Director Lokesh Kanagaraj has confirmed that AI technology was used to recreate a younger version of Superstar Rajinikanth’s voice for the flashback portions of his film, ‘Coolie’.
Speaking at the SSVM Transforming India Conclave 2025 in Coimbatore, the director explained that while the de-aging for the visuals was done with technology, the voice was a separate AI application.
Lokesh emphasised that he sees AI as a tool for filmmakers, not a replacement for human creativity.
“AI cannot write emotions,” he stated, adding that a good story must come from a human being.
He also highlighted how AI helps with tasks like pre-visualization and storyboarding, which traditionally take a lot of time.
The film, which stars Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, and Sathyaraj, opened to a mixed response but has reportedly been a commercial success, nearing a Rs 300 crore box office collection.