Pakistan’s animated adaptation of the popular children’s series Ainak Wala Jin has run into heavy criticism online, with viewers accusing the makers of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to produce parts of the film.
Ainak Wala Jin: The Animated Movie released in cinemas across Pakistan on Friday, July 24, nearly three decades after the original television series first aired on PTV. The Urdu-language film is being screened at major cinema chains, including Nueplex, Cinepax and Centaurus Cineplex.
The film runs for around 85 minutes and introduces the world of the original show to a younger audience while leaning on nostalgia for the 1990s series.
The story follows a young boy growing up in a strict household, whose life changes when his elderly neighbour, later revealed to be a jin, leads him into the magical world of Kokaf.
The project has been promoted with the taglines “The Magic Returns” and “A New Journey, The Same Magic.” It comes from filmmaker, journalist and writer Farhan Khan, a Punjab University alumnus, and is produced by Faisal Saleem in collaboration with PTV Network.
Despite the buildup, many viewers online were unimpressed with the final product, with several scenes drawing particular criticism for what they described as visible signs of AI generation.
One scene showing a storyboard displayed a spelling error, a common flaw associated with AI video generators.
Another scene showing a character flipping through the pages of a book was also called out for looking like poor AI work.
Viewers also pointed to another frame from the trailer that appeared to carry a Google Gemini watermark.
Social media users did not hold back in their reactions.
One user wrote, “Ai hai bhai” [It’s AI, bro].
Another commented, “Ai wala jin” [The AI genie], playing on the show’s original title.
One person wrote, “(Ai)nak wala jin.”
Another user said, “Pro version hi use kr lety 😢” [They should have at least used the pro version].
One comment read, “They seriously saw this and thought ‘haan ye paise banaegi'” [They seriously saw this and thought, “yes, this will make money”].
Another wrote, “Ai generated seriously Ty” [AI generated, seriously, thank you], in a sarcastic tone.
One person summed up everyone’s frustration, writing, “Humare cinemas me AI movies lag rahi hain, kitna gir gaya hai humara standard😢” [AI movies are now playing in our cinemas, look how low our standards have fallen].
The original Ainak Wala Jin first aired on PTV Lahore in February 1993 and went on to become one of Pakistan’s most beloved children’s programmes.
The show combined fantasy, science fiction, humour and everyday situations, and its characters became widely known among Pakistani audiences through the 1990s and into the 2000s.
