India’s first upcoming AI film gets global attention at Cannes

Maharaja in Denims, India's first AI-generated feature film, showcases its potential at Cannes, drawing interest from The Conjuring's Tony DeRosa-Grund

Clips from Maharaja in Denims, poised to be India’s first full-length AI-generated feature film, have emerged as a striking proof of concept for the future of cinema at the ongoing Festival de Cannes.

The novel, Maharaja in Denims, narrates the story of a privileged Chandigarh teenager who believes he is the reincarnation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and a 1984 anti-Sikh riot victim. (HT Photo)

Based on Chandigarh-based author Khushwant Singh’s novel of the same name, the movie has been generating buzz after Tony DeRosa-Grund, creator of The Conjuring universe, signed a five-movie slate with the tech start-up producing the film and announced the collaboration at the festival.

The novel narrates the story of a privileged Chandigarh teenager who believes he is the reincarnation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and a 1984 anti-Sikh riot victim. With its layered timelines and historical scale, the film would traditionally require a massive budget — yet it is now being produced through AI at one-tenth the cost.

Maharaja in Denims is being produced by Intelliflicks Studio, a Chandigarh-based company currently in the production stage of the film, which is expected to release in August-September.

This pioneering foray into Hollywood places India at the forefront of storytelling through technological innovation. Earlier this May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit in Mumbai, aimed at positioning India as a leading global player in entertainment technology.

“Gurdeep wanted to test the viability of producing a full feature film using AI tools based on my novel, and that’s how we set up Intelliflicks,” said Khushwant, who is also co-founder of the studio along with Gurdeep.

“AI is no longer a conceptual future—it’s a present force that enables films to be made that studios once deemed impossible due to cost or scale,” Gurdeep said.

A still from movie Maharaja in Denims

“I’m thrilled to see this journey unfold,” said DeRosa-Grund. “The concept of proof laid out through the clips of Maharaja in Denims has passed the litmus test in filmmaking. However, given the role of technology, our approach will not be to replace artists through AI — but to unleash them. This new medium isn’t a prediction of what’s coming. It’s a production of what’s now.”