Does Ramayana: Rise of a Legend Use AI?
What the filmmakers actually confirmed—and how human performers, facial reference work and AI-assisted lip-sync fit together.
In brief
Yes, the film uses AI for lip-syncing. The director says people record the dubbed dialogue. The technology helps make the actors’ mouth movements match those recordings, so language versions can look more natural.
What the director actually confirmed
At the Los Angeles premiere on 27 October 2026, director Nitesh Tiwari explained the distinction between performing dubbed dialogue and adjusting the filmed image. His statement was reported the following day by NDTV Profit.
“Dubbing is done by dubbing artists and AI is only used for lip syncing.”— Nitesh Tiwari, as reported by NDTV Profit, 28 October 2026
Tiwari was speaking about language localisation: adjusting what viewers see to match speech that has already been recorded. His remarks did not address every tool used elsewhere in the film.
How the lip-sync workflow works
Producer Namit Malhotra described the process in an interview covered by Variety India. It has two human-led stages before the bespoke Brahma AI tool helps blend lip movement into the filmed face.
How a dubbed version is made
Voice performance
Actors and voice artists record each language track.
Human performanceLip movement reference
Human specialists establish matching mouth movements.
Human referenceVisual integration
Brahma AI helps fit that movement to the actor’s face.
AI-assisted stepThe audio: performed by people
Performers record the words, timing and emotion.
The picture: adjusted for speech
The filmed mouth movement is adapted to that performance.
Who handles each part?
The producer’s description separates the performers’ work from the final software-assisted step.
What is not established
The interviews cited here do not establish that the original performances, screenplay or dubbed voices were generated by AI. They describe a particular localisation technique, not the whole film-making process.
The production also has extensive visual-effects involvement through DNEG, the company associated with producer Namit Malhotra. As Sony Pictures UK notes, this is a major VFX production. Visual effects and generative AI are not the same thing; the cited statements do not identify which other software may have been used.
Why this matters for audiences
When a film plays in several languages, even a good dub can look out of sync during close-ups. Better mouth matching may make those scenes less distracting without altering the recorded voice performance.
Closer lip matching
The actor’s visible speech can align more closely with the words being heard.
Stronger localisation
Different language versions can retain a more natural on-screen presentation.
Less distraction
Viewers can focus on the scene instead of noticing a mismatch between face and dialogue.
Film and UK release details
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi. Sony Pictures UK lists its cinema opening as 5 November 2026.
Release information from Sony Pictures UK.
The bottom line
The important detail is where the technology enters the process: after voice acting and human facial-reference work. For cinema audiences, the intended result is a dubbed version that looks more natural. Claims that the entire film was “made by AI” go beyond what these sources demonstrate.
Written by Hasnaat Mahmood
CEO of FindCheapStreaming, covering streaming services and entertainment-industry developments. How we evaluate services.
Sources
- NDTV Profit, 28 October 2026 — Director Nitesh Tiwari’s comments on AI-assisted lip-sync and human dubbing artists.
- Variety India, 24 October 2026 — Namit Malhotra on human voice work, mouth-motion reference and Brahma AI integration.
- Sony Pictures UK — Official synopsis, credits and 5 November 2026 cinema release.