Anurag Kashyap hits out at AI-led Hanuman project

Director Anurag Kashyap has castigated Vijay Subramaniam, founder of talent agency Collective Artists Network (CAN), for producing an AI-generated film on Hanuman.

“Here is the man heading the @lifeatcollectiveartistsnetwork that represents artists, writer, directors, now producing a film made by AI. So much for looking after and representing the interests of creators,” railed the director on Instagram.

His remarks signal growing unease in the Indian film industry over the increasing use of AI in storytelling. Fellow filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane was equally blunt in his critique. “And so it begins… Who TF needs writers and directors when it’s ‘Made in AI’,” read his Instagram story.

The project in question, Chiranjeevi Hanuman - The Eternal, is being developed by more than 50 engineers from Galleri5, the tech arm of CAN, alongside cultural scholars and literary experts to lend authenticity, reports The Hollywood Reporter India. 

Its soundtrack will feature music from Trilok, the AI rock band launched by CAN in July. Subramaniam is producing the film with Vikram Malhotra of Abundantia Entertainment, and it is slated for release on Hanuman Jayanti in 2026.

The pushback from Kashyap and Motwane reflects a larger anxiety within creative circles. As AI takes on more expansive roles in filmmaking, from scripting to altering narrative arcs, the role of the human creator is increasingly under question.

This tension surfaced earlier this month with the AI-altered re-release of Raanjhanaa (as Ambikapathy in Tamil Nadu). The film’s 2013 ending was changed using AI, prompting sharp objections from lead actor Dhanush and director Aanand L Rai. 

Read: Dhanush slams AI-altered re-release of Raanjhanaa: “This is not the film I committed to”

“… The use of AI to alter films or content is a deeply concerning precedent for both art and artists,” wrote Dhanush on social media. 

Eros International, which holds the rights to the film, defended the decision, saying the altered climax was “crafted under human creative direction” and stressing that the original version remains available.

Globally too, concerns about AI’s encroachment on creative work are mounting. Hollywood studio Universal Pictures has begun adding legal warnings to its films, explicitly stating that they “may not be used to train AI.” The statement now sits alongside the standard disclaimer on copyright and unauthorized use.