Disney+ Hotstar’s ‘OK Computer’ - Why you should watch this Sci-Fi whodunit

Disney+ Hotstar is launching, what it is calling, India’s first Sci-Fi web series – ‘OK Computer’. Starring Vijay Varma, Radhika Apte, and Jackie Shroff, and a supporting cast featuring Rasika Dugal, Vibha Chibber, Sarang Sathaye, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee and Kani Kusruti, the 6-part series is set to launch on March 26, 2021 in 7 languages. Co-produced and written by Anand Gandhi (of ‘Ship of Theseus’ fame) and co-directed by Pooja Shetty and Neil Pagedar, the series will be available exclusively to Disney+ Hotstar VIP and Disney+ Hotstar Premium subscribers.

‘OK Computer’ is set in a quaint coastal town of North Goa in the year 2031, which is populated by robots and follows a murder mystery plot when a self-driving car kills a person. The series explores the existential question of where culpability lies when an AI is responsible for a crime.

Gaurav Banerjee, President & Head - Hindi and English Entertainment, STAR India, commented, “With every growing year, we aim to bring stories that are bold, imaginative and relatable to the audiences and the story of Hotstar Specials presents ‘OK Computer’ fits the bill perfectly. We are excited to step into a different genre and bring India’s first sci-fi comedy show to our viewers with a stellar star cast and collaborate with one of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers, Anand Gandhi for this non-formulaic series. Most sci-fi stories tend to paint a grim, western view of what the future looks like. But ‘OK Computer’ is a peek into an India of the future. From the design of the bots to the nomenclature of the institutions, the show looks futuristic yet rooted, high tech yet very Indian. We are hopeful it will entertain while being thought provoking.”

Director Pooja Shetty added here, “By the time we finished research and writing, ‘OK Computer’ began to resemble a whimsical PhD thesis. We wanted to create a plausible, authentic, and accessible future world that also extrapolated the absurdities, joys, and difficulties of present-day India. Maushi Bot and Ajeeb were born out of deliberation on this very idea. Ajeeb in particular generated the greatest awe in the writers’ room because – as a sentient messiah robot accused of murder – its character aptly encapsulated the shifting sands of worship and suspicion. The pursuit of a sentient intelligent entity is the pursuit of crafting something in our own image. As we move to make machines more realistic, and more human in their interactions, we have to now ask ourselves, is our species ready for competition?”

Director Neil Pagedar said, “‘OK Computer’ is a half-a-decade-in-the-making love letter to science fiction. Sci-fi has been used to examine the wispy concepts of life as we know it – from exploring distant reaches of the galaxy to existential risk, to the place of humanity in an infinite cosmos. We wanted to reorient the depiction of sci-fi to the near future. We wanted to design an Indian science fiction story that investigated the role of rapidly evolving technology in a society that’s multi-cultural, diverse, and idiosyncratic. At a time when scientific progress exceeds the grasp of society, ‘OK Computer’ seeks to be a zany, mad, incisive bridge to the future.”

Actor Radhika Apte said, “After doing multiple projects in the digital space, I was really excited for my first sci-fi project, especially playing the character of Laxmi. Laxmi is a really cool character who accepts the new future and befriends Robots like they are humans, I quite enjoyed playing this. Imagine waking up one day to a Maushi BOT to help you at home? Or Ajeeb, who is more like a friend to you. How cool is it? The best part is that every look of Laxmi in this series depicts her mood and I certainly look forward to the audiences to watch and know it.”

Actor Vijay Varma added here, “My roles have always been very intense, I was very eager to pick up something more in the space of comedy. When the script for ‘OK Computer’ was offered to me, it seemed like it was programmed for me. The research that has been put into this show is outstanding and I couldn’t let go of the opportunity to play the role of Saajan, the anti-technology police officer, but it’s quite the opposite in reality as I am usually the one who is enamored by advancements and technology. Saajan is carelessly funny and that’s what I love the most about him. I have prepped the longest for this part and made several discoveries and I hope audiences love the character just as I do.”