AI brings creative twist to Ganapati reels this festive season

Pune: Artificial intelligence is putting a fun new spin on Ganeshotsav, with many residents using AI tools to generate cinematic visuals featuring Bappa.Many have started experimenting with AI-based image- and video-generation tools — the latter largely the preserve of professional creators — to transform family photographs into devotional visuals, animated still images, Ganapati-themed wallpapers, personalised greetings and short videos.“It’s so much fun to bring Bappa to life with these videos. I used to experiment with photos but videos are great to make and share,” said Utsav Pandit, a resident of Kothrud. “My baby is just a year old and can’t speak as yet; I have animated a video of him saying Ganapati Bappa Morya. It’s very cute,” said Hadapsar resident Dhiraj Kulkarni.Earlier, making a festive reel meant spending a considerable amount of time shooting and editing. With AI, creators can simply describe what they want and turn an ordinary Ganapati photograph into something cinematic within minutes.Hadapsar-based Ksshitij Wadia said, “My AI reel went viral last year so this year too I created one with a theme. It is very easy to create and once you put in the prompts correctly, it generates the video automatically. For video generation, I use ChatGPT and video AI tools — some of these are paid versions.”Some devotees who won’t be able to personally experience the visarjan of prominent Ganapati idols plan to create AI videos showing themselves at the immersion. “Everyone knows about AI videos vs real videos — there is no shame in creating a video and placing myself at the visarjan if I can’t physically be there,” Wanowrie resident Praveen Tambe, who’s planning to create a drone video of himself at the Lalbaugcha Raja visarjan, said.Baner-based Preeti Chavan said, “I don’t know how to operate a computer, but I use AI extensively on my phone. I visualised my home’s entire Ganapati decor on AI and then bought all the decorations from the store.”Pashan-based video editor Nikhil Patil remarked on the ease with which AI lets people make videos and said, “Earlier there would be demand for drone-style visarjan shots, cinematic Bappa entries, animated family photographs during the festival by mandals and even individuals, but now people are creating polished videos easily on their own.”