MUMBAI: Lights, camera, revolution! The silver screen is turning digital, and India’s film industry is ready for its next big act, one fuelled by technology, imagination and a dash of innovation.
At FICCI Frames 2025, the session “Beyond Imagination: The Future of Filmmaking” brought together industry leaders to explore how new-age tools like AI, VFX and virtual production are transforming storytelling. The discussion came in the wake of the Maharashtra government’s Rs 3,268 crore AVGC-XR Policy 2025, an ambitious plan to make the state a global powerhouse for animation, gaming and extended reality.
DNEG co-founder and president Merzin Tavaria set the tone for the session. “Content is still king,” he said. “Technology should help us tell better stories, not distract from them. AI is here to stay as a tool, but it must never replace the individual.” He added that India’s post-pandemic film resurgence has proven the world-class calibre of its creators.
Phantomfx founder and CEO Bejoy Arputharaj urged filmmakers to evolve with technology. “Filmmakers must embrace the changing landscape,” he said. “Virtual production and AI aren’t here to take over, they’re here to help us imagine what was once impossible.”
From Japan, Dwarf Studios CEO Shuhei Harada emphasised originality over imitation. “The world doesn’t need more copies,” he said. “India should focus on creating authentic, original entertainment. Bringing international talent here can help local creators learn new methods and grow faster.”
Moscow Film Cluster deputy director Georgy Prokopov called for international collaboration. “Russia and India can build a technology bridge,” he suggested. “Shared virtual production infrastructure can reduce costs and accelerate creative exchange.”
Meanwhile, FICCI AVGC-XR Forum chair and Graphiti Studios co-founder Munjal Shroff stressed the need for India to sharpen its technical edge. “We already have the talent and the tools,” he said. “Now it’s about mastery, using technology not as a crutch but as a canvas.”
As the session wrapped, the takeaway was clear: the next blockbuster might not just be shot in India, it could be built here, pixel by pixel. Because in the cinema of tomorrow, the script won’t just be written. It will be rendered.
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