Citadel Directors Raj And DK Admit To Using AI For Creating Character Sketches

Raj and DK are the director duo famed for creating Citadel, The Family Man and Farzi among others. The filmmaker duo attended the FICCI Frames 2024 event in Mumbai. Speaking at the event, the directors shed light on several topics including the use of Artificial Intelligence. 

Raj and DK speak about the use of AI in films

Speaking at the event, the director duo Raj and DK opened up on the use of AI. While director Vikramaditya Motwane dismissed using the technological tool, the Citadel creators willingly admitted to using it. They confessed to using AI, but only for creating character sketches. 

The filmmakers said, “We are using a bit of AI, it's just started. We are using it for character sketches and its scary impressive. Normally you would find a graphic artist, but here you are the app or the program and you are able to get everything - the earrings, the kind of face shape we want, the kind of colour we want.” However, they clarified that they are only using the ‘virtual’ part of it and not the Chat GPT kind. 

Raj and DK say they thought of OTT much before steaming platform boost in India 

Raj Nidimoru talked about the transformative nature of streaming platforms, liberating filmmakers from the constraints of traditional cinema. He remarked, "It was freeing because you know we were stifled up a bit. All filmmakers wanted to make something unique. What we felt was that we had to get superficial for people to be attracted to the theatres. But on OTT, we could tell stories the way they should be told."

DK echoed similar sentiments and talked about their early adoption of the OTT format and its creative possibilities. He stated, “We were playing with the idea of making a series before Netflix even came to India, but we didn't know how to go about it. We were just hoping something like an HBO would come, and then Amazon and Netflix came. We were literally one of the first people to jump onto that format and we started making movies and developing series. For us, it was relatively relieving. We felt like you can really know the world, the plot, the character, not worry about the 2 hour limit. Yes, you have to worry about whether it is 10 episodes long, but otherwise, it's okay. "