Producer Ravi Shankar says youth are polluted by AI deepfakes, calls for films like Hanuman Ansh

Film producer Ravi Shankar of Mythri Movie Makers announced the Telugu release date of the sleeper hit Hanuman Ansh for October 9 while speaking to the press in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Ravi, who is distributing the Telugu version through Mythri Movie Distributors LLP in Nizam, stated that films like Hanuman Ansh are much-needed to instil a 'fear of God' in people.

Social Media and AI

Addressing the state of social media, Ravi said it has become easy for people to sling mud at each other and that the misuse of artificial intelligence to create realistic deepfakes has left no one knowing what is real or fake. He remarked that the youth have become polluted both online and otherwise. This follows recent events where Peddi actor Janhvi Kapoor fell prey to an objectionable deepfake made using the song Chuttamalle from Devara. Her co-star Jr NTR called the creators disgusting, sick, and shameless, promising legal action and urging governments to impose strict AI regulations. Janhvi also issued a statement calling it a serious violation and criminal misuse of technology comparable to sexual assault. Other actors including Khushbu Sundar, Vijay Deverakonda, Ram Pothineni, and Chiranjeevi also condemned the deepfake.

Box Office Success

Comparing film budgets and earnings, Ravi pointed out that a film with a ₹2 crore investment grossing ₹400 crore in collections is like a slap in the face when huge budgets often fail to yield similar results. He called it a real pan-Indian film and urged filmmakers to release movies in all languages wherever possible, noting that Hanuman Ansh is a massive commercial success that also conveys a message and shows God and reality. Mythri Movie Makers has previously produced hits like Srimanthudu, Rangasthalam, and Pushpa.

Context

Artificial intelligence deepfakes have emerged as a growing concern for the entertainment industry, prompting public figures to speak out against non-consensual digital manipulation. Low-budget films occasionally achieve massive box-office success, sparking industry discussions about audience preferences and distribution strategies.