There’s a version of this story where AI quietly slips into filmmaking.
That’s not what’s happening in India.
What’s happening instead is far more direct, a full-scale shift, happening in real time, with Bollywood not just adopting AI, but reorganising itself around it.
And the scale is difficult to ignore.
India already produces more films than any country on Earth. It’s an industry built on volume, reach, and cultural weight, powered by stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. But that dominance has been tested in recent years. Cinema attendance has dropped from 1.03 billion in 2019 to 832 million in 2025, and while box office revenue has held up, even hitting $1.4 billion last year, it’s become increasingly reliant on fewer, bigger hits.
That’s the pressure point.
And AI is the response.
Studios are now using it to cut production costs dramatically, compress timelines, and expand output in ways that weren’t previously viable. Rahul Regulapati, who leads Collective Artists Network’s AI division, put it bluntly: "AI is slashing production costs to one-fifth of what they used to be for traditional filmmaking in genres such as mythology and fantasy."
Time, too, is collapsing.
Production timelines are now "Down to a quarter," according to Regulapati.
That changes everything.
Because it doesn’t just make films cheaper, it makes them faster, more adaptable, and easier to scale across India’s fragmented language markets. AI dubbing is already solving long-standing issues with lip-sync and performance mismatch, allowing films to move more seamlessly between regions.
And it works.
At least, commercially.
Creatively? That’s where things become more complicated.
The AI-altered re-release of Raanjhanaa, which replaced its tragic ending with a happier one, drew significant backlash. Actor Dhanush said it had "stripped the film of its very soul" and set a "deeply concerning precedent for both art and artists".
But audiences still showed up.
Ticket sales exceeded expectations, outperforming typical averages. Which creates a tension that runs through this entire shift, audiences may criticise AI content, but they’re still engaging with it.
That’s enough for studios to keep going.
And they are going further.
Entire catalogues are now being reviewed for AI-assisted reworks. Mythological content, already hugely popular, is being aggressively developed using AI pipelines. One AI-generated Mahabharat series has already drawn over 26.5 million views, even as it holds a 1.4 rating on IMDb.
That contrast says everything.
This isn’t about unanimous approval. It’s about viability.
And globally, India is pushing ahead faster than anyone else. While Hollywood remains constrained by union agreements and creative protections, Bollywood is experimenting freely, backed by partnerships with companies like Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia.
The ambition is clear.
"If they can deliver, then the shift in AI filmmaking will be to India," said Dominic Lees.
That “if” is doing a lot of work.
Because the concerns aren’t going away.
Some see AI as a tool. Others see it as erosion. Jonathan Taplin called it "an affront to the whole history of cinema", warning it could flood screens with "formula slop".
And yet, the momentum continues.
Because, as Anurag Kashyap put it: "In India, cinema isn't about art. It's purely business, so studios are going to use it to make mythologicals."
"Our audience is a sucker for it."
That’s the reality.
Not clean. Not settled.
But already in motion.
