Raanjhanaa Re-Release Row: Eros Hits Back At Aanand L Rai Over AI-Altered Ending – Controversy Explained | Movies News
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New Delhi: As the cult classic Raanjhanaa gears up for a re-release 12 years after its original debut, a controversy surrounding the film’s ending has taken center stage.
Promotional posters revealed that the Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor starrer would feature “a new ending powered by Artificial Intelligence.”
Aanand L Rai Rejects AI-Altered Ending
However, director and co-producer Aanand L Rai revealed that he was neither informed nor consulted by the studio, Eros International, about the change to the film’s conclusion.
In an interview with SCREEN, Rai said, “I got to know through a social media announcement a couple of days ago. People have already been messaging me asking why the ending is being changed. I just can’t wrap my head around this.”
After his request to halt the change was denied, the filmmaker formally asked that his name be removed from the AI-altered version of the film.
“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 added.
According to several media reports, the AI-altered version changes the original tragic ending- Dhanush’s character, Kundan, does not die and instead has a “happy ending.”
“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,” Rai said.
Rai also raised broader concerns about the use of AI to reimagine stories. “The only good thing that’s come out of this is I’ve learnt my lesson. I have to be very careful while signing the dotted line. 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 warned, urging fellow filmmakers to be cautious about their rights.
Eros Media World Reacts
Eros International has categorically denied Aanand L Rai’s allegations, stating that the altered ending is a creative reinterpretation—not a replacement.
As per several media reports, the company’s Group CEO, Pradeep Dwivedi, said: “The re-release is a respectful reinterpretation and not a ‘tampering’ of the original. It is clearly positioned as an alternate, AI-enhanced version akin to classic cuts or re-edits seen globally.”
The company further stated that it holds the sole and exclusive copyright of the film. It emphasized that the reinterpretation was “developed with sensitivity and respect for the original creative team’s contribution.”
Citing Indian copyright law, Eros added: “The producer of a cinematographic work is its legal author, and moral rights vest with the producer not the director.”
Why Is Eros Releasing a New Version of Raanjhanaa?
According to a report by News18, Eros International has reportedly sold the updated, AI-enhanced version of Raanjhanaa to Tamil Nadu-based distributor Upswing Entertainment for a Tamil-language release.
The original Raanjhanaa tells the story of Kundan (Dhanush), a Hindu boy in love with Zoya (Sonam Kapoor), a Muslim girl. In the original ending, Kundan is tragically shot during a rally and later dies in a hospital.
However, in the AI-generated Tamil version, the story has been rewritten to give Kundan a different and reportedly happy ending.
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