Bollywood vs AI: Anurag Kashyap Slams Vijay Subramaniam Over AI-Generated Film

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap launches a scathing attack on Vijay Subramaniam for backing India’s first “Made-in-AI” film, questioning the future of creativity in cinema.

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Mumbai, August 20: The announcement of India’s first AI-generated film, Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal, has triggered a storm in Bollywood, with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap leading the charge against producer Vijay Subramaniam.

Backed by Abundantia Entertainment and Collective Media Network’s Historyverse, the project is being promoted as a “Made-in-AI, Made-in-India” theatrical release, slated for Hanuman Jayanti 2026. But while the poster has caught attention, it has also drawn sharp criticism from artists who see it as a threat to human creativity.

Taking to Instagram, Kashyap launched a fiery attack on Subramaniam, who is also the head of a talent agency representing writers, directors, and actors. In his post, the filmmaker accused Subramaniam of prioritizing profits over creativity, adding that such moves only prove how undervalued real artists have become.

“Congratulations @vijaysubramaniam84. Here is the man heading @lifeatcollectiveartistsnetwork that represents artists, writers, and directors, now producing a film made by AI. So much for looking after and representing the interests of creators,” Kashyap wrote, dripping with sarcasm.

Kashyap did not mince his words. He urged actors and creators to take a stand, saying anyone with “a spine” should either question or leave the agency. He went on to accuse Subramaniam of believing that “artists are no match for AI,” calling the move “a future for the spineless and cowardly so-called artists” in the Hindi film industry.

“Any actor or anyone who calls themselves artists and has a spine will be and should be either questioning him or leaving the agency since he has proved that he thinks you’re no match for his AI performance. This right here is the future for the spineless and cowardly so-called artists in the Hindi Film industry. Well done Vijay Subramaniam. Shame is not enough on you. You should be in the gutter,” Kashyap added bluntly.

Kashyap’s remarks came just hours after filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane also expressed his disapproval. Sharing the film’s poster on Instagram, Motwane wrote, “And so it begins… Who TF needs writers and directors when it’s ‘Made in AI’.”

The debate raises larger questions about the role of artificial intelligence in storytelling. While the makers of Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal are calling it a groundbreaking “first-of-its-kind avatar,” artists like Kashyap and Motwane warn that it may signal a worrying future for human creativity in Indian cinema.