The world of cinema has always thrived on disruption — from the arrival of sound to the leap into CGI and now, artificial intelligence (AI). Today, AI is not just a buzzword but a real creative tool, rewriting how stories are conceived, produced, and experienced.
AI in Filmmaking: Beyond the Hype
Over the past few years, there has been a surge of AI experiments in filmmaking. Short films, trailers, and concept projects have emerged where algorithms generate scenes, dialogues, and even animations. These works often amaze with their technical wizardry but fall short of one crucial element — emotion. Storytelling is not just about images stitched together by machines; it is about connecting deeply with the audience’s heart.
Shekhar Kapur, one of India’s most visionary filmmakers, has also spoken about this evolution. With his AI-driven project Warlord, he is pushing the boundaries of how stories can be generated and visualized. Yet, even he acknowledges the central question: can AI truly understand human feelings?
Notable AI-Generated Films Worldwide
Several filmmakers and artists have already experimented with AI to push creative boundaries:
The Frost (2023) — A surreal short film created using Stable Diffusion, showcasing eerie landscapes and dreamlike sequences but criticized for lacking narrative coherence.
Salt (2022) — A poetic AI short about a post-apocalyptic world, where AI-generated visuals bring haunting atmospheres but leave emotional depth missing.
Zone Out (2023) — A psychedelic experimental film made almost entirely with AI imagery, celebrated for its visuals but described as overwhelming and difficult to follow.
Eternal Return (2021) — An AI-assisted project exploring themes of life, death, and rebirth, notable for its artistic ambition though often abstract in presentation.
Each of these projects highlighted what AI could show but also what it struggled to make audiences feel.
Yet, while many AI-generated films focus on the novelty of the technology, very few manage to capture the human essence of storytelling. This is where the film Vishwamitra stands apart.
The Unique Journey of Vishwamitra
This question was at the heart of Vishwamitra, an AI-powered film that has begun attracting attention for its unique approach. Instead of using AI merely as a flashy gimmick, the creators treated it as a creative partner in evoking timeless emotions.
Vishwamitra tells the story of the sage’s struggle, transformation, and ultimate pursuit of truth. AI tools were used to accelerate character design, backgrounds, and scene generation, but the real achievement lay in weaving these elements into a narrative that spoke to the soul.
Unlike many AI films that feel mechanical, Vishwamitra was deliberately crafted to make the viewer feel — to empathize with the sage’s journey, to reflect on his dilemmas, and to resonate with universal themes of sacrifice and aspiration. The uniqueness of this project was not the AI itself, but how AI was guided to serve the art of storytelling.
Music and Poetry — An AI Ode
One of the most surprising aspects of the project was music. Not only did AI assist in visual creation, but it also helped compose a song — an ode that beautifully complements the story. This song, generated through AI models trained in lyrical flow and melodic patterns, was not just an add-on. It became a bridge between the ancient tale and modern audiences, showcasing how technology can enhance tradition.
By including this AI-generated ode, Vishwamitra became more than just a movie; it turned into an experiment in how art, storytelling, and technology can converge. This is something missing in most AI films today, where songs or dialogue often sound hollow. Here, the ode added depth and emotional texture — proving that AI can be a poetic collaborator, not just a mechanical assistant.
Where Others Fall Short
AI-generated movies elsewhere, though visually impressive, often struggle to balance technology with narrative. For instance, while experimental shorts in Hollywood demonstrate realistic visuals, they rarely leave audiences emotionally stirred. The missing ingredient is empathy. Vishwamitra showed that AI, when guided with intention, can indeed create stories that bind people together through emotion.
This is where the project’s uniqueness lies. It wasn’t about proving that AI can make a film — that fact is already known. Instead, it was about proving that AI, when intertwined with human creativity, can make a film that feels alive.
The Future of AI Storytelling
Looking ahead, AI will undoubtedly reshape filmmaking — from reducing costs and timelines to making advanced tools accessible to independent creators. But the real question remains: will these films resonate? The journey of Vishwamitra suggests that the answer lies in how AI is applied.
Cinema has always been about people — about what audiences feel when the lights dim, and the story unfolds. Vishwamitra demonstrates that AI can be part of that journey, as long as creators never forget that emotions are the thread that binds us together.
How AI is Changing Filmmaking: The Vishwamitra Case Study
