'How Can They Do This?': Aanand L Rai LASHES OUT At Eros International For Changing Raanjhanaa's Ending Using AI In Re-Release Version

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai lost his cool on the production house, Eros International, after it was announced that his 2013 film, Raanjhanaa, starring Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor, will be re-released in theatres but with a different ending. The film is set to be re-released with a different climax from the original, and it has been made using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This did not sit well with Rai who stated that he found out about the altered climax from social media, and said that he was not consulted before making the decision. "I just can’t wrap my head around this. I don’t get it, how can they do this? It’s an ending people have loved! If not the filmmaker, at least listen to the audience," he told SCREEN.

"What is a happy ending? It’s a tragedy, that’s an emotion. How can you meddle with emotions? The voice of the film lies in that ending," he added.

Rai went on to say that he has now learnt his lesson and will be careful going forward. "I’ve to be very careful while signing the dotted line. I’m dealing with this, but other filmmakers should learn from this. A studio doesn’t care about the story. Just to earn a few crores, they’re tampering with a writer, director, and actor’s creation," he said.

He also said that while he was not against the use of technology, it should only be used going forward, and not to change the past. "Use it for the future or for the present. Don’t use it to distort the past! Next thing we know, they may change the climax of Sholay by keeping both Jai and Veeru alive," he quipped.

Raanjhanaa starred Dhanush and Sonam in the leads, and it highlighted the perils of class and religious divide in the bustling city of Benaras. It also had an extended cameo by Abhay Deol. While the film was a hit back when it released, over the years it became a subject of debate, with many people calling certain aspects of the film toxic and problematic.