Artificial intelligence has quietly stepped into the spotlight of Indian cinema, and unlike a temperamental movie star, it shows up early, works cheaply, and never asks for a vanity van. For film lovers, this shift is nothing short of cinematic upheaval. India’s film ecosystem is not merely testing AI – it is actively weaving it into the fabric of storytelling, production, and performance.

Take Vivek Anchalia. Faced with closed doors from producers, he turned to algorithms instead of gatekeepers. With tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney, he assembled a full-length romantic feature largely generated by machines, completing in months what would normally demand years and deep pockets. The result, Naisha, did more than exist – it found an audience, a brand endorsement, and a place in industry conversation. For many cinephiles, this feels like indie cinema reborn in digital form.

Across the country, AI now assists with visual planning, sound design, de-ageing performers, and multilingual voice work. Directors use it to preview complex sequences before committing budgets. Sound artists manipulate effects in real time. Veteran actors see technology as a way to extend relevance in an industry notorious for sidelining age. Indian audiences, notably, have often welcomed these experiments with enthusiasm rather than suspicion.

Yet this enthusiasm is not without tension. Cinema is more than images stitched together efficiently. Several filmmakers argue that machines still struggle with emotional gravity, cultural specificity, and mythological depth – elements central to Indian storytelling. When AI rewrites endings or misinterprets local symbolism, it risks flattening meaning rather than enhancing it.

There are also unresolved questions of ownership, consent, labour displacement, and historical integrity. Laws lag behind innovation, and ethical boundaries remain blurred, particularly when recreating voices or faces of the deceased.

For movie lovers, the verdict is nuanced. AI is not replacing cinema’s soul – but it is unquestionably reshaping its grammar. The real drama lies not in whether machines can make films faster, but whether humans can use them wisely without losing what made cinema magical in the first place.