The Tamil-dubbed version of Dhanush's Raanjhanaa, named Ambikapathy featuring Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor in Lead roles. It was released in cinemas on August 1, 2025, with an AI-generated alternative ending wherein Kundan (Dhanush) survives instead of dying at the tragic conclusion; hence unfolded some needless controversies as the video of the climax became a sensation on social media.

AI Altered Raanjhanaa's Tamil Version Ambikapathy Ending

In the regular version, the film culminated with Kundan's poignant sacrifice at a political rally. The AI-edited version had him waking up just in time to shock both his friends Murari and Bindiya and to bring cheers all around the auditorium.

Makers & Director Comments

Director Aanand L. Rai hugely condemned the alteration, terming it "reckless usurpation" and a "betrayal of the spirit and soul of the film." He added that the edit was done without consultation: "...film born out of care...be altered...without my knowledge or consent...devastating." Rai is considering legal options alongside the Indian Film and Television Directors' Association.

Neeraj Pandey, leading Bollywood screenwriter and director, seconded the view and opined that the change was“totally disrespectful to an artist's integrity.”

Eros International, the producing house for the re-release, defended the act as a“creative reimagining” that the AI-ended version is complementary to the original film and framed the directors' criticism as a diversion from the ongoing lawsuits.

Audience Mood & Fan Response

Supporters of Kundan, Dhanush's character, went wild celebrating the twist, flooding the timelines with emotional posts such as, "My Kundan is alive," and "AI just gave fans the closure they always wanted." Many reminisced, shedding tears of joy on seeing him survive.

However, a significant part of the original fans expressed anguish. Detractors insist the tragedy constituted the soul of the film, and the comedic solution proffered by AI diminishes much of its emotional value. A fan lamented, "Worst ending though...AI is stripping life off a creative medium. This was never supposed to have a 'happy' ending."

Why This Is Important

This event showcases one of the very first high-profile instances of a completed film being backdated by AI in contravention of consent by the creators.

It brings the necessity for urgent conversations on the ethics surrounding AI use, creative control, and intellectual property, as well as filmmakers' rights versus those of commercial rights holders.

The AI-generated happy ending for Ambikapathy has put an enormous chasm between jubilation on the part of fans cheering Kundan's resurrection, wrath on the part of filmmakers decrying distortion of the original vision, and defense offered by the producers viewing it as foresighted innovation. It is indeed one such milestone raising troublesome questions about technology's footprint in cinema and the sanctity of storytelling.

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