According to police investigation, the large-scale scam was led by Mumbai resident Sameer Agarwal, who founded SAGA in 2016 and created six cooperative societies across multiple states
In a recent interview with The Week, AR Rahman expressed his dismay at using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern music. While acknowledging that technology has its advantages, the celebrated musician also revered how people would interpret it for their own gains.
The rise of AI in cinema has paved the way for various advantages and it is visible to see how mainstream filmmakers make use of the same. However, was the music director right in calling out the same as an “evil?”
While we can understand that the composer is expressing his perspective on the subject, does AI pose a threat that is likely to cause chaos for upcoming moviemakers and musicians?
The advent and progress of AI in today’s world is undoubtedly a double-edged sword that has taken us through some interesting and terrifying instances. While many have used AI as a means of generating new content and entertaining people, we have also seen it being misused, especially when it is unregulated.
There have been instances when the identities of others are misinterpreted using AI to confuse the common people. The authenticity of these computer-generated visuals and audio has made it hard for us to differentiate between what is real and what is not, even after understanding the problematic instances that occur from them.
Understanding all of this, we can easily comprehend how AI has been embedding its roots deeper and deeper into people’s lives, much like a poison you can’t live without. Now, what does all this have to do with using AI in mainstream music?
The reality of AI replacing authentic musicians is simply the start of the monopoly it would play in the music industry. The so-called musicians who use AI in their tracks are not sampling or interpolating like the older generation of composers but simply analyzing an existing creator’s work and creating something new by claiming it as their own.
The use of taking a particular music composer’s style of creation and turning it into something new with a matter of a few clicks does not constitute creating something artistic and creative. The lack of finding innovation in creation would just continue to keep us on a loop of the same mediocre music being formulated and served again.
In the early days of cinema and music, we experienced creative masterpieces that are considered timeless even today. Many movies have songs composed by legends like Ilaiyaraaja and AR Rahman that still manage to tug at our heartstrings due to this very reason. Even the magical voices of singers like the late SP Balasubrahmanyam and KJ Yesudas are enjoyed by people because they spend hours creating something new out of the pre-existing.
Check out songs by Ilaiyaraaja and AR Rahman here:
As of now, many people would go on to support these kinds of formulaic songs, which would go viral on social media or in public spaces. However, the point of saturation would come to a peak when everyone would find it hard to sit through the same EDM sample or repetitive rhythmic progression being offered in every single song.
Be it good or bad, people would start to listen to authentic music by actual creators rather than rehashed versions of previous years. This, accompanied by nostalgia, might be the reason why many people still prefer listening to old songs to new ones.
A talented filmmaker like Mani Ratnam and his movies are all the more memorable with the music they presented us with. Whether it is collaborations with Ilaiyaraaja like Anjali, Mouna Ragam, or Thalapathi and collaborations with ARR on movies like Alai Payuthey, Dil Se, Kannathil Muthamittal, or Bombay, we still croon to the songs and enjoy the visuals.
See a song from Mani Ratnam’s Kannathil Muthamittal:
Now, filmmakers also create music videos keeping in mind promoting them on social media, with abrupt cuts and archaic dance moves with hook steps, which also make every song seem the same. However, that is a whole other conversation topic in itself.
In a simple one-word answer, yes. The use of AI in an unregulated manner tends to create a space where mediocre musicians get a rise in fame with the upward trend while actual songwriters and composers are termed “underrated” by the audience.
However, isn’t it the audience who decides which person stays underrated or not? Why gatekeep something great and keep on consuming the same repetitive tracks for mere likes and views?
Owing to the rising popularity of AI as a novelty, it would seem that it could replace the artistic integrity an actual person possesses. However, it does not create something new but rather makes a copy of a copy.
On the other hand, there are advantages of AI in music too, which have also been expressed by musicians in helping them refine and fine-tune their programming of songs. In the same context, musicians have also managed to bring back the voices of late singers to new songs with the use of AI.
Be it AR Rahman in Lal Salaam or Anirudh Ravichander in Vettaiyan, both the musicians brought back the voices of singers who are no longer with us. However, they did not blatantly use their voices at their own will but rather sought permission from the singers’ families and even paid them remuneration.
In such a sense, we could still enjoy new songs with singers who are no longer existing with us. Acknowledging this as well, it is safe to assume that if properly used, in a regulated manner, and under conditions, AI could help the process of creating music much easier and not replace anyone with actual knowledge.
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Veteran actress Dimple Kapadia shared her deep gratitude toward God for granting her numerous opportunities early in life. In a recent interview, Dimple reflected on her journey in the film industry, from starring alongside Rishi Kapoor in Raj Kapoor’s Bobby to her marriage with Rajesh Khanna, their public separation, and her role in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. She noted that these experiences have felt larger than life, adding that, without God’s guidance, she might have become “an arrogant b***h.”
In a recent interview with Vogue India, the Pathaan actress remarked that God had given her more than her fair share at an early stage in her life. She mentioned that the levels of success she has experienced are such that many would have done anything to achieve them.
She added, “The one thing He didn’t give me is a brain. He probably thought, ‘This woman has everything. She’ll fly off the handle if she’s smart as well.’ Everything has been larger than life—my debut with Raj Kapoor, my marriage to Rajesh Khanna, my foray into Hollywood with Christopher Nolan. If He had not taken care of me, I would’ve been one arrogant b**ch.”
For those who may not know, Dimple started her career with Bobby at the age of just 16. That same year, she married Rajesh Khanna, who was the biggest superstar of that era.
Dimple chose to put her acting career on hold and devoted herself to her marriage. Together, they had two daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinki Khanna.
However, as time went on, their relationship began to deteriorate, leading to their eventual separation. Despite their split, they did not proceed with a divorce.
At an event in 2018, Dimple Kapadia reflected on her separation from Rajesh Khanna, noting that Twinkle displayed remarkable maturity regarding the situation. In a video shared by Brut India on Instagram earlier this year, Dimple was asked which family member resembled a mother figure, to which she identified Twinkle.
While discussing Twinkle’s “motherly qualities,” Dimple revealed how her daughter handled the separation of her parents.
Dimple described Twinkle as an extraordinary child, recalling that she was only around seven or eight when the separation occurred. She praised Twinkle for her maturity, saying that her daughter focused on caring for her and ensuring her well-being.
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