India produced over 2,000 independent films last year, a figure growing at 7 pc annually since 2020 (Photo: Canva)
A quiet revolution is sweeping through Mumbai’s film district and beyond, as independent filmmakers across India embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the landscape of Indian cinema. Once the exclusive domain of big-budget studios, cutting-edge AI technologies are now democratising filmmaking, empowering indie creators to achieve results that were once out of reach.
According to a 2024 FICCI-EY report, India produced over 2,000 independent films last year, a figure growing at 7 pc annually since 2020. Despite this boom, indie filmmakers have long struggled with tight budgets and limited access to high-end post-production facilities. AI is rapidly changing that equation.
AI’s most immediate impact is being felt in scriptwriting and ideation. A 2025 survey by the Indian Independent Filmmakers Association found that 68 pc of respondents regularly use AI tools for scriptwriting, up from just 21 pc in 2022. Additionally, 54 pc reported using AI to generate visual assets or storyboards for pitch decks, thanks to platforms like Midjourney and DALL-E.
“AI has fundamentally shifted my approach to scriptwriting and idea generation. AI acts as a fantastic brainstorming partner. When I am stuck on a scene or a plot point, I can prompt an AI language model with my premise, characters and the emotional beat I am aiming for. It can then generate different dialogue options, scene descriptions, or even alternative plot twists. This is a huge time-saver and helps maintain narrative flow,” Alok Chaturvedi, Head of Production at Arunodaya Media, a media company in Patna, Bihar, tells India and You.
“As filmmakers, a lot of us, we just have probably like an idea or we will write a concept or maybe like a short treatment note. But then, in most of the production houses that I have worked for, we have this thing where we will chart GPT for the final draft. In terms of ideation, AI not so much. But yes, with the final drafts and with the pitch deliveries and the final presentation, people do use chart GPT a lot,” Mehak Arora, Assistant Director at Dreamcatchers, a production house in Gurgaon, Haryana, tells India and You.
AI’s influence extends well beyond the script stage. In post-production, AI-powered tools are slashing costs and timelines. “AI-powered tools have been a lifeline in post-production, especially with a limited budget. RunwayML has been amazing for some basic visual effects. I have used it for things like removing backgrounds from footage without needing a green screen,” Chaturvedi adds.
However, Arora notes that AI’s impact on post-production in India is still developing. “If you are talking about, let us say, film editing, then I think Premiere Pro has its own AI features. Maybe bits and pieces help out a little bit. But not so much in post-production. I have not experienced that AI power tools are helping in post-production or editing,” she adds.
Where AI truly shines is in virtual production and AI-driven VFX, once reserved for Bollywood blockbusters. With tools like Unreal Engine and Blender integrating AI, filmmakers can now create virtual sets, simulate lighting and generate crowd scenes at a fraction of the cost. A 2024 KPMG report found that Indian indie films using AI-driven VFX saw average post-production costs drop by 30 pc, with turnaround times decreasing by up to 40 pc.
“AI-driven VFX tools allow me to create special effects that would have been out of reach. Virtual production, often powered by game engines like Unreal Engine, allows me to see the final visual effects and environments as I am shooting. AI has democratised filmmaking in several ways, making it far more accessible,” says Chaturvedi.
“High-end tools and techniques that were once exclusive to large studios are now available to independent filmmakers, often at a fraction of the cost or even for free in some basic versions,” he adds.
Despite the optimism, challenges remain.
“My biggest concern remains the potential for the ‘human touch’ to be lost. Maintaining originality and a unique artistic voice will be crucial. The legal and ethical landscape around AI-generated content, especially regarding intellectual property and the use of digital likenesses without consent, is still largely undefined,” says Chaturvedi.
Despite these hurdles, the outlook is bright. With India’s OTT market projected to reach USD 7 billion by 2027 (PwC, 2024) and indie filmmakers accounting for a growing share of original content, the synergy between AI and independent cinema is only set to deepen.
“AI will continue to level the playing field, allowing independent filmmakers to achieve visuals, sound and production quality that rival big studios, even with minimal resources,” says Chaturvedi.
At the end, AI is not replacing the filmmaker, it is empowering them. For India’s indie creators, the future is bright, bold, and increasingly AI-powered.