Reuters: Bollywood tests AI to rewrite film endings, reshape storytelling

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly significant role in Indian film production, Reuters reports, citing directors, producers, and studio executives using AI in filmmaking.

In Bollywood, AI is applied across multiple stages of production, including editing, modifying actors’ facial expressions for dubbing into different languages, generating graphics, and even altering film endings. India produces more films than any other country, making these innovations particularly impactful.

The use of AI is also reshaping the economics of filmmaking by shortening production timelines. For example, Indian startup NeuralGarage uses AI to translate films into multiple languages, adjusting actors’ facial expressions and lip movements to match dubbed dialogue more naturally.

In another case, Indian production company Eros Media World re-released the previously popular film Raanjhanaa with an AI-altered ending, changing its tragic conclusion to a happy one. The re-release proved successful, with attendance in August 2025 averaging 12% higher than for other films, according to Reuters.

Studios experimenting with AI often apply the technology in fantasy films based on ancient mythology, a genre that remains highly popular in India. “AI is slashing production costs to one-fifth of what they used to be for traditional filmmaking in genres such as mythology and fantasy,” said Rahul Regulapati, head of AI studio at Collective.

Indian studios are increasingly adopting AI in response to declining cinema attendance. This approach contrasts sharply with Hollywood, where AI use remains more limited due to concerns over job losses and union restrictions.

An analysis by consulting firm EY suggests that, in the medium term, AI could increase revenues of India’s media and entertainment companies by 10% while reducing costs by 15%.

By Jeyhun Aghazada