Filmmaker Aanand L Rai has finally spoken out about the controversial AI-altered version of his 2013 cult classic Raanjhanaa that has been circulating without his consent, calling the entire experience “devastating” and “deeply upsetting.” In a powerful statement released today, the filmmaker minced no words in expressing his outrage over what he describes as a “reckless takeover” of his creative work, while also acknowledging the overwhelming support he has received from the film industry and audiences.
The director took to his social media to share a picture of his Raanjhanaa stars Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor from the film sets, and revealed the emotional toll that the past three weeks have taken on him and his team. “The past three weeks have been surreal, and deeply upsetting. 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,” Aanand L Rai penned. However, he also found solace in the industry’s response, as he added, “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 position crystal clear, Aanand L Rai categorically stated, “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. 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.”
Deeply disappointed at the turn that this incident has taken, Aanand Rai said, “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.”
He concluded by speaking for his entire team – the writer, actors, composer, lyricist, technicians, and crew who made Raanjhanaa, emphasizing that “None of us were consulted. None of us were heard. 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.”
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