AI Revolution: Tharun Bhascker Is First Victim

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in films is a trend that is slowly but surely catching up. The first instance of this in Tollywood is Tharun Bhascker using AI to regenerate SP Balasubramanyam’s vocals for a song bit in his recent release, Keeda Cola. This voice bit is used in an important sequence in Keeda Cola.

While Tharun’s creative work might be appreciated, it has landed him in legal trouble as SPB’s son, SP Charan has filed a legal complaint against him.

Charan filed a court case, saying the makers of Keeda Cola had no legal authorization to use SPB’s voice through AI enhancement. He mentioned that the family appreciates the use of AI to remember SPB’s vocals posthumously, but using it for commercial purposes without authorization is not the right way to go.

SP Charan has asked for Rs 1 crore in compensation, an apology from the makers, and a share in royalties. Tharun Bhaskcer and the team of Keeda Cola will have to face the legal consequences now.

While the creative use of AI in filmmaking might look very lucrative and opens up new avenues, there are certain legal bindings that are to be followed. The case of SP Charan and Keeda Cola works as a case study on the matter.