"I Don't Use AI to Create Visuals, I Use It to Create Cinematic Experiences": Ajinkya Jadhav

Ajinkya Jadhav, the head honcho at Paparazzi Entertainment, shared that while his production house is popular for making AI content, their first priority is to evoke emotions. 

He said, "We constantly ask one simple question during development, 'What is the audience supposed to feel?' Before we think about visuals, we think about emotion." Fear, wonder, nostalgia, hope, love, loss, excitement—every project must have an emotional core."

"Whether we are creating something like Manikandan: The Last Avatar, Dragon of Varanasi, or even a commercial advertisement, we want viewers to remember the feeling long after they forget the visual effect," he added.

Asked whether the real challenge today has shifted from creating an AI video to creating one that feels genuinely original, he said, "Without a doubt. Creating an AI video today is relatively easy. Creating a memorable one is extremely difficult. Many AI videos start looking similar because people rely on the same prompts, same visual styles, same references, and same trends. Originality comes from the creator's imagination, not from the software." 

“The creators who will stand out over the next few years won't necessarily be the most technical people. They'll be the people with the strongest ideas and the courage to pursue unique creative directions," he added.

On whether AI is making creators more inventive or simply giving people an easy shortcut, he believes that both realities exist simultaneously. He said, “For serious creators, AI is a superpower. It allows us to explore ideas that would have been impossible due to budget or production limitations."

"But for some people, AI can become a shortcut. They rely on the technology to generate creativity instead of using it to enhance creativity. A tool can speed up execution, but it cannot replace imagination. The creators who develop a genuine voice will thrive. The ones who depend entirely on the software will eventually blend into the crowd,” he added.

For him, the personal benchmark is audience emotion. He said, “If a viewer laughs, cries, feels inspired, feels suspense, or remains emotionally invested, then the project has succeeded."

"Visual novelty has a short shelf life because audiences quickly adapt to new technology. Emotion never becomes outdated. In fact, one of my favorite compliments is when someone watches a project and stops discussing the AI entirely because they're too invested in the story. That's when the technology has done its job perfectly,” he added.

Asked to define his signature in one line at a time when AI content is everywhere, Ajinkya offered a single thought that sums up his entire philosophy. He said, "I don't use AI to create visuals; I use AI to create cinematic experiences that make people feel something."