At the time when AI is rapidly transforming industries across the globe, an old interview of legendary Malayalam actor Jagathy Sreekumar has resurfaced—and it’s nothing short of prophetic.In a candid conversation with actor Kottayam Nazeer years ago, Jagathy had reflected on the changing nature of acting and even hinted at a future where technology might replace human performers altogether.“Acting for the sake of acting” is no longer neededJagathy spoke about how acting styles evolve with time and how realism has overtaken dramatic performances. “There are differences in acting style over different eras,” he said. “Even we used to feel that the older generation overacted—but we never said it openly. We just said, ‘They’re the best.’”

He emphasized that today’s audience prefers subtlety and realism. “Now the audience doesn’t need ‘acting for the sake of acting.’

What they expect is realism, where the feel of ‘acting’ itself vanishes,” he explained.

AI and the future of performanceBut what stunned many was Jagathy’s striking observation about the potential of artificial intelligence. “Maybe in the future, all this won’t be needed. There might be a day when they don’t even need actors,” he predicted. “Technology is advancing so fast that maybe, just a picture of ours would be enough to create an entire scene.”

At a time when AI-generated content, digital avatars, and synthetic performances are becoming a reality in cinema, Jagathy’s prediction seems to have come true.The legend returns with ‘Vala’Interestingly, while AI gains traction, the beloved actor is also set to make his long-awaited comeback with the film 'Vala'. The movie is directed by Arun Chandu and is a sci-fi entertainer. 'Vala' also features Anarkali Marikar, Basil Joseph, Aju Varghese, KB Ganesh Kumar and many others in pivotal roles. Jagathy also played a pivotal role in Mammootty's 'CBI 5'.