Lokesh Kanagaraj: 'We used AI for Rajinikanth's sir's de-ageing portions in Coolie…'

Lokesh Kanagaraj participated in the SSVM Transforming India Conclave 2025 in Coimbatore on Monday. At the event, he opened up about using AI for the de-ageing scene in Rajinikanth's Coolie, while also generally talking about how he uses AI.

Lokesh was confident that AI can never replace humans, especially in cinema. "I am neither against nor into AI. A story can only be written by a human, not by AI," he said, adding that if he had to take the help of AI, he might enlist its help for casting.

Further, opening up about using AI in filmmaking, he said, "In the flashback sequence for Coolie, Rajinikanth sir performed that scene, and we used de-ageing technology to show his younger self. But his voice was recreated using AI. The best part about using AI is that there is no feedback or opinion; it does what we say."

When asked about how AI is being feared due to its potential of replacing humans, he explained, "AI is helpful to me in few ways. It helps me with references. It is also helpful for pre-visualisation. In the past, we always used storyboards for this. An artist would physically sit and draw 600 to 700 frames. Now, with AI, the process is simplified, as it does the same thing in two days. Whereas, an artist would take at least 10 to 15 days. However, this does not mean that the livelihood of an artist would cease to exist. We will continue to use them in other areas."

Reiterating that AI cannot replace humans, he affirmed, "There is no chance that AI can write a script as good as a human being. Emotions are human, and that cannot be generated by a machine. It is best to use AI as an assistant, understanding its strengths."

Coolie hit theatres on August 14 and opened to mixed reviews. The film also stars Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Rachita Ram, Sathyaraj, and Upendra, with cameos from Pooja Hegde and Aamir Khan. In its third week, the film is inching towards Rs 300 crores.