If an automaton gains sentience, will it be classified as a robot or a life form? If it commits a crime, will that crime be punished by human laws or robotic ones? Questions like these that blur the boundaries of philosophy, technology and, perhaps, existence, shape the trailer of Anand Gandhi's next production venture, OK Computer. Directed by Pooja Shetty and Neil Pagedar, the series is set to be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar from 26 March.
The year is 2031. Vijay Verma plays a hassled cop, Saajan Kundu, who arrives at the site of an accident where a self-driving car is a guilty party. He suspects murder, but a representative of the People For Ethical Treatment of Robots (PETER), played by Radhika Apte, does not buy it. Robots cannot harm humans, she emphasizes, according to the three laws of robotics. Yet, there is a catch. The source code of the car has been modified, and the apparent culprit (Jackie Shroff) shows up on social media using a filter. His goal is a revolution against the growing influence of technology on human life.
The trailer borders on the absurd and amusing. Yet, it is not simple. With principles of robotics that seem to be inspired by the man who devised the laws himself, science-fiction luminary Isaac Asimov, the trailer makes for an interesting watch. Even as the humans struggle with finding a law to convict robots, it lays the ground for social satire about a country that imprisons pigeons on charges of spying. There are instances of high comedy with the robot being presented in court, and its interrogation, but above all the quirky, radical Jackie Shroff.
The only issue is that the trailer verges on the absurd and ridiculous. While the concepts are quite lofty and impressive, the groundwork and production look a bit dated. The project is being touted as India's first sci-fi comedy series and looks to take that position by the value of timing.
The series also features Rasika Dugal and Sarang Sathaye and is co-written by Anand Gandhi. OK Computer will be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar from 26 March.