Bollywood is embracing AI tools for moviemaking at a much faster pace than Hollywood producers.
US actors and writers have resisted AI, even going on strike two years ago over its use. But India’s film industry is less worried. Established directors use AI for visual effects and storyboarding, while up-and-coming ones are trialing it to make entire films for a fraction of the usual cost.
One 75-minute feature, Naisha, was 95% AI-generated — including its titular heroine — on a budget 15% that of a traditional Bollywood film. Not all filmmakers are happy: One told the BBC that AI “cannot create mystery, feel fear or love,” and others said the tools are trained on Western imagery, so often get Indian aesthetics wrong.