Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane call out makers of AI-generated film Chiranjeevi Hanuman

On Tuesday, Collective Artists Network unveiled the poster of its first-of-its-kind AI-made movie titled Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal. The film-touted as ‘Made-in-AI’ and ‘Made in India’ is set to release on Hanuman Jayanti 2026. However, the film’s announcement has met with sharp criticism from directors like Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap, who have hit out at the film’s producer, Vijay Subramaniam, for backing an AI-generated film while heading an artists' agency.

Kashyap and Motwane both took to Instagram to criticise the Artists Network for creating a film completely based on AI and not employing animators and voice artists.

Anurag Kashyap's scathing Instagram post read as, "Congratulations @vijaysubramaniam84. Here is the man heading the @lifeatcollectiveartistsnetwork that represents artists, writers, and directors, now producing a film made by AI. So much for looking after and representing the interests of creators. End of the day, all these agencies are only interested in making money off you, and since they choose turkeys after turkeys for you and you're not making enough for them, they are going all AI."

Kashyap also 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 for you. You should be in the gutter."

Chiranjeevi Hanuman - The Eternal's Announcement Post

Production house Abundantia Entertainment unveiled the poster of their first full "Made-In-AI" film on Tuesday on social media. The poster was accompanied with the caption that read as, “Proud and honoured to bring the timeless story of 'Chiranjeevi Hanuman - The Eternal', to theatres, in a first-of-its-kind, 'Made-In-AI', 'Made-In-India' avatar. With deep reverence for our culture, heritage and history, we are set to release this innovative spectacle in theatres on Hanuman Jayanti 2026."

Vikramaditya Motwane's Reaction

Before Kashyap’s scathing post, filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane too took a subtle dig at the film’s AI-generated animation. He re-shared the announcement post of Chiranjeevi Hanuman - The Eternal in his Instagram stories and wrote, "And so it begins... Who TF needs writers and directors when it's 'Made in AI'?"

The criticism from the two directors comes weeks after Aanand L Rai and Dhanush openly criticized the AI-altered ending of their film Raanjhana which was re-released by Eros- the producers. The growing dominance of AI in filmmaking is being seen by many as a threat to real talent.