A junior actor’s on-camera clarification has added a ‘human’ twist to the online debate surrounding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the teaser of Ramayana, which stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama.
The teaser has divided the internet, with a section of viewers praising it for Ranbir’s divine look, and the glossy visuals. However, some users were not happy with the visual effects.
A brief sequence in particular has been panned by some users as being AI generated. In the scene, Lord Rama walks through the streets of Ayodhya as people shower him with flowers. A background actor’s turban appears to change colour — from blue to purple — between shots.
On Sunday, actor Saket Patel, who claims he is the guy in the turban, issued a video clarification on social media. “I’m Saket Patel. I am an actor, and believe me, I’m not AI,” he said, stressing that the sequence was filmed with real performers on physical sets.
“People are fully convinced that I'm AI generated. I shot for this two years ago with real crowd, real set, real me and real Ranbir Kapoor in front of me,” Patel added.
“In 2026, if something looks too nice, people call it fake,” he remarked.
Amid the controversy, Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan backed the team behind Ramayana. In a note shared on Instagram, he praised filmmakers attempting to push cinematic boundaries. Roshan suggested audiences remain open to varied visual styles, arguing that what is sometimes labelled “bad VFX” could instead reflect a different aesthetic approach.
Made on a reported budget of Rs 4,000 crore, Ramayana also features Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The film’s score has been composed by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film’s first part is scheduled for release in October 2026, with the second part slated to hit theatres in 2027.
