Artificial intelligence is expanding beyond short-form experimental media and stepping directly into mainstream feature filmmaking. In a notable entertainment partnership, production company Waveband Production has teamed up with artificial intelligence filmmaking startup Koyel to develop Jamlok, which they describe as the world's first AI-powered horror movie. The debut promotional poster for the cinematic venture was officially presented on Saturday at the Uncanny India gathering hosted inside the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
Blending Human Performance with Algorithmic Generation
The makers intend to distribute the horror feature across multiple regional languages, with active casting discussions currently underway to onboard notable performers from both Bollywood and the Tollywood film industries. Waveband Production previously delivered commercial projects including Masti 4, while Koyel is supported by the American startup accelerator Y Combinator. The production unit has set an ambitious target of completing the entire feature film in roughly three months.
From an execution perspective, the film will rely on a hybrid pipeline combining genuine acting with computer-generated visual environments. Mehul Agrawal, co-founder and chief executive officer of Koyel, stated,
यह दुनिया की पहली AI हॉरर फिल्म होगी।He explained that emotional storytelling beats and nuanced character interactions will feature live human performers. In contrast, complex digital backgrounds, virtual film sets, background crowds, visual styling, and costuming elements will be handled primarily through algorithmic tools. The physical features and likeness of the lead cast members will also be processed digitally during the production phase. The unveiling ceremony was attended by Waveband Production's Amar Jhunjhunwala along with co-founder Shikha Karan Ahluwalia.
Creative Showcase at the Uncanny India Festival
The New Delhi conference marked the inaugural Indian edition of Koyel's Uncanny Valley Fest. The gathering brought together traditional filmmakers, digital content producers, university students, and technology specialists under a single roof. A core highlight of the festival was an intensive creation contest where participants generated working films within a single day using generative tools. The submitted works were categorized into commercial advertisements, music videos, and independent short films, culminating in the theatrical screening of nine shortlisted final entries. Earlier iterations of this festival took place in San Francisco under Y Combinator, at the SXSW gathering in Austin, and at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Industry Juries and Panel Deliberations
An experienced judging panel evaluated the submissions across all categories. The commercial advertisement section was reviewed by Crayons Advertising's Sameer Datar alongside Astra Studios specialist Rajarajan Ramakrishnan. Submissions in the music video segment were scrutinized by Jaideep Singh representing Offbeat Media Group and Anupam Siddhant from Bombay Local. The short film jury featured Annapurna Studios chief technology officer CV Rao, Amar Chitra Katha chief executive officer Aman Srivastava, and Waveband Production's Shikha Karan Ahluwalia.
Debating the Future of Storytelling and Production Workflows
The conference also staged two structured panel discussions examining cultural identity and changing cinema pipelines. The initial session, titled The India Narrative: AI, Culture and Influence, featured Think School founder Ganesh Prasad, Audacity Venture Capital's Kabir Kochhar, Sameer Datar, Jaideep Singh, and Tata 1mg leader Prashant Tandon. Discussions centered on how computational tools can amplify local folklore and traditional storytelling traditions.
A second panel, Production Re-Written: Bending the Rules of Filmmaking, analyzed structural operational changes taking place inside film studios. Participants included Shikha Karan Ahluwalia, Humans of Cinema representative Harshit Bansal, Anupam Siddhant, and Rajarajan Ramakrishnan. Notable technology content creator Gaurav Chaudhary, widely known as Technical Guruji, participated in a dedicated spotlight conversation. CV Rao and Aman Srivastava further articulated how cinematic methods must evolve alongside software tools. The culminating ceremony featured remarks from Harikishore S., Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, along with other dignitaries.
Deployment of Koyel 3.0 Platform and Studio Portfolio
During the gathering, the developer collective also introduced the latest edition of its proprietary generation suite, Koyel 3.0. According to system specifications provided by the company, the software environment can convert text screenplays or spoken voice tracks directly into structured cinematic video scenes. Special architectural focus was placed on maintaining rigorous visual continuity for character appearances and environment lighting across cuts.
Koyel was established by sibling founders Mehul Agrawal and Gauri Agrawal. Prior to moving into long-form narrative features, the outfit collaborated with prominent entertainment and recording companies including T-Series, Universal Music, and Maddock. The team has also produced visual music projects featuring renowned recording artists AR Rahman, Shankar Mahadevan, and Ricky Kej.
