As the nation prepares for Congressional polls, the videos generated by AI give a strong new voice to past leaders in Tamil Nadu and the charisma borrowed from today's leaders.
Released June 27, 2025 | 9am ⚊ Updated June 27, 2025 | 9am
Today, the AI companies, a new kind of political consultant – serve as story engineers and emotional strategists. The photo is a screenshot of an AI-generated video of Udayanidhi Stalin and M Karnanidi.
overview: India does not have any specific laws on the issue yet. AI-generated content can violate your privacy and mislead voters. Deepfake approvals can attract criminal liability under IT law, and can also be misleading or slandering by the IPC.
Something strange is happening in Tamil Nadu. Last year, on DMK's 75th anniversary, M Karunanidhi assured voters that his son, Prime Minister Mk Stalin, was his true successor. Crossing the political aisle, Jayalalithaa has expressed concern about the current administration in a programme led by AIADMK General Secretary Edappa K. Paliniswami.
There was only one detail. Both Karnanidi and Jayaritaa had died for years. Spector appears to be troubled by Tamil Nadu. The ghost of a former leader.
These digital revivals are more synthesized than spiritual. There is no Ouija board that involves only skilled designers and programmers. It has great prompts and greater political intentions. Created by artificial intelligence (AI) companies ahead of Tamil Nadu's 2026 election, they reflect growing trends. Political memory is currently programmable.
Today, the AI companies, a new kind of political consultant – serve as story engineers and emotional strategists.
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Meet a new campaign manager
The 28-year-old Shantanu* operates from a coworking space in Bengaluru. His desk is a mini library of notebooks filled with newspapers, campaign posters and ideas.
“It's not just about making videos of famous guys. There's a lot of research into this. We'll look at the history of leaders, speeches, famous catchphrases. We'll line them up with the messages our clients want to convey,” he said.
His team had been asked to cooperate with the parties on both sides of the spectrum during the Lok Sabha election last year. This time, he expects more orders.
He felt that these videos were becoming increasingly important in political campaigns. “Of course, people know that these videos are being generated by AI. No one here is trying to bluff the public by believing that a particular leader has come to life. Think about it like this. Today, you can make a video where that leader says it exactly,” he said. First South.
Shantanu is one of many such “AI strategists” as Tamil Nadu is only a year away from the Congressional polls. While such video and audio clips are used in national elections, the consensus between these companies is that Tamil Nadu, with its cinema political crossover culture, is the perfect growth market.
“This is a state that decades ago, movie stars came out of the silver screen to rule people. We already have fairy tales. You need to revamp it to fit the world today. We're armed with nostalgia.”
One such company operating on the line between identity politics and nostalgia is the company that famously created a video of the late Karnanidi, celebrating his son Stalin on the 75th anniversary of DMK.
Its founder, Senthil Nayagam, said creating content is one way for parties to control the story.
“One of our projects, for example, is to create AI-generated films about the history of the Vanniyar community for PMK parties,” he said. First South. “We tell stories from Vanniyal Pranam About Rishiabout the king emerging from the fire – it can make the community feel like it is part of something with a rich heritage. ”
History videos, Karnanidhi videos, voice of Jayaritaa – Senhir believes these tools work in the way political parties are still beginning to understand. “Many people grew up under the influence of these very charismatic leaders. If you hear the deceased MGR, for example, it will make you forget your problems for a while and remember a good time,” he said.
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Should we continue to look at the past?
The ruling DMK was fired for underfunded welfare schemes, issues of law and order, allegations of corruption and misunderstandings of natural disasters. Opposition aiadmk is in the midst of a long-standing leadership power struggle. Moreover, the party's alliance with the BJP, a party seen with doubt in a state that is fiercely proud of its language and identity — is open to accusations of being “anti-state.”
DMK's slogan”Maanila Suyatchi, Mathiyil Koottactchi” (National Autonomy, Federalism at the Center) is not mere rhetoric, but a pitch to land.
Still, today's leaders seem to be struggling to get out of the shadows of their predecessors. Stalin had a general mission, but many view him as the leader of the crown rather than a natural leader. With his son Udayanidhi Stalin set up as Deputy Prime Minister last year, most of his tenure was spent trying to balance governance and legacy amid a rise in dynasty rights accusations. He may bring about welfare schemes, but Karnanidhi's image brings about charisma.
On the other side, history appears to be repeating itself. The current conflict reflects one of the oldest farewell stories in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) came to power after Jayalalithaa passed away in 2016 in an alliance with her aide v Sasikala. Karnanidhi, who was allied with the MGR in the 1970s, broke down and formed the AIADMK, redefineing the national political landscape.
Today, the EPS holds the reins of the AIADMK machine. However, Sasikara, widely seen as Jayarita's true confidant and heir, still orders a slice of emotional loyalty. EPS may control the party, but he needs Amma's voice to unify it.
Some political observers said today's leaders are violating their predecessors. Most of them are few who order the praise of Karnanidhi or MGR. They may run a government, but they cannot trigger a movement. And they turn around and call their father (in a way) and hope that some of that old magic will keep their voters firmly on their side. And are there any tools like AI? The sky is at its limit.
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Are there lines in the sand?
Legacy has always been part of politics everywhere. It gives validity to new leaders, depicts the path to future generations, and usually creates common meeting points immediately after the leader's death. But I have charisma and consent. Especially when the leader in question is not living to speak for himself.
Legal expert Mirza Faiza Assad pointed out that India still does not have any specific laws on the issue, but such content could violate privacy and mislead voters.
“If the content is deceived, as if it shows that it's saying something that wasn't actually said, it could be misrepresentation, manipulation of public opinion, or even election fraud,” he said. First South.
Deepfake's endorsement could attract criminal liability under IT law, and if the IPC is misleading or slandering, he added. “It's a very grey area right now. The Election Commission needs to intervene and create rules,” he said.
Without regulations, AI strategists work within boundaries. For example, Senthil said he would rather work on videos with positive messaging. “I don't want to harm the community or spread blatantly false data. I want the community to feel connected and empowered through these stories.”
This raises us a big question. How effective are these videos? Political scientist Dr. Sandeep Shastri felt that younger voters were unlikely to be affected. “We have to wait and see, but this nostalgia doesn't work that hard on people under the age of 30,” he said. First South.
Such content is more oriented to supplement existing voting banks, Dr Shastri added. “AI helps to reinforce existing perspectives rather than change preferences,” he said, the unethical aspects are active when parties use AI as a tool for retrospective propaganda. “They don't just strengthen old cutouts. They decide the lines and manufacture emotional legitimacy through composite voices and images.”
In a state election a year away, this is more than a campaign gimmick. Using AI to reconstruct memory and influence voter perceptions is an evolving tool of political persuasion, especially in a state where legacy is everything and emotions are always a key political currency.
AI may not have won the election yet, but it has already begun to shape the campaign narrative. And, like the film, in Tamil Nadu, the story is everything.
(*Name changed. Edited by MajnuBabu).
