Welcome to the age of de-ageing — Making star heroes look younger on the silver screen

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By Shashiprasad S M

02/10/2023

Ageing is irreversible in real life, but in reel life, thanks to advanced de-ageing technology, your favourite actor can look at his younger self on the silver screen.

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The die-hard fans of Dr Shivarajkumar can’t wait to witness the magic of the de-aging technology in his upcoming venture — Ghost which is hitting the screens on 19 October.

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Before computer technology made its way into movie making, make-up artists and other technicians showcased their talents to make an actor age, however not so convincingly.

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The earliest example of this was by Karl Struss in Ben-Hur (1925). However, the first-ever case of de-aging technology was used in X-Men: The Last Standing (2006).

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On records (officially), the de-ageing technology in Indian movies made its debut with Shah Rukh Khan’s ambitious project Ra.One (2011).

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In Kollywood, the de-ageing buzz emerged with Kamal Haasan’s Vikram (2022). Even the Telugu film Acharya (2022) starring megastar Chiranjeevi used it.

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“A lot of star heroes want to look younger on screens and they go under the ‘digital knife’ said a Kannada director. He added that most CGI work is done to make an actor look fit and handsome.

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All the films that have officially used the de-ageing technology have failed to make any impact at the box office in India, pointed out another filmmaker anonymously.

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