Ranbir Kapoor: AI is a filmmaking tool, not a replacement
Ranbir Kapoor and Yash say AI belongs alongside VFX and lenses as a tool, but human storytelling can't be replaced. Ramayana opens November 5, 2026.
Ranbir Kapoor is making space for AI in the filmmaking toolkit—with one clear boundary. As Ramayana gears up for its worldwide release on November 5, 2026, the actor told BBC News that technology can sharpen a film, but it cannot carry its soul.
“Art is always more personal when there is a human touch to it.”
His point is practical, not anti-tech. AI, he said, belongs in the same category as VFX and camera lenses: tools that improve the making of a film. What it cannot do is replace the human work of storytelling, art and performance.
Ramayana co-star Yash took a more cautious line. For him, the industry has to remember how many people stand behind a frame, and apply AI only where that human chain is respected.
Why this matters as Ramayana opens
The conversation lands at a sensitive moment. The Ramayana teaser has drawn both praise and concern for its VFX and large-scale world-building. So when its lead actors talk about AI, they are speaking directly to an audience already debating the film’s craft.
Ranbir’s framing is useful because it lowers the temperature. Instead of treating AI as an all-or-nothing replacement for actors, he places it on the same shelf as lenses and VFX. That keeps the conversation about craft, not panic. Yash’s warning adds the industry layer: jobs, artists and technicians sit behind every decision to automate.
The core points from their sit-down:
- Ranbir’s stance: AI is a filmmaking aid, similar to VFX or lenses.
- Ranbir’s line: The medium of storytelling and performing art cannot be replaced by AI.
- Yash’s caution: Use AI responsibly, because human livelihoods and contributions are involved.
- Yash’s hope: Creators will make something even a machine would struggle with.
For the 18-35 Indian entertainment fan, the AI question is not abstract. It will decide how quickly VFX-heavy epics like Ramayana are made, how actors are cast or de-aged, and how music and background scores get produced. If the industry follows Ranbir and Yash, the aim is augmentation, not substitution.
Release dates and what happens next
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana is a two-part adaptation of the epic. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, and Yash plays Ravana. The first part opens in cinemas worldwide on November 5, 2026, with the second expected around Diwali 2027.
Ranbir also addressed the trolling around the film’s VFX and music by quoting the classic line, “Kuchh to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna.” His rule: focus on people who care about the work, the intention and the kindness behind it. For fans, that means the real test of Ramayana will be whether its human core lands when the VFX settles on screen.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
The room talks
0 comments