The Digital Resurrection: When AI Brings Loved Ones Back to Life
In August, Ajmer-based garment businessman Jaideep Sharma experienced an emotional moment during his wedding ceremony that blended tradition with cutting-edge technology. As the priest asked the couple to seek blessings from their elders, Sharma felt the absence of his father, who had passed away two years earlier. But technology provided a solution that left guests deeply moved.
A video began to play showing Sharma's father speaking in his own voice—a digital apparition created using artificial intelligence. The 32-year-old businessman had commissioned the AI recreation after seeing a similar concept where deceased grandparents attended their grandchild's wedding digitally.
"You know it is AI, but it still moves you," Sharma confessed. "I thought, if technology can enable me to seek my father's blessings—that would be the most meaningful wedding gift. AI allowed me to feel a very personal, intimate connection with my late father on my wedding day—when his absence was strongly felt."
The Rising Demand for Digital Afterlife in India
Sharma's experience represents a growing trend in India where "grief tech" is finding fertile ground in a culture deeply rooted in mourning rituals and family traditions. Memories of departed loved ones are no longer confined to blurry photographs or grainy home videos. Today, the deceased are returning as AI-generated avatars with cloned voices and re-imagined bodies, blessing family members during important ceremonies.
Sharma worked with Divyendra Singh Jadoun, founder of The Indian Deepfaker, a Pushkar-based synthetic media company that creates hyper-realistic content using deepfake technology. The demand for such services is driving a cottage industry with AI engineers, wedding photographers, and startups leading the way.
Earlier this year, a viral video from Kota, Rajasthan demonstrated the emotional power of this technology. The clip showed a deceased brother descending from clouds on a giant screen at his sister's wedding. The life-like video depicted him posing for family portraits, mingling with guests, and wishing his sister well before ascending back into the digital sky. Since being uploaded in May, the video has garnered 48 million views on Instagram.
The Business and Ethics of Digital Resurrection
Jack Bhatia, the Kota-based wedding filmmaker who created the viral video, has been overwhelmed with business inquiries. "I have made roughly 250 similar videos for various occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and family functions," he revealed.
Bhatia explained that each recreation takes five to six days depending on the quality of old photos provided by clients and how families want the deceased to appear. His team of seven then stitches the pieces together to create an AI version. When asked about consent, he mentioned they rely on simple email agreements and delete raw data after delivering the final video.
However, Bhatia maintains ethical boundaries. "I would not make the dead dance to a Bollywood song. That just feels a bit too extreme," he stated.
Jadoun, who started creating synthetic deepfake content in October 2020, says most requests come from families wanting to hear their parents' voices one last time. He emphasizes the importance of safeguards, with his team seeking consent from the closest legal heirs of the deceased and including prominent disclaimers like "This video is generated entirely by AI" along with company watermarks.
Psychological Impact and Legal Concerns
Psychologists raise important questions about the emotional impact of this technology. Surbhi Joshi, a Mumbai-based psychologist, warns that while the initial reconnection may bring joy, prolonged exposure can make mourning difficult. "It may even re-traumatise those grieving," she says, noting that compulsively rewatching AI recreations can "delay the sense of closure, which is an essential aspect of the grieving process."
The legal landscape remains uncertain in India. Rajesh Vellakkat, partner at law firm Fox Mandal & Associates LLP, explains that India has no specific law safeguarding people from AI misuse, with posthumous personality rights not formally recognized. "Creating new content using the deceased person's likeness or voice could be treated as 'deception' under law," he notes.
The cost of these services varies significantly. A well-executed AI avatar in India costs between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh, with prices increasing if cloned voices and visual effects are incorporated. Sharma paid approximately ₹45,000 to digitally resurrect his father for his wedding.
As generative AI tools become more accessible, they're reshaping how Indians remember—or misremember—the dead. The technology has evolved from simple video tributes to interactive experiences, raising both hope and concern about the future of mourning in the digital age.
