Behind-the-Scenes Power Plays: Ego, Budgets, and Creative Control Driving Big-Budget Bollywood Gossip

Behind-the-scenes power plays are the real star-makers in Bollywood's big-budget era. The chatter centers on control: AI-era adaptations led by Rajamouli and the GVK family, a The Departed-style remake fraught with ego and budget talk, the ongoing Shah Rukh Khan-Aamir Khan rivalry debates, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali steering Ranbir Kapoor’s next moves.

• AI-era adaptations — AI-fueled debates around Devudu cinema tiyyu swirl around facial consistency and whether AI can replace human emotion in mythic epics. Critics gripe that AI can strip subtle expressions, while Rajamouli is celebrated for pushing scale and GVK family backing keeps the project moving. ^[1]

• The Departed remake — Could a Bollywood The Departed remake land today? Post 2 lays out a high-stakes cast map: Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Salman Khan as potential leads, with Zoya Akhtar rumored to plan it with Ranveer Singh and Katrina Kaif; it would remake Infernal Affairs. ^[2]

• SRK vs. Aamir rivalry — Post 3 imagines a Heat-style on-screen duel between Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. The chatter flags egos and a habit of grabbing creative control, suggesting a two-hero project could be thrilling or combustible. ^[3]

• SLB’s influence on Ranbir — Post 4 paints Sanjay Leela Bhansali as a heavy-handed force pushing Ranbir Kapoor into Love and War, delaying the project and threatening Ramayan’s timeline. The talk centers on SLB’s clout and the PR drama around Ranbir’s choices. ^[4]

Backstage megaphones keep shaping what Bollywood dares to greenlight next.

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