In select theatres across Tamil Nadu, fans watched in disbelief as Dhanush’s character Kundan survives in Raanjhanaa new AI-generated happy ending. Social media footage shows crowds cheering, hooting, and waving in jubilation at the altered climax. The emotional flip Kundan not dying elicited a visceral response from ardent fans.
Filmmaker Aanand L. Rai has strongly denounced the re-release, calling it “deeply upsetting”, “unauthorised”, and “an abject betrayal of everything we built.” He emphasizes the movie was “shaped by human hands, human flaws, and human feeling.” Rai asserts neither he nor the original creative team had any involvement in the AI-tweaked version.
Rai learned of the release through media not the producer and has dissociated himself from the project. He has reportedly approached the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association and is exploring legal actions. The director has proposed a future contract clause that would require creators’ consent before AI or VFX modifications.
Writer-lyricist Varun Grover called the AI ending a “dystopian experiment,” while director Neeraj Pandey labeled it “utterly disrespectful” to the film’s emotional core. Others have echoed concerns over creators’ moral and personality rights, especially in digitally altering actor performances long after release.
Eros, which holds distribution rights, defends the alteration as a legally allowed, “exploratory baby step” into modern content reimagining.
CEO Pradeep Dwivedi described the alternate cut as an optional experience rather than a replacement of the original. He emphasized that it reflects evolving technology aligned with audience acceptance. Eros rejected accusations of tampering and called the move a respectful reinterpretation, not vandalism. The company also confirmed plans to roll out similar AI treatments across its 3,000-film catalog.
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Under Indian copyright law, the producer not the director is defined as the author of a film. Unless Aanand L. Rai holds explicit contractual rights, he cannot legally block the re-release or AI alterations. Creative moral rights under Section 57 are limited and depend on contract specifics.
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