Ranbir Kapoor and Yash on AI in Cinema Ahead of Ramayana Release

As the release of Ramayana draws closer, its two leading stars have used the moment to talk about something much bigger than one film: the future of cinema itself, and the place of artificial intelligence in it. Actors Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, who are promoting Ramayana, spoke to BBC News about how AI should, and should not, be used in filmmaking.

Their message was balanced and thoughtful. They did not dismiss new technology, and they did not praise it without limits. Instead, they described AI as a tool, similar to visual effects or a camera lens, that can help filmmakers tell stories better. At the same time, they were clear that technology cannot replace the human heart of cinema: storytelling and performance.

That conversation matters because Ramayana is one of the most ambitious Indian films in recent years. It is a two-part adaptation of the Indian epic, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, and Yash plays Ravana. With a huge scale, detailed world building, and teaser visuals that have drawn wide discussion, the film is already a major talking point before part one reaches cinemas.

A Human Touch at the Heart of Cinema

Ranbir Kapoor made a point that many actors and film lovers will recognise at once. He said art is always more personal when there is a human touch. In other words, a performance feels real because a real person felt something, made a choice, and brought their own life experience to the role. A machine can copy a face or a voice, but it cannot live a life, and it cannot understand grief, love, duty, or sacrifice in the way a human actor can.

That idea is especially important for Ramayana. The epic is not just a story of battles and kingdoms. It is a story of duty, family, loyalty, exile, and moral choice. Lord Rama’s journey only moves audiences if viewers believe in the man making those choices. Sai Pallavi’s Sita and Yash’s Ravana also depend on emotional depth, not just visual spectacle. No amount of computer imagery can create that depth on its own.

Ranbir’s view does not reject technology. He compared AI to visual effects, known as VFX, and to camera lenses. Both are tools that filmmakers have used for decades to create worlds that could not be filmed in real life. A lens can change how a scene feels. VFX can build a palace, a forest, or an army. In the same way, AI can help with planning, design, and finishing touches. The key, in his view, is that the tool serves the story, not the other way around.

AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

Both Ranbir and Yash stressed responsible use of AI. That phrase covers a lot of ground in today’s film industry. It can mean being honest with audiences about what is real and what is created. It can mean protecting actors’ voices and faces from being used without permission. It can also mean making sure that new tools create jobs and support craftspeople, rather than quietly replacing them.

For large films like Ramayana, technology already plays a huge role. The teaser visuals and the large scale world building have drawn wide discussion online, with fans praising the look of the film and debating how the ancient world has been brought to life. Building such a world takes artists, designers, costume makers, set builders, and VFX teams working together. AI might help those teams work faster or test ideas more quickly, but the vision still starts with human directors, writers, and performers.

That balanced view is helpful for the wider debate in cinema. Some people worry that AI will make films feel cold or fake. Others hope it will let smaller filmmakers create bigger worlds on smaller budgets. The truth, as Ranbir and Yash suggest, is likely in the middle. Used with care, AI can open new creative doors. Used without care, it can weaken trust between filmmakers and audiences. The choice belongs to the people making the films.

Why Ramayana Is the Right Film for This Debate

Ramayana is a story that almost every Indian audience knows, and many audiences around the world know it too. That familiarity raises the stakes. Fans have strong feelings about how Rama, Sita, and Ravana should look, speak, and behave. A film that gets the emotion wrong will be criticised no matter how good the visuals are. A film that gets the emotion right can become a shared cultural moment.

The casting itself tells that story. Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama brings a quiet, thoughtful screen presence that many fans associate with restraint and duty. Sai Pallavi as Sita brings warmth and strength, qualities that are central to the character. Yash as Ravana brings screen power and intensity, which is essential for a villain who must feel both frightening and complex. Together, they carry the human side of a story that also needs huge visual scale.

Director Nitesh Tiwari has experience with large, emotional stories, and producer Namit Malhotra has a background in visual effects and large scale production. That combination suggests a film that aims for both spectacle and feeling. Part one releases worldwide on November 5, 2026, and part two is expected around Diwali 2027. That gap gives audiences time to absorb the first part, debate it, and look forward to the conclusion.

The two-part structure also fits the epic. Ramayana is too large for one film without rushing key moments. Splitting it allows time for character, for relationships, and for the moral questions at the heart of the story. It also allows the filmmakers to build their world carefully across two releases, rather than trying to fit everything into a single sitting.

What Responsible AI Use Could Look Like

Responsible use is easy to say and harder to define, but the conversation around Ramayana gives some useful clues. First, it means keeping actors at the centre. If an actor performs a scene, that performance should remain theirs. Technology should support it, not replace it with a synthetic copy without clear consent and fair payment.

Second, it means honesty with audiences. Viewers deserve to know when they are watching a real performance and when a scene has been heavily created or changed by technology. That honesty builds trust, especially for stories based on history, myth, or real life, where audiences care deeply about authenticity.

Third, it means respect for craft. Cinema depends on writers, musicians, costume designers, editors, and hundreds of other skilled people. If AI is used to support those crafts, it can help them do better work. If it is used simply to cut them out, the film industry loses the very human skills that make films worth watching.

Finally, responsible use means remembering why people go to the cinema. They go to feel something together, in a dark room, with strangers, watching a story unfold. Technology can make that experience bigger and more vivid, but it cannot replace the shared human feeling that makes cinema special. That is the heart of what Ranbir and Yash appear to be saying.

The Bigger Picture for Indian Cinema

Indian cinema is at an exciting point. Films are reaching global audiences more than ever before, streaming has widened access, and large scale productions are competing with Hollywood for visual ambition. At the same time, Indian stories, myths, and family dramas remain deeply rooted in local culture. That mix of global scale and local heart is part of what makes films like Ramayana so interesting.

AI will be part of that future, whether filmmakers like it or not. It is already used in editing, sound, translation, marketing, and visual effects. The question is not whether AI will be used, but how. The views shared by Ranbir and Yash suggest a path that many filmmakers may follow: use the best tools available, but protect performance, protect storytelling, and protect the human connection that makes a film matter.

There is also a brief note for film fans following other releases. The India release of Godzilla Minus Zero was postponed to November 20 amid Ramayana’s IMAX run. That detail shows just how large Ramayana’s cinema footprint is expected to be in its opening weeks, with premium screens in high demand. For audiences, it means planning ahead if they want to see either film on the big screen.

For now, the focus stays on November 5, 2026. That is when audiences will finally judge Ramayana for themselves, not just on its teaser or its scale, but on its performances, its emotion, and its storytelling. If the film succeeds on those human terms, it will also prove the point its stars have been making: technology can build a world, but only people can make audiences care about it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Ranbir Kapoor say about AI in filmmaking?

Ranbir said art is always more personal when there is a human touch. He described AI as a tool, like VFX or camera lenses, that can help filmmaking but cannot replace storytelling and performing arts.

Who plays the main roles in Ramayana?

Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, and Yash plays Ravana. The film is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra.

When does Ramayana release?

Part one releases worldwide on November 5, 2026. Part two is expected around Diwali 2027.

Did Ranbir and Yash reject AI completely?

No. Both stressed responsible use. They presented AI as a helpful tool for filmmaking, not as a replacement for human actors, writers, and storytellers.

Final Thoughts

The conversation around Ramayana and AI feels timely because it comes just before a film that depends on both human emotion and huge visual scale. Ranbir Kapoor and Yash have not offered a simple yes or no to new technology. They have offered something more useful: a reminder that tools should serve stories, and stories should serve people.

If Ramayana succeeds, it will likely succeed because audiences believe in Rama, Sita, and Ravana as people, not just as images on a screen. That belief comes from performance, direction, writing, and craft. AI may help build the world around them, but the heart of the film will remain human. That is a hopeful message for cinema, and one worth remembering as technology keeps changing how films are made. Read more stories like this on The Akron Magazine, and find related coverage on BBC News.