Baahubali producer Shobu Yarlagadda has weighed in on the ongoing conversation around artificial intelligence in cinema on social media, cautioning against the belief that technology alone can turn everyone into a master director.
Responding to Abacus AI CEO Bindu Reddy’s post calling AI tools the “democratisation of Hollywood”, Shobu offered a more critical take. “Sorry to say this but IMHO ‘we can all be directors’ is probably true,” he wrote, “but to think that everyone can be a Spielberg or JJ Abrams is a fallacy! They are who they are because of creative brilliance and unique voice, not because of money or tools they had access to!”
He went on to add that while technology can help creative minds express themselves more professionally than ever before, greatness in filmmaking cannot simply be automated. “If anything these tools will raise the bar of creativity even more!” he concluded.
The timing of Shobu’s comments is particularly fitting, as he is once again preparing to unleash one of India’s most ambitious cinematic spectacles onto the big screen. Baahubali: The Epic, a five-hour cut combining Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), is set for a worldwide re-release on October 31, marking ten years since the franchise first began its journey.
Directed by SS Rajamouli, the original films not only redefined Indian cinema with their scale and world-building but also became global phenomena, with the sequel crossing Rs 1,800 crore worldwide. Starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah Bhatia alongside Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj and Nassar, the two-parter won both critical acclaim and commercial glory, including a National Award for Best Feature Film.
Rajamouli himself described the re-release as a way to revisit “ten years of journeys, memories and inspiration.” For audiences, it is a chance to relive the spectacle in one sitting or discover it afresh on the big screen.
