For those who grew up watching TV in the 90s, the Sri Adhikari Brothers logo is imprinted on their memories. Before it became a TV channel, SAB was a production house associated with some of the most iconic Hindi TV shows of the 90s. Three decades on, the TV landscape may have changed, but SAB soldiers on, now shepherded by a new generation. Ravi Adhikari, the son of co-founder Gautam Adhikari, is leading the charge in the era of OTT and AI. In a candid conversation with Hindustan Times, Ravi speaks about managing the legacy of India’s first listed media company, striking a balance between emotion and business, and how his production house is using artificial intelligence not to replace human creativity but to enhance it.
Taking over a massive legacy like SAB is a task that carries both pride and pressure. For Ravi Adhikari, the journey is defined by a creative process that is almost entirely driven by passion rather than cold calculation “For me, business is not an emotion. We, creators, are more emotionally inclined with every project, and that is my issue. Whatever I do, I get emotionally involved. When it comes to business, it’s about creating more wealth than money right now. That is why I am talking about our IPs, the shows. Ravi believes in keeping up with the times and using AI. However, he is firm that AI can never replace the human spark. The filmmaker is excited about the hybrid future of AI, particularly for preserving and reviving legacy. “I am trying [to use AI to revive past shows]. Like in Sreeman Sreemati, Jatin Kanakia, and Reema Lagoo are not there. How can I get them back? “They are creating Paul Walker, reanimating him with AI.
If I compromise on the product just to earn a few extra bucks on this particular project, then the business is not going to work (in the long term),” he says. He said the idea came to him when he heard about Paul Walker’s character returning in the Fast and Furious franchise a decade after his death. So, I thought, why can’t I do this?” he says.
In today’s creative landscape, discussions surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) are polarising, to say the least.
