At the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), audiences witnessed one of the festival’s most compelling conversations as Shekhar Kapur and Berlinale Festival Director Tricia Tuttle came together to decode how AI is reshaping creativity, performance, and the very definition of cinema.
The session, titled “Do We Need to Redefine Cinema in the World of AI?”, opened with warm personal reflections before shifting into a sharp, future-oriented dialogue. Both leaders agreed on one fundamental truth: technology may evolve, but cinema survives because human imagination survives.
Kapur reminded the audience that every tool — whether digital filmmaking or AI — ultimately bends to the creator’s intent. “No innovation can outgrow human creativity,” he said, adding that AI still cannot mimic the emotional micro-shifts an actor brings to the screen. “AI doesn’t understand pupils,” he remarked, reinforcing that emotional truth remains cinema’s beating heart.
Tuttle echoed this sentiment, recalling early industry fears when digital filmmaking arrived. “What endures is the idea, the craftsmanship, the humanity,” she said, underscoring that festivals must continue to preserve spaces for bold, independent storytelling.
Adding humour to the discourse, Kapur shared how his cook once used ChatGPT to write a script for Mr India 2. “I didn’t know whether to praise the meal or the script,” he laughed — a moment that perfectly captured how accessible creative tools have become.
The conversation also touched on festival responsibilities, shrinking film crews, set culture, and the irreplaceable social experience of movie-going. Kapur compared cinema halls to restaurants: “Even with home delivery, people still go out. Cinema is a shared experience — AI can’t replace that.”
Addressing audience concerns on plagiarism and ethics, Kapur delivered one of the session’s standout lines:
“AI isn’t magic. It’s not chaos. It’s change. But real storytelling is unpredictable — AI can only imitate the past.”
The session concluded with both speakers agreeing that while AI will continue to transform workflows, the future of cinema will still be written by human imagination, emotional intelligence, and the stories only people can tell.
