Telugu superstar in making Teja Sajja was stuck in a controversy. As soon as the teaser of his upcoming movie Mirai went online. The clip, packed with legendary visuals, sparked immediate rumors that AI was used to stylize it. Fans speculated that the movie’s production had leaned on AI tools instead of old-school VFX work. But Sajja set the record straight in a recent interview. With subtle prodding, he revealed that his team had been working nearly 20 hours a day. To design the pictures by hand. No AI shortcuts were involved, just relentless human effort.
Human Craft vs AI Speculation
Sajja’s remarks come as directors worldwide vocally discuss AI’s impact on narrative craft. Heavyweights such as Alex Proyas have stated that AI can replace months of work with just weeks of automation. He envisions a reality in which 3D worlds spring up on screen without the arms of giant teams. While that idea excites quick-turnaround beatmakers. It also leaves a bitter aftertaste for musicians who consider their craft more than a hustle.
Sajja’s crew carved out Mirai’s universe, frame by frame, with genius. In celebrating their toil, he celebrates the sweat behind movie magic. For him, to take credit away from this grinding work by slapping an “AI-made” label on it is unfair. His stance flips the narrative: films reach their magic not from machines, but from the intense human push to make the impossible feel alive on screen.
A Larger Creative Struggle
The drama is not about one movie. It reflects a wider war for control of creativity in an AI-suffused world. Other countries’ agencies, like those in Australia, are weighing a policy to let machines freely use artworks for training. That fires up rage from writers, directors and VFX artists concerned their contributions will be devalued or cut. Last year’s Hollywood writers and actors strikes cost billions and echoed the very same concern, the future has to be human-centered.
Sajja’s refusal to let Mirai be lumped into ‘AI product’ has got that same bite He’s pushing back that the real story of films still depends on human judgment, skill and emotional artistry. Even as AI slips into side tasks like rotoscoping and enhancement, the heart of production continues to beat in crews who stay up past midnight, pixel by pixel, to make ideas come to life.
The Meaning Behind Sajja’s Stand
In unmasking the truth behind Mirai‘s pictures, Teja Sajja has done more than protect his film, he’s defined a line in a wider cultural conversation. Technology, we might say, is leaping ahead while art remains rooted in the human. His argument is that AI may help, but it cannot replace sacrifice and instinct and human touch. Audiences might come to Mirai for the wow, but behind every frame is a team of artisans who said no to the shortcuts. That decision renders the movie not a monument to automation, but an ode to human-powered moviemaking. As the industry continues to bargain AI’s role, Sajja’s stance reminds us what’s on the line: not just films, but the essence of creativity itself.
About The Author
