80% Cost Cut With AI: Indian TV Show Is Changing Daily Entertainment Without Viewers' Complaints

The use of AI in the entertainment industry has divided both stakeholders and those who consume content. One one side are those claiming that AI will spell the end of human creativity, on the other are those who are incorporating it in various aspects of filmmaking, including writing, production and post-production. 2025 has marked a significant shift in AI produced/powered content in India. While OTT platforms saw the launch of fully AI generated shows like Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh, Indian TV industry also saw itself embracing the new technological advancements.

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Ektaa Kapoor's Naagin 7 may have changed the face of daily entertainment without many realising it. The show has been ruling the TRP charts ever since it debuted in December end last year. Some major sequences in the latest season, which were earlier conceptulised and realised using high-end VFX, are being done using generative AI this time around.

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In scenes depicting the "naagin" and her transformation and other sequences with large scale action and fantastical elements, the use of AI is seamless. While many have liked how the new season of AI-powered Naagin is shaping up to be, others feel that the output needs to be visually cleaner and better. With advancements in AI coming in at a fast pace, visual storytelling will only improve.

Speaking about the AI aspect of Naagin 7, Chetan Hansraj, who heads AI and VFX at Balaji Telefilms Ltd, shared that the team has been able to reduce the cost of making one episode by 80% by using AI.

"AI has made it more budget-friendly. If we had done these visuals with normal VFX, the cost would have been around ₹40-50 lakh per episode. With the use of AI, the cost has come down by 80 percent. It is economical and we can plan larger sequences on the show," Chetan told Variety India.

The AI team working on Naagin 7 has around seven to 10 people, he shared. TV producer Ekta Kapoor is fully involved and oversees what the AI team has done for every weekend's episode. He further shared that AI allows them to explore ideas more freely. "We can see constant improvement. AI upgrades itself every month, and we can see the difference. It is getting better by the day," he stated.