National Award-winning filmmaker Rajesh Mapuskar is exploring new creative ground in Indian cinema with Chiranjeevi Hanuman: The Eternal, a theatrical film developed using generative artificial intelligence while retaining a strong human-led storytelling approach.
In the evolving landscape of Indian cinema, a significant shift is unfolding behind the scenes. Rajesh Mapuskar, known for his human-centric films Ventilator and Ferrari Ki Sawaari, is venturing into a new form of filmmaking that integrates artificial intelligence into the production process. His upcoming project, Chiranjeevi Hanuman: The Eternal, experiments with generative AI as a core creative tool for a full-length theatrical release.
Scheduled for a worldwide release on Hanuman Jayanti in April 2026, the film marks a departure from conventional filmmaking methods. For Mapuskar, the use of generative AI is not driven by technological novelty. Instead, it reflects an effort to examine whether machine intelligence can work alongside human creativity to reinterpret one of India’s most enduring mythological figures.
How Generative AI Is Being Used in Filmmaking
Mapuskar frequently highlights the difference between traditional animation and generative AI, a distinction he believes is often misunderstood. Traditional animation relies on precise human control, with every movement and expression carefully designed and executed.
Generative AI introduces a degree of unpredictability.
“AI is like another brain working in parallel with you,” Mapuskar says. “It doesn’t always do what you expect, and that can open up new creative possibilities.”
He describes AI not as a rigid tool but as a responsive system capable of suggesting visual and narrative outcomes that may not emerge through conventional methods. The process, he explains, is collaborative rather than directive, with technology responding to human input rather than replacing it.
Human Workforce Remains Central
Amid widespread concerns about artificial intelligence displacing creative professionals, Chiranjeevi Hanuman offers a contrasting model. Although AI plays a central role in execution, the project is supported by a large human team.
More than 200 people are involved in the production, including around 50 engineers from the technology firm Galleri5. Writers, cultural scholars, and literary experts are also part of the team to ensure accuracy, narrative coherence, and cultural sensitivity.
Mapuskar maintains that AI reshapes workflows rather than eliminating jobs.
“AI is not going to replace human beings,” he says. “It depends on how you use it and how much control you retain.”
While AI assists with scale and efficiency, key creative decisions—such as production design, costume concepts, visual language, and emotional storytelling—remain human-led. Mapuskar continues to work closely with a Director of Photography and production designers, positioning AI as a support system rather than the creative authority.
Lessons from Earlier AI Experiments
The filmmaker’s approach has been informed by earlier AI-driven projects, including the 2025 web series Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh. Observing audience reactions to that series helped Mapuskar better understand public expectations and concerns around AI-assisted storytelling.
He acknowledges criticism from filmmakers such as Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, who have expressed reservations about AI affecting the emotional depth of cinema. Rather than dismissing these concerns, Mapuskar says they prompted him to focus more closely on character development.
In Chiranjeevi Hanuman, technology takes a secondary role to the internal journey of Hanuman, portrayed as a powerful yet uncertain figure who must rediscover his purpose. Mapuskar believes this emotional arc is essential to maintaining cinematic integrity
A New Direction for Indian Cinema
Backed by Abundantia Entertainment and Historyverse, Chiranjeevi Hanuman: The Eternal represents an effort to combine emerging technology with traditional storytelling. The project seeks to explore how ancient narratives can be reinterpreted through contemporary tools without losing their cultural and emotional grounding.
As interest in AI-driven filmmaking grows, Mapuskar remains focused on the human foundations of cinema. Language, cultural memory, lived experience, and collaboration, he argues, remain beyond automation.
By integrating AI as a creative partner rather than a replacement, Mapuskar is contributing to an evolving filmmaking approach that connects traditional mythology with modern technology while keeping human storytelling at its core.
