Archive · 1 Dec 2025
Indian Filmmakers Turn to AI Amid Industry Struggles
Indian filmmakers are having a tough time making movies outside of Bollywood and regional cinema.
They struggle to get recognition and make money.
Some filmmakers are now using AI to make movies cheaper and faster.
They hope this will help them make big movies without spending too much.
For example, Vijay Subramaniam is making a movie about Hanuman using AI tools.
Other filmmakers are also trying AI for their projects.
However, some people are not sure if AI movies will be successful, especially in theaters.
They think audiences might not connect with AI characters.
But filmmakers believe that if the story is good and well-marketed, people will watch AI-made movies in theaters too.
Indian filmmakers struggle to gain recognition and survive outside Bollywood and regional cinema.
Notable Indian films like Pebbles and All We Imagine As Light have won awards at international festivals, but such successes are rare.
Payal Kapadia's success is attributed to her strong international network and gradual recognition.
PS Vinothraj's film Kottukkaali faced backlash and commercial pressures after its theatrical release.
Filmmakers are turning to AI to produce large-scale projects at a fraction of the cost, with projects like Hanuman and Mahabharat - Ek Dharmayudh.
- Who
- Indian filmmakers, especially independent ones and those using AI
- What
- Struggles to survive and gain recognition outside Bollywood and regional cinema; turning to AI for cost-effective production
- When
- During and after the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the Mumbai AI Film Festival
- Where
- India, international film festivals, Mumbai, Goa
- Why
- Due to lack of a strong independent ecosystem, commercial pressures, and the need for cost-effective, large-scale production
- Event
- Mumbai’s first AI Film Festival
- Festival
- 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
- Notable Filmmakers
- Tanmay Bhat, Karan Anshuman, Shakun Batra, Vijay Subramaniam, Shekhar Kapur, Dipankar Mukherjee
- AI Tools Used
- Google’s Nano Banana, OpenAI’s Sora, InVideo, Morphic, Microsoft Azure’s AI Foundry
- Challenges Faced
- Lack of independent ecosystem, commercial pressures, limited theatrical releases, poor box-office runs
- Example of Success
- Payal Kapadia's international network and recognition
- Example of Struggle
- PS Vinothraj's Kottukkaali facing backlash and commercial pressures
- AI Projects
- Hanuman (2026), Mahabharat - Ek Dharmayudh, Warlord, 2-3 animation films
Sources
Cruel reality for filmmakers in India: It’s difficult to survive outside Bollywood and regional movie industries
Veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan slams recent National Film Awards — claims 'worst films' are winning
Filmmakers bet on AI as Bollywood struggles. Will it pay off?
