Movies
Indian cinema turns to artificial intelligence for epic Hanuman film
MUMBAI: Indian cinema is preparing to push the boundaries of filmmaking with what producers claim will be India’s first theatrically released motion picture created entirely using artificial intelligence (AI), centred on the Hindu deity Hanuman.
Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal, scheduled for worldwide release on Hanuman Jayanti in 2026, represents an ambitious fusion of ancient mythology and cutting-edge technology that could reshape how religious epics are brought to the screen.
Abundantia Entertainment, the production house behind hits including Airlift and Ram Setu, is partnering with Collective Media Network’s Historyverse division on the project, which draws from the Ramayana and Puranic texts to create what they describe as a “visual odyssey.”
The film is being developed by more than 50 engineers from Galleri5, the technology arm of Collective Artists Network, working alongside cultural scholars and literary experts to ensure narrative authenticity. Even the soundtrack will break new ground, composed by Trilok, billed as the world’s first AI-powered band that blends Indian spiritual traditions with contemporary sound.
“We constantly push boundaries of storytelling possibilities, and I am delighted that we are partnering with Vijay and his amazing team at Collective to harness cutting-edge tech and tools to tell one of India’s most iconic stories,” said Abundantia Entertainment founder & CEO Vikram Malhotra.
The project reflects growing confidence in AI’s creative potential within India’s entertainment industry, which has traditionally relied on star power and elaborate song-and-dance sequences to draw audiences. By choosing Hanuman—revered by hundreds of millions as a symbol of devotion, strength and faith—the producers are making a bold statement about technology’s role in preserving and reinterpreting cultural heritage.
Collective Artists Network founder & chief executive Vijay Subramaniam emphasised the company’s commitment to “authenticity and cultural stewardship”, promising “complete transparency about the role of AI in the creative process.” This approach addresses potential concerns from religious groups about technological interpretation of sacred stories.
The timing is significant, as India’s film industry grapples with rising production costs and increasing competition from streaming platforms. AI-generated content could potentially reduce expenses while enabling more spectacular visual effects than traditional methods allow.
Abundantia, founded in 2013 by former Viacom18 Motion Pictures chief operating officer Malhotra, has built its reputation on “uniquely Indian stories”, from the patriotic thriller Airlift to the biographical drama Shakuntala Devi. The company’s upcoming slate includes Subedaar starring Anil Kapoor and collaborations with acclaimed directors including Hansal Mehta.
Collective Artists Network has expanded rapidly through acquisitions including Under 25 Universe and Terribly Tiny Tales, positioning itself at what Subramaniam calls the convergence of “culture, creators, and technology”. The company operates Big Bang Social, a platform for brand-creator collaborations, and has launched Collective Media Network to broaden its content reach.
The Hanuman project represents more than technological experimentation—it’s a test of whether Indian audiences will embrace AI-generated storytelling for their most cherished cultural narratives. Success could open the floodgates for similar projects, while failure might reinforce traditional approaches to mythological cinema.
The 2026 release date on Hanuman Jayanti, the festival celebrating the deity’s birth, suggests producers are confident in their ability to create something worthy of such a significant cultural moment. Whether audiences agree will determine if this marks the beginning of a new era in Indian filmmaking or merely an expensive experiment.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
