Shekhar Kapur’s cinematic masterpiece, Masoom, held a distinctive place in the history of Indian cinema, thanks to its exceptional craftsmanship. Released in 1983, the film vividly demonstrated Kapur’s directorial brilliance. The storytelling, acting, and technical elements were all meticulously executed, leaving an indelible impression on viewers. This enduring classic recently took an intriguing turn when Shekhar Kapur turned to Instagram to reveal his experimentation with ChatGPT while providing a creative prompt for the script of the film’s sequel.

Sharing a still from the movie, Shekhar wrote, “There’s so much talk about AI ( Artificial Intelligence) , and how it’s going even take over creative writing, that I decided to test it. I asked ChatGPT to come up with a story for Masoom 2 – the next generation .. my next film

… and was amazed at AI’s intuitive understanding of the film and the themes behind it .. in AI’s version Rahul ( played by Jugal Hansraj) always carried the angst of why he was rejected by his father initially .. but then grows up and gets married .. but not till he has kids of his own , does he realise the pressures his father had when they first found each other .. and finally forgives his father.”

He further added, “Thankfully my story is far better than AI’s .. yet remember that CHATGPT does not see Video .. but within 30 secs had read everything that was ever written about Masoom .. and conjured up an credible moral dilemma for little Rahul and delivered a cohesive plot line .. in 30secs !!”

“Again, and thankfully, AI could not come up with a better and more emotional plot line/story that I did.. so I am still far more creative than AI. But I can see why the writers are striking in Hollywood .. for apparently AI is capable of delivering a credible plot line for series episodes !” said the filmmaker.

“Phew ! I’d better make some more films fast before AI catches up with my creativity !” concluded Kapur.

Masoom was adapted from the 1980 novel ‘Man, Woman, and Child,’ written by Gulzar. This film marked the directorial debut of Shekhar Kapur, who had previously been active primarily as an actor. The cast of Masoom included notable actors such as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Tanuja, Supriya Pathak, and Saeed Jaffrey. Additionally, the movie featured talented child actors Urmila Matondkar, Jugal Hansraj, and Aradhana.