Cinema 4.0 Under the Lens: Google Gemini AI Watermark Sparks Technical Debate in Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’
As the film industry moves toward an AI-first approach, the incident with Jana Nayagan highlights the growing tension between traditional craftsmanship and the inevitable rise of machine-assisted entertainment.
RMN Digital Entertainment Desk
New Delhi | January 5, 2026
The cinematic landscape is currently witnessing a paradigm shift known as “Cinema 4.0,” a new era where generative AI tools are increasingly integrated into the creative and collaborative processes of modern filmmaking. This transition, however, has recently come under intense scrutiny following the trailer release of Jana Nayagan, the highly anticipated final film of superstar Vijay before his retirement to lead the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam political party.
The Technical Oversight
While the trailer for the H Vinoth-directed political thriller garnered millions of views across multiple languages, tech-savvy netizens quickly identified a jarring technical oversight. At the 0.23-second mark, during a montage sequence of Vijay loading a shotgun, a Google Gemini video editing software watermark is visible in the bottom-right corner.
This discovery has ignited a debate regarding filmmaking standards and the rigor of professional editing in the age of automation. Critics on social media have described the inclusion of the watermark as “alarming,” suggesting that the production should have utilized human editors to ensure such software logos were blurred or removed rather than “exploiting fans” with unpolished AI-generated visuals.
The Rise of Cinema 4.0
The controversy arrives as the industry grapples with the reality of the AI revolution. While there is a common myth that AI will entirely replace directors and writers, the current trend suggests a collaborative use of AI tools designed to improve efficiency. For example, other contemporary projects like Robojit and the Sand Planet are already employing an “Automated Franchise Model” to bypass traditional production delays often referred to as “development hell”.
Despite the technical scrutiny surrounding the trailer, Jana Nayagan remains a massive cultural event, featuring an ensemble cast including Pooja Hegde and Bobby Deol, with a scheduled release on January 9, 2026, just ahead of the Pongal festival.
A New Era for the Silver Screen
As the film industry moves toward an AI-first approach, the incident with Jana Nayagan highlights the growing tension between traditional craftsmanship and the inevitable rise of machine-assisted entertainment.
The use of AI in this context is much like a master painter using a digital brush for the first time; while the artistry of the subject remains, leaving the software’s logo on the corner of the canvas reminds the audience that the hand of the creator is now sharing space with a machine.
