Movies are a creative endeavor, but they are also a commercial one. The commercial aspect of a film is critical for the long-term survival of the industry as a whole. So, is it fair to use AI to change a film if it can draw more people to the theatres? What about the creative effort put in by the director and the actors? Is it right to alter a film years after its theatrical release to give it a different ending? What about the legal implications? The actor’s facial expressions and actions are being altered. All of these questions were, until a couple of decades ago, considered science fiction, but not anymore. They have become reality. The makers have used AI to alter the ending of the Dhanush starrer Raanjhanaa.
AI Drama Around Raanjhanaa
The 2013 release Raanjhanaa is a cinematic masterpiece directed by Aanand L. Rai starring Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor in the lead. The film’s Tamil version, Ambikapathy, was re-released on August 1, 2025, but with an AI-generated version, according to Variety. This sparked backlash around the makers for altering the originality of the story and the film. Surprisingly, the move was made without the consent of either the director or the lead actor.
Both director Aanand L. Rai and actor Dhanush have come out against the alterations made for the re-release of Raanjhanaa. The production house, Eros, hadn’t officially informed the director about the changes, so consent wasn’t obtained. According to the director, this sets a troubling precedent.
Dhanush’s Dissatisfaction With The Development
The Tamil-dubbed version, titled Ambikapathy, was theatrically re-released on August 1, 2025, with a new, happier ending. The reaction from the lead actor came out last night. Dhanush shared his opinion on social media, stating that he was disturbed by the AI alterations made to the film. He released a note on his Twitter account, and as a filmmaker and religious actor, he captioned the post “For the love of cinema.”
For the love of cinema 🙏 pic.twitter.com/VfwxMAdfoM
— Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) August 3, 2025
He stated, “This alternate ending has stripped the film of its very soul, and the concerned parties went ahead with it despite my clear objection.” He mentioned that he had clearly objected to the changes. Furthermore, he noted that he did not commit to the version of the film that is now being shown in theatres. He also expressed concern about the use of AI in altering films and called for strict regulations on the matter to prevent such practices in the future..
Raanjhanaa marks Dhanush’s debut in Bollywood alongside Sonam Kapoor. Directed by Anand L Rai, the film was also released in a Tamil version titled Ambikapathy, which was re-released in theaters on August 1, 2025, and faced backlash for the AI-generated version. The 2013 film also starred Abhay Deol, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and Swara Bhaskar in leading roles.
