Ram’s ‘Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai’ under fire for extensive use of AI
Chennai: Director Ram’s much-delayed chamber drama Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai has sparked debate for its extensive use of generative AI in filmmaking.
Critics have pointed out that AI-generated visuals appear almost every fifth minute during the first half of the film, with what they describe as “AI slop” running like a parallel narrative.
The use of AI has been called ironic, given the film’s core message that all lives are important and that all life forms deserve kindness. Reviewers questioned how an AI-generated elephant or rabbit could convey such a message effectively.
Generative Artificial Intelligence has become intertwined with daily life, but its use in filmmaking remains a conscious choice, critics argue. Even as films continue to be made with traditional methods and human-made CGI and VFX tools, concerns about AI taking over filmmaking are growing.
Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai, which has faced multiple delays, was expected to be a return to Ram’s signature humanist storytelling, but the AI visuals have become the central talking point since its release.
