New Delhi, March 27 -- 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...