Filmmaker Aanand L Rai has strongly condemned the ongoing AI-altered re-release of his 2013 film Raanjhanaa featuring an alternate happy ending, describing it as “a very dangerous precedent” for the film industry.
In a recent statement, the filmmaker confirmed that he and the film’s lead actor Dhanush are united in their fight against this “unauthorised modification of their creative work”. The director expressed serious concerns about the implications this could have for his other films and the broader creative community.
“I am very worried about my other films. So is Dhanush. We are actively looking at judicial remedies to restore and preserve our creative content from such extraneous interventions,” Aanand L Rai stated.
The filmmaker also made it clear that while they are examining long-term legal solutions, their immediate priority is addressing the current crisis surrounding Raanjhanaa’s unauthorised AI alteration before moving forward with broader protective measures.
This comes days after Dhanush also criticised the altered version of his movie. “The re-release of ‘Raanjhanaa’ with an AI-altered climax has completely disturbed me. This alternate ending has stripped the film of its very soul, and the concerned parties went ahead with it despite my clear objection,” he wrote on social media.
For the unversed, in the original Raanjhanaa, Dhanush’s character Kundan dies after being shot, with Zoya (Sonam Kapoor) by his side. In the new AI version, Kundan survives and wakes up in the hospital as Bindiya (Swara Bhasker) and Murari (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) tear up in joy.
The AI edit has already caused tension between director Aanand L. Rai and production house Eros. While the studio defended the changes and claimed rights to the content, Rai has publicly said the decision was made without his consent — and warned that it sets a “dangerous precedent.”
Eros also accused Rai of using Raanjhanaa’s IP in his upcoming film Tere Ishk Mein, further fuelling the dispute.
