What can Hollywood learn Indian filmmakers on the integration of AI in the process of making films?
Unlike Hollywood’s hesitant position on AI, Indian cinema sets up AI’s wave. For Indian filmmakers, AI did not aim to reduce costs or accelerate production. Instead, in an environment dominated by studio systems and the power of stars, the AI creates space for new narrative voices and infinite artistic freedom. Is the question: Hollywood pay attention?
The filmmaker Guhan SenniAppan is a fan of Japanese anime since childhood, and he saw the ideal opportunity to pay tribute to his favorite genre. He imagined a 2.5-minute animated flashback sequence in his film of Tamil language superheroes with a younger version of actor Sathyaraj. But creative activities are rarely transparent. SenniAppan says: “The creation of the whole aime sequence would have taken at least six months and we simply did not have the budget for that.” Enter, trace Twist. He did not know that this logistical obstacle would work in his favor, making his film the first Indian feature film to include a sequence entirely made by him. SenniAppan explains: “Gokulraj Baskar, a CGI expert, introduced me to a generative AI with whom, after endless prompts on AI software, we were able to develop the whole scene in four weeks – half the cost.” The challenge, however, was to precisely generate the actor’s facial expressions. “It was all try and error. But we persevered. AI is not a shortcut; It opened doors to me to create a cinematographic experience that would have taken half a year, ”he says.
SenniAppan is not the only filmmaker to embrace AI. The director MG Srinivas’ Kannada Thriller Ghost used the cloning of the AI voice to double the lines of its actor Shiva Rajkumar in three languages. He says: “Viewers know Rajkumar’s voice, given its massive popularity. And when a regional dubbing artist survives the voice, the public is quick to lose the emotional connection. The cloning of the voice allowed me to keep the baritone signature of the actor intact in different languages.” Many public members, who were initially impressed by Rajkumar’s multilingual prowess, were also impressed to note that it was an AI-Dubbed. Published The success of the film, Srinivas co -founded a company called Ai Samhitha, which specializes in vocal cloning and also explores lip synchronization solutions to correspond to dubbing. Srinivas explains: “AI can be almost revolutionary in a country like India where films are published in several languages. Technology allows me to extend my film to other Indian markets. Since current AI software does not support the regional languages of India, engineers were to create specific models in phonetics for the film.” They nicknamed Rajkumar’s original voices in Kannada and Tamil and used AI to clone his voice in Hindi, Telugougou and Malayalam.
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This is not the only case. TLanguage film Amil Vettaiyan’s Trailer Facing considerable fans’ backlash when another actor has nicknamed the voice of the Superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Finally, the manufacturers published another trailer, this time by recreating his immediately recognizable voice using AI. And then the trailer resonated.
Unlike Indian cinema, Hollywood welcomed a mute position, considering the use of AI as a threat to artistic means of subsistence and freedom. SAG-AFTRA and writers Guild of America reflected this. The AI continues to be one of the most controversial concerns, even after Martin Scorsese used the inconvenience led by IA on Robert de Niro to the Irishman. It would be assumed that the industry would follow suit. When Robert Zemeckis repeated the successful duo of Forest Gump Oscar winner here, where Tom Hanks and Robin Wright were contained using new genetive IA technology called Metaphysic Live, expectations were high. But the film turned out to be a critical and commercial failure, stressing that AI in films is not something that the Hollywood public was ready. Even the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently announced that although the films with AI can be nominated for an Oscar, it would examine “human involvement”, a position that can be read as a cop.
Indian cinema, however, is busy taking advantage of AI to the maximum. Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn has already launched a generative AI content company, Privix Studios. Oscar -winning musical directors Ar Rahman and MM Keeravaani used AI to recreate the voices of deceased singers. In the Venkat Prabhu goat, the late actor Vijayakanth was resurrected through the AI. Hollywood, who has historically opened the way to technological progress and innovation, can now look from the touchline while India leads this race. If anything, the daring adoption of Indian Cinema of AI could encourage Hollywood filmmakers to finally ask: “Why do we resist the inevitable?”
One of the most pioneering AI changes in Indian cinema comes from the intelliflick studios co-founded by author Khushwant Singh and the former vice-president of AI Business Incubations in Microsoft, Gurdeep Singh Pall. 95% of their film, Maharaja in denimsBased on Singh’s book, is made of AI. “The historical fiction book was difficult to adapt, given its story covering three different eras. From the point of view of the budget, the film would have taken years to act, if it had hit the traditional road. So it was the right time to explore the potential of AI,” adds Singh. The film, which should be released this year, could change the situation if the trailer is something.
Does this mean that AI could offer a level playground for successful producers and independent filmmakers to coexist? Singh agrees: “Of course, the Indian cinematographic landscape is dominated by the studio system and the budgets are only gray. AI offers opportunities to new filmmakers in a budget that have good stories to tell.
Vatsal Sheth, co-founder and CEO of Privix Studios, believes that Indians have always been more experimental with technology. He says, “We have always been curious about something new. And AI is another example of the evolution of technology. We do not consider it a threat. This accelerates things, in which filmmakers can write script versions in the time he has taken before to write only one. Without really traveling. “”
While Hollywood takes the time to embrace the use of AI, Indian filmmakers are already opening a path. And as more Indian films do, it may be Hollywood who has to play the catch-up of Bollywood.
