EntertainmentPosted at: Nov 10 2025 10:51PM


AI doesn't have all the nuances of the culture: Ashoke Vishwanathan

Kolkata, Nov 10 (UNI) While technology continues to reshape cinematic practice, it cannot replicate the nuances of human creativity, acclaimed filmmaker and theatre personality Ashoke Vishwanathan said on Monday.
Addressing a seminar titled "AI: Future of Cinema?" at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), Vishwanathan remarked, "It is quite palpable that the way we view cinema, the way cinema is coming to us, is changing in every way: in the nature of the audiences, like their demands, and you're saying that the producers are influencing those who want and telling them what they want."
Comparing modern film to a plot from Irving Wallace's "The Seven Minutes," he added, "You create the crime and then you solve the crime."
"Even if there were no COVID, even if there were no earth-shaking events like a war, which is not ending, cinema has changed irreparably, irreconcilably."
Referring to the influence of technology on visual storytelling, he noted that what once belonged entirely to the camera person has now become a collaborative digital process involving laboratories and post-production experts. "We need to understand that it's changing and not say that we have to accept everything that is changing, but at least understand it, take cognisance of it."
Turning to artificial intelligence, he described it as both a creative challenge and an opportunity. "We've had a certain kind of narrativity which was set up by Hollywood, you know, and filmmakers have either followed that logo from time immemorial to the present day; we are still either making neo-realist films or films that are influenced by Hollywood.
"We still have the same decoupage classic, the same pattern of omnibus shots. It's good that AI has provided the challenge that they can do it in a trice. So, now, you have to come up with something like The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach, which is completely out of the books, which is not recorded in the memory of the AI, and in that, it'll challenge you," he said.
Yet Vishwanathan's enthusiasm for AI was tempered with scepticism about its cultural literacy. "But there are certain things which you can't do. Talking of subtitling, for example, I tried ChatGPT for a couple of films, and you will find that sometimes the quality of the subtitling is appalling because the AI doesn't have all the nuances of the culture. It's important for the culture to be understood, which is something very, very relevant."
On a lighter note, he reflected that humour too resists algorithm replication. "I know if all the humor is programmed, that you may as well laugh at joke number 34, joke number 25, and things like that. Why can't we think of something which is out of the box? AI can't give you humor that you haven't heard of before." UNI NST SSP
Please log in to get detailed story.
Tags: #AI doesn't have all the nuances of the culture: Ashoke Vishwanathan
More News

Noted Hindustani classical singer Parween Sultana receives ITC Sangeet Samman 2025

06 Dec 2025 | 8:42 PM

Kolkata, Dec 6 (UNI) The 54th ITC Sangeet Sammelan has honoured legendary Hindustani classical singer Begum Parween Sultana with the ITC Sangeet Samman 2025, recognising her lifelong devotion to Hindustani classical music and her enduring contribution to the tradition.

see more..

Freya Allan reveals she nearly abandoned 'The Witcher' after Cavill's exit

06 Dec 2025 | 7:33 PM

Los Angeles, Dec 6 (UNI) As "The Witcher" undergoes one of the biggest transitions in its history, long-time cast member Freya Allan has revealed that she seriously contemplated leaving the show after Henry Cavill announced his exit.

see more..

Johnny Flynn and Ophelia Lovibond join 'MobLand Season 2'

06 Dec 2025 | 7:10 PM

London, Dec 6 (UNI) The gritty crime drama 'MobLand' is gearing up for a more explosive second season, with actors Johnny Flynn (Beast) and Ophelia Lovibond (Minx) boarding the series as new regulars.

see more..

Siddhant Chaturvedi dedicates his 'Dhadak 2' award to late Saksham Tate

06 Dec 2025 | 6:16 PM

Mumbai, Dec 6 (UNI) Bollywood actor Siddhant Chaturvedi recently dedicated his award for "Dhadak 2" to the late Saksham Tate, a young man who lost his life to honour-based violence.

see more..

Prabhas enthralls Japanese audiences at special screening of 'Baahubali: The Epic'

06 Dec 2025 | 5:34 PM

Mumbai, Dec 6 (UNI) South Indian film megastar Prabhas drew an enthusiastic response in Japan during a special screening of "Baahubali: The Epic", a consolidated edition that merges both instalments of the franchise into a cinematic experience.

see more..