‘CTRL’ Foretells Our AI Future

Under a banner that reads “Kollege Kultural Kompetition,” students dressed up in costumes, ranging from a clock to a playing card, squish together for a group photo. “Wanna sit?” a fish head (Ananya Panday) asks a rock (Vihaan Samat) as she makes space. What follows is friendship, love, and a viral vlogging brand.

No, this isn’t the latest Karan Johar romantic comedy. Instead, it’s the brainchild of director Vikramaditya Motwane. His tightly crafted films, such as the Cannes winner Udaan — about a young man rethinking his fraught relationship with his father — and Trapped — about a man who moves into a derelict apartment building so he can elope with his love — often leave you rethinking your life. This time, he explores what happens when an influencer’s relationship ends publicly and you despair into loneliness. Usually, you would take solace with friends and family. But what happens when your solace is a prescient AI assistant?