How AI brushstrokes are making their presence in the canvas of visual storytelling: Vivek Aanchalia at Goafest 2025

In a riveting session titled ‘How AI is Rewriting the Language of Visual Storytelling’, Vivek Anchalia, Founder & CEO of Amazing Indian Stories, painted a compelling vision of AI’s transformative role in advertising, film, and branding

Anchalia’s keynote underscored AI’s seismic impact on production pipelines. “Gone are the days of costly animatics and laborious previsualization,” he declared. AI-generated spec ads now deliver sharper narrative clarity, while production decks—once a patchwork of references—can now encapsulate actor looks, lighting, and mood in a single AI-generated slide.

Anchalia’s upcoming AI-crafted film, Naisha, serves as a proof-of-concept. From AI-generated drone shots (eliminating Uttarakhand shoots) to set designs, the film pushes boundaries—though music remains human-composed. “AI isn’t replacing filmmakers,” he stressed. “It’s amplifying vision with fewer compromises.”

He emphasized that one has to have the patience and persistence in learning all these tools which are mostly available on YouTube. He mentioned that one never knows when we could see a Raju Hirani emerge from Kashmir or a small town in India without even stepping into Mumbai. What is important is keep Story telling the centre piece and leverage AI to its maximum potential

The fireside session with Lulu Raghavan delved into nuance. While AI slashes costs, skilled AI artists command premium fees. Agencies, Anchalia argued, remain indispensable for strategy and cultural insight. “AI can’t decode a brand’s DNA or a consumer’s subconscious—that’s human magic.”

The tech’s limitations surfaced in audio. AI-generated music, Anchalia admitted, lacks emotional depth (Naisha retained human composers), though it excels in generic sound effects. Similarly, AI can’t replicate a filmmaker’s rhythm—the Tarantino-Hirani divide is still a human domain.

Anchalia champions self-driven upskilling: YouTube deep dives, global communities, and relentless experimentation. Though institutions like ISDI and IID are launching AI courses, he insists, “The best teacher is curiosity.”

“Creatives fear redundancy; business heads race to adopt,” he observed, citing James Cameron’s AI explorations. His rallying cry: “Don’t fear AI. Harness it to achieve yesterday’s impossibilities.”

Raghavan’s closing thought resonated: “AI is underhyped. Early adopters will lead the next creative wave.”

When it comes to Story Telling one thing is clear, AI isn’t the storyteller and can’t be —it’s the ultimate enabler, and the pen still rests in human hands.