A fresh debate has gripped the Indian film industry regarding the quality of visual effects and computer-generated imagery in modern movies. As soon as a major mega-budget film drops its teaser or trailer, social media platforms witness immediate trolling over individual frames. CB Arun Kumar, a National Award-winning expert boasting 30 years of extensive experience in the animation industry, has voiced serious concern over this rising online trend.
He has spoken at length about why today's audiences immediately begin questioning the visuals of major upcoming projects like Ramayana and Jailer 2.
How Every Viewer Became a Critic
During an interview discussion, CB Arun Kumar recalled that when he began working in the 1980s, the mediums available for viewing content were extremely limited. People either watched movies inside cinema halls or relied on a single government television channel. During that era, the number of people reviewing films was also very small. However, with the advent of the internet, DVDs, and digital streaming platforms, content is now readily available in everyone's hands. Today, virtually every single viewer acts as an independent film critic, closely examining every minor scene on screen.
Blaming AI for Every Flawed Shot
Nowadays, if any scene in a movie looks unconvincing, people immediately claim it was generated using artificial intelligence. According to the animation expert, this mindset is entirely incorrect. When a visual fails to impress, slapping a direct AI label on it is a severe injustice to the hard work put in by traditional VFX artists. He advised filmmakers to showcase behind-the-scenes footage to the public so viewers can appreciate the genuine effort involved and place their trust back in the creators.
Even Christopher Nolan Must Clarify
Public skepticism has escalated to such an extent that even Hollywood veteran director Christopher Nolan has to put in extra effort. He is often forced to prove that the scenes featured in his movies were shot practically rather than being created through computer graphics. According to Arun Kumar, artificial intelligence is continuously training itself by copying older VFX shots. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly difficult for regular moviegoers to distinguish between genuine visual effects and AI-generated content.
The Growing Challenges Ahead
Issuing a warning about the future, he noted that as the adoption of artificial intelligence technology expands, this issue will only deepen further. AI possesses the capability to easily replicate any visual crafted by humans. Under such circumstances, the biggest challenge for filmmakers will be delivering fresh and engaging content to audiences to maintain their faith in the cinematic experience.
