India is set to make cinematic history with the world’s first feature-length AI-generated film, Maharaja in Denims, produced by Intelliflicks Studios.
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AI’s role in filmmaking extends beyond script writing to include production, pre-production, post-production, and music composition.
While film companies are increasingly exploring AI to cut costs and improve processes, many in the industry worry about job displacement and loss of creative authenticity.
Despite these concerns, AI-generated films like Sunspring, The Frost, and Given Again are gaining traction.
According to BizCommunity, based on Khushwant Singh’s novel, Maharaja in Denims aims to blend human creativity with AI technology to create digital sets, film shots, music and dialogue.
The idea was inspired by Singh’s cousin Gurdeep Pall, a former Microsoft VP, who advised against renewing adaptation contracts for Singh’s novel.
Pall anticipated that emerging AI technology could enable a fully AI-generated movie within two years.
Thus, Intelliflicks Studios was founded in 2023 to bring this vision to life.
The film tells the story of Hari believing he is the reincarnation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The film faced technical challenges due to its ambitious scope, which spans Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign, India’s Partition in 1947, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Since March 2023, a team of five to six prompt engineers, led by Pall and Bogra, has been using various AI tools like Runway, Midjourney, and Stability AI to create the film’s world.
This process involves rendering characters, adjusting colours and adding emotional expressions.
Although its production costs are lower, the film must overcome the challenge of ensuring AI matches the artistic quality achieved by traditional human-led filmmaking.
Earlier this year, the film’s first trailer was released, showcasing AI-created figures, backdrops, and background music.
Watch here:
‘The first six months were spent experimenting,’ says Pall, noting that the trailer took two months to complete.
The core team includes Singh, Pall, creative director Revant Bogra, and screenplay writer Palpreet Singh, who finished the screenplay a month ago and collaborates closely with the team.
While lyrics will be written by a human and songs composed, the symphony will be AI-generated.
AI’s role in filmmaking is both controversial and seemingly inevitable.
In 2023, a major industry protest highlighted concerns over AI’s impact on scripting and licensing AI-generated content, with participants advocating for better salaries and stricter AI limitations.
This protest underscores the industry’s anxiety about AI’s potential disruption to traditionally human-driven creative processes.
AI’s growth raises concerns about ethics, authenticity, and ownership of AI-generated content, highlighting the need for responsible handling in filmmaking.
The team aims to release their 100-minute passion project in June 2025.
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