With Chiranjeevi Hanuman  — The Eternal hurtling towards a theatrical release next year, director Rajesh Mapuskar is navigating both deadlines and debate. The AI-powered film has drawn sharp criticism from filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, but Mapuskar insists the conversation around artificial intelligence in cinema needs nuance — not fear.

“There’s pressure of releasing the film next year, and resistance towards AI from the fraternity,” Mapuskar admits. “But there’s also excitement of using a new medium to tell a story.”