Karan Johar Defends Aanand L Rai, Criticizes AI-Altered Raanjhanaa Release

Karan Johar speaks on production ethics in film re-releases

During a discussion with Komal Nahta on his YouTube channel Game Changers, Karan Johar shared his insights on re-releasing films with modified endings. He stated, “This should now be contractual. If the producer owns 100% of the film, then they can do whatever they like, but they must confront the moral implications.” He emphasized the importance of consulting the original director before altering a film’s vision.

He further noted, “You should contact Aanand L. Rai, whose vision the film is based on. It’s your moral obligation. What’s the point of changing it? That film didn’t perform that well commercially. It feels inauthentic.” Karan advocated for more responsible use of AI in filmmaking, asserting that it could eventually replace traditional VFX methods and potentially lower production costs.

Context of Raanjhanaa’s AI-altered ending

In the original film, Dhanush’s character Kundan is shot and taken to the ICU, where Zoya comes to be with him in his final moments. The AI-altered version, however, depicts Kundan waking up instead of dying, creating a more cheerful outcome.

On July 29, the studio defended the AI alteration, asserting it was a “legal reinterpretation” in the face of criticism from Aanand and the film’s cast, who voiced concerns about compromising the film’s integrity. Both Dhanush and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub joined the outcry, remarking that the AI-altered ending stripped the film’s essence.