Mumbai: The 2013 cult romantic drama Raanjhanaa, which won hearts and divided opinions with its tragic climax, is set for a theatrical re-release on August 1 — but with a major AI-powered twist. The new version features an alternate ‘happy’ ending where Dhanush’s character, Kundan, survives — a creative decision that has left the film’s director Aanand L Rai outraged and blindsided.
Marketing posters for the re-release proudly announce the inclusion of “a new ending powered by Artificial Intelligence.” However, this development has been met with sharp criticism from Rai, who not only directed Raanjhanaa but also co-produced it under his Color Yellow Productions banner. Shockingly, he says he was not consulted by the rights-holding studio, Eros International, before they altered the film.
“I got to know through social media. People have already been messaging me asking why the ending is being changed. I just can’t wrap my head around this,” Rai told SCREEN in an exclusive statement. According to him, he reached out to Eros International to object, but when his concerns were dismissed, he decided to formally request that his name be disassociated from the modified version.
“What is a happy ending? Raanjhanaa was about sacrifice and unfulfilled love — the pain in the ending is its soul. How can you meddle with emotions? The voice of the film lies in that ending,” Rai lamented. He believes the new AI-generated climax compromises the integrity of the story and sets a dangerous precedent for filmmakers.
The controversial move sees Eros International partnering with Upswing Entertainment, a Tamil Nadu-based distributor. The studio has already sold the altered print for regional release, allegedly without informing the film’s key creatives. “Maybe they’re testing the waters in Tamil Nadu, where our presence isn’t strong. But my actor [Dhanush] has a major fan base there. And I’m responsible for what happens to his image with my film,” Rai said.
Criticizing the studio’s commercial motives, Rai added, “Just to earn a few crores, they’re tampering with a writer, director, and actor’s creation. If you commit a crime in Rome, it’s still a crime.” He also warned that such decisions might lead to an industry-wide trust deficit. “No actor would want to work with them now. Maybe they don’t want to work with actors anymore — maybe they want to make films with AI only.”
The AI-edited version has sparked a broader debate on creative control, copyright ethics, and the role of artificial intelligence in cinema. As audiences await the re-release, the move has divided fans — some curious about the alternate take, others echoing the filmmaker’s sentiment that Raanjhanaa’s emotional power was defined by its heartbreak.
Whether this experiment pays off commercially remains to be seen, but the controversy surrounding Raanjhanaa’s AI-altered re-release is already making waves in the film industry.
