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Raanjhanaa AI ending controversy: Who really owns a story once it's told—the creator, the studio, or the audience?
Raanjhanaa, the 2013 musical romantic drama, which marked the Bollywood debut of Kollywood star Dhanush, co-starring Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub among others, has been making headlines for its AI-altered ending during its re-release.
Production house, Eros International, is behind this step, and this has disappointed Dhanush and Aanand L Rai, who are even planning to take a legal route to save the creative essence of the film.
'I am very worried about my other films. So is Dhanush. We are actively looking at judicial remedies to restore and preserve our creative content from such extraneous interventions,' Aanand L Rai stated.
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Dhanush also shared a strong statement showing his disapproval of the AI-altered ending as he wrote, 'The re-release of Raanjhanaa with an AI-altered climax has completely disturbed me. This alternate ending has stripped the film of its very soul, and the concerned parties went ahead with it despite my clear objection.'
'This is not the film I committed to 12 years ago. The use of AI to alter films or content is a deeply concerning precedent for both art and artists. It threatens the integrity of storytelling and the legacy of cinema. I sincerely hope that stricter regulations are put in place to prevent such practices in the future,' he added.
What Eros said about the AI-generated climax
In their official statement, Eros said, 'Eros strongly objects to the illegal and misleading attempt by Mr. Aanand L. Rai and Colour Yellow Productions to position the upcoming film Tere Ishq Mein as part of the 'world of Raanjhanaa', despite having no legal rights, approvals, or IP ownership to do so.'
The statement added, 'Eros has formally issued a Cease & Desist notice dated July 25, 2025, demanding that all parties immediately cease unauthorised references, marketing, and creative use of any derivative elements of Raanjhanaa. The same has also been caveated to all leading OTT & Streaming Services to prevent any continued misrepresentation, as this act represents a clear violation of Eros's exclusive copyright and intellectual property.'
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They also state, 'It does not replace or alter the original Raanjhanaa, which remains untouched and widely available across all platforms. This version is part of a global and longstanding tradition in cinema of offering alternate edits, localised adaptations, and anniversary re-releases.'
The biggest question remains: who owns Raanjhanaa? The production house, the director (who shaped the film) or the audience (who made the film iconic and a cult classic). Well, unfortunately, the entertainment industry laws are still outdated in the country as it gives almost all the rights to the studio or production house, which, the majority of the time, becomes unfair for the creators and artists, as in the scenario of Raanjhanaa.
While Eros might have legal power or they are legally right to change the climax with AI, as they own all the rights, but do you think they are ethically right?
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