Ananya Panday in CTRL.
Credit: Special Arrangement
This Could Be You. And This Could Happen To You. That's the warning this tech dystopia movie hammers into you. No subtlety there.
Vikramaditya Motwane's new movie 'Ctrl' has a sort of frothy energy, quite like the influencers it features — always up and about but often found wanting once the fizz is spent. This 99-minute racer buzzes, swipes, scrolls and flashes away on the protagonist's screen as much as yours. Makes you a bit dizzy — not with joy but with trepidation about what AI and data privacy (or the lack of it) can do to our lives. Borrowing themes from several other recent movies on the same lines, it reminds us how inextricably linked we are now to the giant corporations that own the technology critical to the running of the internet. It also brings to mind the 1995 Sandra Bullock thriller, 'The Net', possibly one of the earliest cautionary tales about the digital world.
After a quick meet-cute in college, Nella (Ananya Panday) and Joe (Vihaan Samat) begin to post together as a couple and soon go viral enough to monetise their cute quotient. Before they know it, their life together is all about the next post, driving engagement, getting more endorsements, etc. A blip in the relationship and Nella engages a new AI app to erase her digital memories. And that is when things start spiralling.
The narrative is almost entirely based on what the characters see on their phones and laptops alternated with their video calls, their shoots, etc. This is risky; the viewer can easily get confused but the makers manage to not lose their grip. The attention to detail here is impressive. Ananya Panday turns in a surprisingly competent performance and holds it all together, quite by herself. That said, there is an inexplicable lack of energy after the big reveal and the movie peters out as it nears its climax. Still, quite watchable.