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Anurag Kashyap slams AI film Chiranjeevi Hanuman, calls producers 'spineless and cowardly'
Anurag Kashyap criticised Vijay Subramaniam and Vikram Malhotra for backing Chiranjeevi Hanuman - The Eternal, India’s first AI-generated feature film, calling it a threat to artists and creators.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has sharply criticised Vijay Subramaniam and Vikram Malhotra for producing Chiranjeevi Hanuman - The Eternal, which the makers describe as India’s first AI-generated, theatrically positioned feature film. In a blunt Instagram post, Kashyap accused Subramaniam, founder and group CEO of Collective Artists Network, of putting commercial interests above artists’ livelihoods.
“Congratulations @vijaysubramaniam84. Here is the man heading the @lifeatcollectiveartistsnetwork that represents artists, writer, directors, now producing a film made by AI,” Anurag Kashyap wrote. “So much for looking after and representing the interests of creators.”
He added: “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.”
What the film is and who’s behind it
Chiranjeevi Hanuman - The Eternal is being developed by Collective Artists Network’s tech arm Galleri5 in partnership with Abundantia Entertainment. The project reportedly involves a team of more than 50 engineers working with cultural scholars and literary experts to recreate stories from the Ramayaṇa and Puraṇic texts using AI. Makers say the film will release worldwide on Hanuman Jayanti in 2026.
Industry voices raise concerns
Other filmmakers have voiced unease. Director Vikramaditya Motwane wrote on social media: “And so it begins…Who TF needs writers and directors when it’s ‘Made in AI'.” Earlier controversies have also stirred debate. Director Aanand L. Rai criticised an AI-altered version of his film Raanjhanaa, calling it “unauthorised” and “an abject betrayal” of the original work, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Critics say AI-made films challenge the role and earnings of actors, writers and directors. Kashyap accused talent agencies of prioritising profit, writing that agencies “are only interested in making money off you” and suggesting artists should question or leave agencies that back AI productions. The absence of a listed director or editor on the project has intensified those concerns.
