Earnest, authentic, and all heart.
Raju Hirani is the people’s filmmaker. And one of Bollywood’s most beloved – and successful – veterans.
He directs, produces, and edits. In a career spanning three decades, Hirani’s films have sometimes captured the national mood, sometimes become generational touchstones. Munnabhai – the necessity of compassion in healthcare. 3 Idiots – a rebuke of our education system. PK – the pitfalls of blind faith. A four-time National Award Winner, Hirani goes big on emotions. On relatability. On the ordinary citizen’s journey. Timeless dialogues and catchphrases live on beyond the screen. Think “jaadu ki jhappi” and “all izz well”.
Hirani’s parents famously wanted their son to pursue science before he became smitten by theatre. And his films often allude to science. Its logic and limitations. In Munnabhai MBBS, a lovable street rogue tries to bring something human – a hug – into the often transactional and mechanical nature of doctor-patient interaction. 3 Idiots laments the robotic learning methods in engineering colleges.
It’s the way Hirani stacks his characters, asking the serious in an entertaining way. His “LCD vision”, that strives to evoke a response. “Each scene should make you laugh or cry or should be dramatic enough,” he says.
Filmmaking is an intensely personal, artistic, and meticulous craft. A testament to human ingenuity and toil. But now this artform, like so many others, faces a brave, new world.
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s voice was posthumously recreated by AI in the documentary Roadrunner in 2021. In December 2022, The Safe Zone – the first ever film written and directed by AI – opened to favourable reviews. Studios are signing on AI firms to predict a film’s success before it is even made or greenlit.
AI can write scripts. Dub speech. Edit films. Propose which casting will make bank at the box office. What then remains of the filmmaker? Of the creative process? Where do directors go for ideas – their imagination, memories, experiences – or ChatGPT?
Hirani’s hallmark is authenticity. But when AI can simulate – better and battery – the human touch, emotion, and soul, what separates the genuine from the artificial? Perhaps like the transition from the silent era to the talkies, cinema is on the precipice of change – into an entirely new form on the backs of new, non-human talents.
A 148-day strike against the use of generative AI in Hollywood comes to an end – in human’s favour for now. At SYNAPSE, sit with Raju Hirani in the director’s chair as he dissects the filmmaker’s craft. The irreplaceable artist’s vision in the age of tech copycats. The role of a director in a digitally-run world. And how AI can forge a new artistic language – and enrich the cinematic experience.
