Ghai backs Ramayana; AI can bring ₹100 cr films to ₹10 cr

At the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2026, Subhash Ghai used a session titled AI, OTT and the New Rules of Storytelling to make a larger point about Bollywood. The technology around filmmaking may be changing fast, but he argued that the emotional core of a film is not up for negotiation.

A vote of confidence for Ramayana

Ghai backed Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming two-part adaptation of the Ramayana. He told the audience that “content will always remain the king,” and said the project is in strong hands because it has a good director and storyteller, alongside a big budget and generous backing.

The first instalment is scheduled for around Diwali 2026. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi plays Sita and Yash plays Ravana. The larger cast includes Sunny Deol, Lara Dutta, Vivek Oberoi and Kajal Aggarwal, with Namit Malhotra producing.

• Director: Nitesh Tiwari
• Producer: Namit Malhotra
• Leads: Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash
• Release: Part 1, around Diwali 2026

The budget number that changes the game

Ghai’s most striking claim was financial. He suggested that films which once needed ₹100 crore could eventually be made for ₹10 crore with the help of artificial intelligence. It is not a small efficiency gain; it is a tenfold reduction that could widen the gate for new filmmakers.

His advice to the next generation was direct: learn AI, understand it, and use it to make filmmaking more accessible. But he was equally clear that the technology will not replace the person behind the camera.

“Whatever technology may come, it will always need a good director, a storyteller,” Ghai said. “That will always be there for 200 years.”

Why story and emotion outlast every tool

Ghai pointed to the epics as proof of storytelling’s shelf life. The Ramayana and Mahabharata have moved from stage and Ramleela to cinema, television and tech-driven productions without losing their central themes. He put it bluntly: “You will not turn Ram into Ravan in Ramayana. The story will remain the same, the emotions will remain the same.”

He also drew a clean line between writing and direction. A writer tells the story through the pen; a director communicates it through the camera. AI may make the camera cheaper or more powerful, but it does not remove the need for that act of communication.

A legacy built on scale

Ghai’s own filmography is a useful reference here. Karz, Hero, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Pardes and Taal were built on scale, music and characters that stayed with audiences. His daughter, Meghana Ghai Puri, also spoke at the conclave about the challenges and responsibilities of carrying that legacy forward.

For Bollywood fans, the takeaway is practical. Watch Ramayana for the scale, but also for whether Tiwari’s storytelling holds the emotional line Ghai is betting on.

Source: The Times of India