Subhash Ghai thanks Odisha's Sudarsan Pattnaik for his sand portrait; artist says it’s ‘AI-generated’. See viral post

In a development that underscores the growing challenge of distinguishing real art from artificial intelligence-generated visuals, veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai recently found himself at the centre of an unexpected online debate.

Ghai shared what he described as a “self-portrait” crafted in sand, crediting celebrated sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik for the work. The filmmaker, clearly impressed, wrote that a friend had sent him the image, claiming it was created by Pattnaik, a Padma Shri awardee known for his intricate sand sculptures.

“Can’t believe it,” Ghai wrote in his post, praising the “perfection and affection” with which the portrait appeared to have been made. The image, at first glance, resembled a finely detailed sand sculpture—one that aligned with Pattnaik’s reputation for precision.

Real or AI?

However, the post soon drew scrutiny. Several users pointed out inconsistencies in the image, suggesting that it may not be a real sand sculpture at all, but rather an AI-generated visual.

Observers noted that the facial features appeared unusually flawless and lacked the natural imperfections typically seen in sand art. The texture, shading and overall finish, some argued, seemed “too perfect” to have been created by hand.

Sudarsan Pattnaik steps in

Amid the growing speculation, Pattnaik himself responded to Ghai’s post, offering a polite but clear clarification.

“Namaskar Subhash Ghai ji, I am truly honoured to receive your message and appreciation. Sir, I am a big fan of you,” he wrote, before adding that the image “appears to be AI-generated” and that there may have been a misunderstanding or incorrect information.

He further expressed gratitude for Ghai’s kind words, maintaining a respectful tone while addressing the confusion.

The response not only resolved the immediate question around the image’s authenticity but also highlighted how easily misinformation—intentional or otherwise—can spread in the age of AI.

Internet reacts

A user wrote, "But we need to be think if Director like Subhash Ghai ji couldn't differciate between AI image and original work...how can we expect from common people?"

“The incredibly gifted @sudarsansand and his humble way of putting the fact to the iconic Subash Ghaiji,” another user wrote.

“Ghai ji at least you should have seen the specs in the so alled sculpture before posting the praises. Seems you saw this when you were not wearing your specs,” a user joked.

“Our old generation is too innocent to differentiate between real n AI,” the fourth user wrote.

Several users on the internet requested Pattnaik to make a portrait of Ghai.