Building on his recent viral success with AI short films on Maldivian history and folklore, Ahmed Didi (Ahammaidhi) has, this time, brought the iconic tale of Dhonhiyala and Alifulhu to life.
Dhonhiyala and Alifulhu, a Maldivian folklore about two lovers, was first published in book form by Abdulla Sodig (Soadhube) in 1976.
Snapshot from AI short film by Ahmed Didi (Ahammaidhi) on Dhonhiyala and Alifulhu story.
The heroine, Dhonhiyala, is the epitome of beauty, while the hero, Alifulhu, is a charming and tenacious young man. The story tells the tale of their love, marked by numerous obstacles and tragedy, as the king falls in love with Dhonhiyala. 
Didi’s 24-minute AI short vividly portrays the lovers’ first meeting, the blossoming of their love, the challenges they encounter, and their tragic fate.
The film’s scenes are accompanied by background music that reflects the emotions and events being portrayed. It also features an AI-generated song that narrates the story.
Prior to this, Didi has released retellings of Maldivian folklore Rannamari, alongside events from the Maldivian history, including former president Amin Didi’s end and the legacy of Al‑Sultana Khadeejah Sri Raadha Abaarana Mahaa Rehendhi, better known as Rehendhi Khadhijah, remembered as the queen who famously murdered two husbands to secure her reign.  
Commenting on his newest work, Didi told Sun that the long story of Dhonhiyala and Alifulhu had to be condensed into a 20-minute video.
Snapshot from AI short film by Ahmed Didi (Ahammaidhi) on Dhonhiyala and Alifulhu story.
He emphasized that producing such a project using AI is extremely costly. However, he explained that he is not pursuing it for financial gain, but out of genuine passion and a belief that these stories deserve to be catered to the public.
“The voice of all characters, including females, are all mine. They have been changed using AI. Apart from ‘Raivaru’, all other songs are AI-generated. So is the background music,” he said.
While Didi acknowledged that AI makes filmmaking much easier compared to managing a large production crew, he stressed that the film is not automatically created. In this regard, he noted that it took five weeks to research, write, and prepare the AI prompts for the film.
He detailed that while AI generates visuals, music, or effects, humans guide the process including research, script and design prompts and editing.
Snapshot from AI short film by Ahmed Didi (Ahammaidhi) on Dhonhiyala and Alifulhu story.
Didi, who worked in television in the late 1980s, is a skilled producer who created remarkable work despite the limited resources available at the time.
His influence can be seen in numerous TVM productions from that era, and he has contributed to popular films such as ‘Dheriya’, ‘Amaanaiy’, and ‘Fathis Handhuvaru’.