Democratise films: Bhumi Pednekar on ideas to build a better future
Davos (PTI): Democratising filmmaking with use of artificial intelligence can help build a better future for everyone, actor and climate activist Bhumi Pednekar said here.
One of the five young global leaders who were asked one transformative idea each for a better world in 2025, Pednekar said AI has the potential to democratize filmmaking, expand access to educational films, and improve the industry for marginalized groups.
Along with several others named as 'Young Global Leaders' by the World Economic Forum for helping improve the state of the world, Pednekar is here to participate in the WEF Annual Meeting that will continue till January 24.
Giving an example of her 2017 film Toilet Ek Prem Katha (Toilet, A Love Story), which addressed the issue of open defecation (ODF), she said the film used a comedic and romantic tone to comment on various themes, from how lack of sanitation creates gender disparity and puts women at risk, to the health hazards of a lack of indoor plumbing.
"The film became a catalyst for change in India and was used as part of the government’s campaign to eradicate ODF," she wrote on the WEF blog.
The film was used across rural India, where the problem primarily existed, as an easy-to-understand educational tool. The proportion of the population defecating in the open declined significantly from 2016 to 2022, following government efforts and the film's release, she said in her response.
She pitched for advances in technology and visual effects to help such stories become more impactful.
"Imagine showing the same film, but modified by AI for global audiences, ensuring the message resonates across languages and regions," she said.
"As an actor and an advocate for equality, I’m most excited about how AI is going to democratize storytelling. I have chosen roles that challenge prevalent beauty standards and centre women and marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ community. But there are still too few films made with the female gaze or telling queer stories," she said.
Pednekar lamented that studios avoid investing in such films due to high costs and so-called market risks, but AI can change that with lower costs and shorter filmmaking process.
AI can make female-centric films a sustainable business model and also help make the industry safer for women and marginalized groups by automating unbiased casting processes and identifying patterns of misconduct.
"And tools could even assist in determining an individual's fair and impartial compensation," she said.
Among other five young global leaders who were asked the same question, Canadian entrepreneur and founder of social enterprise Localised, Ronit Avni called for investing in African talent to build a better future.
She said employers often prefer to hire engineering and business talent from long-established tech hubs such as India, Poland, Israel, and the United States, but African job seekers remain under-utilized despite the presence of a growing, highly skilled talent pool.
"Much as India has risen as a formidable engineering hub, Africa has the potential to lead the way in carbon and ESG talent," she wrote in the WEF blog.
ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance.
Achieving this will require strategic investment to build candidates' carbon intelligence now, while raising employers' awareness of this talent pool, so that the continent can seize on this transformative moment, Avni said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Prasidh, Kuldeep limit South Africa to 270 after De Kock's hundred
Visakhapatnam (PTI): India fought back gallantly through Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav after Quinton de Kock struck his 23rd hundred, keeping South Africa to a manageable 270 in the third and series-deciding final ODI, here Saturday.
India won the toss after judging the spin of the coin incorrectly 20 times in a row. They had little hesitation in inserting the Proteas into bat, a clear indication of dew factor dominating the thought.
After Arshdeep Singh sent back Ryan Rickelton early, De Kock (106, 89b, 8x4, 6x4) struck his seventh century against India and put on 113 runs off 124 balls with skipper Temba Bavuma (48, 67b) as the visitors moved to a healthy position.
De Kock was severe on Prasidh (4/66), who erred on length continuously in his first spell (2-0-27-0). The left-hander biffed the pacer for 6, 6, 4 in his second over to milk 18 runs.
The 32-year-old quickly pounced on anything that was short, and pacers Prasidh and Harshit offered him plenty of feed on his pet areas.
Bavuma was more sedate, and made runs through those typical dabs and jabs, occasionally unfurling a drive of elan.
De Kock moved to fifty in 42 balls, and never let the tempo down reaching his hundred in 79 balls.
India found temporary relief when Ravindra Jadeja induced a false slash from Bavuma to get caught by Virat Kohli at point.
The tourists got another move on through a 54-run partnership between De Kock and Matthew Breetzkle for the third wicket, and at 168 for two in 28 overs they were in a good position to press on.
But Breetzke's punishment of part-time spinner Tilak Varma forced a rethink in the Indian camp, as skipper KL Rahul brought back Prasidh for a second spell.
What a masterstroke it turned out to be! The Karnataka man broke the back of South Africa’s top and middle order in an exceptional second spell (4-0-11-3).
Breetzke was the first man to go, trapped plumb in front with a straight one and four balls later Aiden Markram uppishly chipped a fuller delivery to Kohli at short covers.
Prasidh soon castled De Kock, whose ugly cross-batted swipe failed to connect a full length delivery from the pacer.
All of a sudden, SA found themselves at a shaky 199 for five, losing three wickets in the space of three overs.
Once Prasidh was done away with the top and middle-order, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep (4/41) took over and mopped up the tail as SA fell short of even a par total on this track.
