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Three major international talents hailing from Indian cinema have thrown their weight behind “Humans in the Loop” during its awards season push. Actor Shabana Azmi alongside directors Ritesh Batra and Shaunak Sen have taken executive producer roles on the feature, which is seeking recognition in the best original screenplay category at the 98th Academy Awards.
Their backing continues momentum for writer-director Aranya Sahay’s debut, produced by Mathivanan Rajendran. The narrative tracks a woman from an indigenous community in rural India whose job involves educating machine learning systems.
Sahay’s script builds its three-chapter structure around questions of how traditional wisdom intersects with technological advancement. The story positions the protagonist’s work as analogous to nurturing a child. The project originated from a news story and took shape during a residency at the Museum of Imagined Futures.
Batra, director of “The Lunchbox,” responded to the film’s tone. “What moved me about ‘Humans in the Loop’ is its tenderness. It looks at systems and data, but listens closely to the people inside them, their pauses, their compromises, and their need to be seen,” he said.
“Halo” star Azmi emphasized the accessible storytelling. “It is a beautiful story, told very simply with a heart. It makes you sensitive to what is happening around us in the world. It is a film that touches and enriches you in many ways,” she said.
Sen, whose “All That Breathes” won at Sundance and Cannes and was Oscar nominated, discussed the work’s philosophical dimension. “Humans in the Loop is attentive to the quiet spaces where technology meets lived experience. Rather than offering answers, the film stays with the ethical uncertainty of technological progress and the people whose lives are shaped by it,” he said.
Director Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth”) also weighed in, stating: “The film is written in such a way that it reminds us that in the pauses between technology and humanity lies something more ethereal, the responsibility of choice.”
The project’s journey involved multiple collaborators. Bijjo Toppo came aboard as executive producer during development, while Kiran Rao facilitated the Indian release and Misaq Kazimi oversaw the American rollout. Film Independent’s 2025 Sloan Distribution Grant, designated for science-focused works, went to the production.
The stateside engagement strategy involves advisors Ketki Parikh and Priya Samant working with several ambassadors: Aroon Shivdasani of the Indo American Arts Council, chef Vikas Khanna, and media figures Medha Jaishankar and Sanjay Sharma.
Reflecting on the support network, Sahay said: “I feel deeply honored that artists whose work has inspired me have connected with this film. It began as a short script and gradually evolved into the feature we see today, and that journey has been a labor of love.”
Academy members accessed the film through the organization’s screening platform earlier in the year. Netflix released it in November. Beyond awards consideration, the project is staging discussion events around artificial intelligence and indigenous perspectives.
English (US) ·