Eros Media World plans to return the 2013 romance Raanjhaana to Tamil Nadu screens on 1 August, marketing the rerelease—retitled Ambikapathy—as “AI‑powered” and swapping the original death scene for a happy epilogue in which Dhanush’s Kundan survives.
The initial cut, directed by Aanand L Rai and starring Sonam Kapoor opposite Dhanush, concluded with Kundan’s fatal shooting after a political rally, a finale many viewers considered central to the film’s emotional punch and box‑office success.
Rai said he discovered the change online and called the move “dystopian,” adding that he will ask for his credit to be removed and is exploring legal action; both leads have privately voiced unease, according to Hindi‑language press reports.
Eros chief executive Pradeep Dwivedi countered that the producer owns full authorship rights and is testing AI across a library of 3,000 titles, promising that posters will flag the alternative cut and audiences can still watch the original version.
The Film Directors Association warned that the case exposes gaps in contracts that may let owners rewrite finished works, while copyright lawyers noted Indian law grants producers sweeping powers yet does not address machine‑generated revisions, leaving moral rights in a grey zone.
Ethics commentators argue that retrofitting hits to modern taste risks erasing hard‑won social commentary, a concern amplified by the film’s portrayal of interfaith relationships, which some scholars say could be softened in the AI version.
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Analysts add that although Hollywood has experimented with AI for dubbing and de‑aging, no major studio has yet replaced an ending for theatrical release, making Ambikapathy a potential global first and a litmus test for authorial control in the age of generative tools.
