Humans in the Loop, the award-winning feature on an Adivasi woman working as an AI data-labeller, has announced celebrated filmmakers Kiran Rao and Biju Toppo as Executive Producers. Their involvement marks a defining moment for the film, which is fast emerging as one of India’s most urgent and globally resonant independent features.
For Kiran Rao, whose Laapataa Ladies was India’s official entry to the Academy Awards in 2024, this is the third independent film she has championed, following her association with Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus and Karan Tejpal’s Stolen. Rao said: “I loved Humans in the Loop from the very first viewing. It is deeply moving and thought-provoking. The film has wings and carries a very important global message about technology, labour, and the knowledge systems we risk losing. Supporting this project felt both urgent and necessary.”
Biju Toppo, a pioneer in Adivasi cinema, brings decades of experience documenting the struggles and resilience of indigenous communities. He said “This film speaks directly to the lives of people I personally have known and seen. For too long, Adivasi perspectives has remained invisible, not just in history, but even in how we imagine the future. Humans in the Loop boldly expresses our perspective. Having seen the film from its inception I’m proud to say that it’s both a regional film and a global at the same time.”
Directed by Aranya Sahay and produced by Mathivanan Rajendran, Sarabhi Ravichandran, Shilpa Kumar and Aranya through Storiculture’s Impact Fellowship and SAUV Films, the film is set in Jharkhand and follows Nehma, an Oraon Adivasi woman whose livelihood in AI data-labelling exposes the hidden labour that powers “smart” technologies. By showing how technological progress can entrench exclusion while sidelining indigenous knowledge systems, the film raises urgent questions about the future we are building. In addition to a robust festival run, the film recently won the FIPRESCI India award, sharing the honour alongside All We Imagine as Light.
Reflecting on the support from Rao and Toppo, director Aranya Sahay said “Independent filmmaking is often described as walking a tightrope. Knowing that Kiran Rao and Biju Toppo are championing Humans in the Loop gives us immense courage. It has taken a year of consistent outreach through micro-community screenings to reach a momentum to release the film theatrically. I do hope that audiences across the country can experience it on the big screen. Humans in the Loop is not just a story about one woman in Jharkhand, it is about all of us asking what kind of future we want to build with technology.”
To reach audiences across India, the producers have adopted an alternative distribution model supported by an Impact Distribution fund initiated by the Museum of Imagined Futures. The film will release through a mix of theatrical and curated independent screenings, beginning 5 September 2025 at Cinépolis Andheri in Mumbai, followed by openings in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, and Bengaluru from 12 September onwards. The makers have also planned a cinema of the people initiative, inviting audiences to request for specific screenings in their cities.
The film aims to engage audiences across India through its theatrical run and impact screenings, bringing urgent conversations on technology, labour and indigenous knowledge into the public domain.
