When AI met Bollywood: ChatGPT’s near-final ending for Saiyaara revealed

When the team behind the romantic drama Saiyaara struggled to finalise its ending, they briefly turned to an unconventional creative partner — ChatGPT. While artificial intelligence tools have increasingly found use in film marketing and promotion, their involvement in core storytelling remains rare. In this case, the filmmakers used the chatbot as a creative experiment. Although one AI-generated ending received serious consideration, it was ultimately not used in the final cut.

Saiyaara team turned to ChatGPT for the perfect ending

The filmmakers had been working on the film’s ending for weeks, cycling through multiple drafts without finding a satisfying conclusion. As a creative exercise, an assistant writer suggested using ChatGPT. The team provided a detailed prompt including character arcs, emotional stakes, and plot context. Within seconds, the AI generated three versions of the climax, written in scene format with dialogue.

What endings were suggested by ChatGPT for Saiyaara

According to the production team, ChatGPT provided three possible endings based on the information it was given:

1. The train station farewell
   The lead couple parts ways at a train station, exchanging a final smile before boarding different trains. The ending is quiet, emotionally charged, and leaves the future open, reflecting on how love sometimes means letting go.
2. Reunion after time apart
   The characters go their separate ways to pursue their individual goals but are shown reuniting years later at a mutual friend’s wedding, hinting at a second chance at love without explicitly confirming it.
3. Emotional confrontation and closure
   The film ends with an emotionally intense confrontation where both characters acknowledge their flaws and the pain caused, leading to a respectful goodbye. The focus is on closure and personal growth, rather than a traditional happy ending.

The AI-generated ending that almost happened

One of the AI-generated endings stood out. It featured a bittersweet farewell between the lead characters at a train station, with each boarding a different train after sharing a final glance. The scene echoed familiar Bollywood romance themes while maintaining a restrained, modern tone. Team members were struck by the emotional effectiveness of the suggestion, despite its machine origins.

Why the filmmakers chose a different path

While the AI-generated ending was seen as technically sound, it was not selected for the film. The director explained that the version lacked cultural nuance and emotional layering essential to the story. The team also expressed concern that allowing AI to shape such a pivotal scene could compromise the human-driven storytelling tradition central to Bollywood. Instead, the final ending was developed internally, focusing on deeper character development and emotional authenticity.(With inputs from TOI)