statement: “We are the sole and exclusive copyright holder and producer of Raanjhanaa, and are fully entitled, both legally and ethically, to adapt and re-release the film. This includes re-imagining certain elements using advanced tools such as generative AI to reach new audiences while preserving the original’s artistic soul.”
He continued, “Contrary to the claims of ‘artistic vandalism’, our re-release is a respectful creative reinterpretation, clearly labelled and separate from the original version, offered as an addition to, not a replacement of, the original. Such practices are common in global cinema, and reflect our long-standing commitment to innovation, audience engagement, and cultural preservation.”
