When set designer Abhijit Nair uploaded a short AI-generated video imagining Mohanlal as Martanda Varma, he never expected it to travel so far. The idea had been in his head for years, long before AI tools became part of everyday creative conversations. The video was just a way to see if an idea he’d had for years would work visually.
It turns out that many others were thinking along the same lines.
Still from the teaser. Photo: Special arrangement
The 1 minute 27 second teaser, which reimagines Mohanlal as the founder of Travancore, quickly gained attention online. The film opens with grim shots of the sea and ships as the Dutch East India Company approaches the coast of Kerala, evoking the tension of the era’s battles. The scene shifts to a royal court, where ministers are bowing to a person. Even if you look at it from behind, there’s no doubt about it. Mohanlal played Martanda Varma, a king famous for defeating the Dutch army at the Battle of Kolachel in 1741. What gave people pause was not just the idea of the casting, but how restrained and unbelievable the visuals felt. This didn’t look like another flashy AI experiment. The frames felt calm, the costumes were considered, and the atmosphere felt consistent. Several viewers said the same thing. It looked more like a trailer for a movie that doesn’t exist yet than an AI video.
Abhijit, 28, works as a film set designer and has acted in films like ‘Kantara’ and ‘Roka’. His film debut was ‘Kantara’ and since then he has also worked on a part of ‘Lucky Bhaskar’ directed by Dulquer Salmaan. But his background is in architecture, not film, and he details why his approach to AI is rooted in design thinking rather than technological novelty.
What gave people pause was not just the idea of the casting, but how restrained and believable the visuals felt. Photo: Special arrangement
The idea of Mohanlal playing Martanda Varma has been around for a long time. Abhijit has been an admirer of the actor for a long time, even before he started working in films. When he and his brother started writing the script based on Martanda Varma’s life, Mohanlal was the only person they could imagine for the role. He felt the character needed a certain presence and relatability that could convey authority without exaggeration.
By the time the script was completed, AI tools were starting to gain recognition among creators. Abhijit was already experimenting with AI in his design-related work. So he decided to try using it to create a short teaser, not as a pitch or announcement, but as a visual test. He wanted to see how the idea would be expressed on screen.
This process was slower and more deliberate than people might imagine. Abhijit started by clearly planning what he wanted to show in each frame. He thought thoroughly about costumes, colors, lighting, and composition before writing his prompts. The output was generated several times and each version was further improved. The teaser that eventually went viral was one of multiple attempts, not the first result. According to him, AI will only provide details if guided precisely. Ambiguous instructions will not yield uniform results.
This is where his experience as a set designer came into play. Working on film taught him how to read frames critically. He was already used to thinking about depth, balance, and how different visual elements were placed within a shot. These intuitions helped us evaluate what worked and what didn’t, even when the images were digitally generated.
Abhijit’s entry into the film industry itself was not easy. He trained as an architect and worked in the field before moving into film. He says architecture has given him a strong foundation in design and spatial awareness, making him less afraid of change. Eager to work in films, he sent samples of his work to production designer Bangran. That eventually led to my first opportunity in ‘Kantara’.
Working on a film set for the first time came with its own set of fears. Abhijit recalls worrying about missing important details or falling behind. Over time, and with the support of the crew I worked with, my fears subsided. The atmosphere was particularly relaxed during “Lokah.” He describes it as more like a group of friends getting together to make a movie than a formal work environment.
Despite the reaction to the Mohanlal AI video, Abhijit is clear about what the technology can and cannot do. He doesn’t think AI can replace actors or the filmmaking process. At best, he sees it as a tool that can help visualize ideas or assist in certain stages of production. It took him about a week to learn how to work with the AI, which he attributes to his design background. Once I understood the basics, the main task was to learn how to write effective prompts. For this project, I used tools such as Nano Banana and Gemini.
Martanda Varma’s script is complete and Abhijit says he would like to approach Mohanlal with it someday. For now, the AI teaser serves as a visual reference rather than a formal sales pitch. He is currently based in Bangalore, where he runs Magsman Studio and balances film and design work.
