Humans in the Loop, the award-winning feature about an Adivasi woman working as an AI data-labeller, has brought on filmmakers Kiran Rao and Biju Toppo as Executive Producers. Their association adds momentum to the film, which continues to gain recognition as an important independent project with a global resonance.
Kiran Rao, Biju Toppo join FIPRESCI winner Humans in the Loop as executive producers
For Kiran Rao, whose Laapataa Ladies was India’s official entry to the Academy Awards in 2024, this marks the third independent film she has supported, after her involvement with Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus and Karan Tejpal’s Stolen. Kiran 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 connect with audiences across India, the producers are using an alternative distribution model supported by the Impact Distribution fund of the Museum of Imagined Futures. The film will open with a mix of theatrical and curated independent screenings, starting 5 September 2025 at Cinépolis Andheri in Mumbai, and will expand to Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, and Bengaluru from 12 September. In addition, the team has planned a “cinema of the people” initiative, allowing audiences to request screenings in their own cities.
The film seeks to reach audiences across India through its theatrical run and impact screenings, opening up conversations around technology, labour, and indigenous knowledge.
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