What happens when a machine starts questioning our ways of the world? Watch this gripping tale based on Satyajit Ray’s short story.
As we approach the 25th week of ViewFinder, we hope that you have enjoyed our film selections and experienced a variety of new perspectives through them. To improve the viewing experience, films we share now on will revolve around a single theme. The theme will change every five to six weeks.
Theme: Shared Humanity
To start us off, we hark back to the master, Satyajit Ray, through an adaptation of his dystopian short story ‘Anukul’. This is an interesting pick as it explores a complex version of shared humanity between an unlikely pair – an old Hindi teacher (Mr. Nikunj, played by Saurabh Shukla) and a robot (Anukul, played by Parambrata Chattopadhyay).
The film is set in a futuristic version of Kolkata (West Bengal) where robots are slowly taking over human jobs. Society seems to be divided into two factions: those who see robots as machines – as being just pieces of metal with no feelings; and those who treat them with respect and help them be more human-like. The conflict between the two is where the plot lies.
‘Anukul’ evokes a subtle yet ever-looming sense of fear about what will happen next. The scene that stood out for me was when Anukul questions the Hindu mythology text, ‘The Gita’. This scene displays the robot’s genuine interest in making sense of the subjectivity of human behaviour. It allows Nikunj to share his value system and truly begin training Anukul to be his robot. It also gives rise to a chilling moment when Anukul likens himself to god by saying, “Even I can’t die”.
In today’s world, where we lean on our AI-powered mobile devices and smart gadgets, this layered story gives us food for thought. Can a human and a robot be friends? Can a robot be taught to have a conscience? Do robots deserve rights?
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Surbhi Dewan, Curator at ViewFinder, Saachibaat.com |
