AI won’t kill you, but not using it might: Ram Madhvani

New Delhi: “AI won’t kill you. But not using it might.”

That line from Ram Madhvani is more than a pithy observation—it’s a manifesto. For one of India’s most celebrated ad filmmakers, the march of technology isn’t a threat to creativity; it’s a test of relevance. And for Madhvani, reinvention is the only honest answer.

“From rock to paper to Kindle to AI,” he said with a smile, “I’ve embraced every leap.”

As the co-founder of Equinox Films, the mind behind iconic campaigns like Airtel’s Har Ek Friend and Happydent Palace, and the director of acclaimed titles like Neerja and Aarya, Madhvani stands at the rare intersection of advertising, cinema, and cultural storytelling. 

In a conversation with BestMediaInfo.com, he laid bare the tensions, transitions, and truths shaping the industry today.

“There was a time,” Madhvani recalled, “when ads weren’t just campaigns—they were events.”

He spoke of an era when advertising sparked real-world chatter—on trains, at office canteens, over chai. The golden age of “watercooler conversations”.

“People don’t talk about advertising like that anymore,” he reflected. “It’s not that ads have gotten worse. It’s that we’re no longer creating work designed to pause people in their tracks.”

Instead, he said, the industry has become obsessed with being ‘always on’—constantly posting, constantly pushing. “And somewhere in that noise,” he added, “I think that culture has shifted.”

“We used to wrap the sell in storytelling—build it slowly, delicately. That took time,” he said. “Now, the audience doesn’t mind being told things straight. But in that shift, we’ve lost some of the layering.”

Today’s viewers, he believes, are more discerning than ever. “They can spot when you’re being clever just for the sake of it. They see through scammy ideas.”

And yet, the industry’s mad scramble for virality often sidelines nuance. “Not everything shiny works,” Madhvani cautions. “Some of it is just cringe. But ethics, taste, judgment—those are personal. The question is: Did you move someone? Was it believable?”

If there’s one force that’s kept Madhvani evolving, it’s fear.

“The best driver of reinvention is fear,” he said, matter-of-factly. “I don’t want to be left behind.”

It’s this mindset that has guided Equinox into new territories—from virtual reality storytelling to branded content ecosystems. But what hasn’t changed is Madhvani’s core belief: “The format doesn’t matter. The feeling does.”

Madhvani is quick to dismantle the myth that hiring a top director guarantees brilliance. “We’re in the business of alchemy,” he explained. “You never know what will happen. So don’t rely on the director to pull it off.”

“The idea has to work on paper. If it only comes alive when a ‘name’ director waves their wand, you’re already on thin ice.”

For him, success lies in humility. “I’m relieved when my mediocre becomes good. And when my good becomes someone else’s great, I’m grateful.”

Asked if there’s a recent ad he wishes bore his name, Madhvani lighted up.

“The Jindal Steel film by Ayappa—cinematically, just brilliant,” he said. “It had vision, craft, and risk. That’s the kind of work that lingers.”

For Madhvani, the future of storytelling is unapologetically branded.

“I don’t buy this Western guilt around brand placements,” he said. “If the content is good, audiences won’t care—it’s the advertising community that’s still hung up.”

He’s especially proud of his work on Aarya, where subtle integrations served both story and sponsor. And he celebrates Mere Dad Ki Maruti, commissioned entirely by Maruti, as a gold standard.

“That’s where we need to go: content that wouldn’t exist without the brand but still stands strong as entertainment.”

At Equinox, he said, they’re building long-form content that’s brand-first, not brand-hidden. “We’ve got 10 such ideas in the pipeline. This isn’t content where the brand sneaks in—it’s content about the brand, proudly so.”

Very few production houses can speak fluently in both advertising and entertainment. Madhvani believes Equinox is among the rare exceptions.

“We know how to shoot a 30-second spot and a 45-minute episode,” he said. “We understand what brand managers want and what OTT platforms need. That’s our sweet spot.”

But fluency isn’t enough. The real challenge is belief. “The audience isn’t stupid,” he said. “They know when they’re being sold to. But they also know when they’re being respected.”

In the end, it comes down to emotional truth. “If the ad doesn’t feel real, it won’t move anyone. And then what are we doing?”