The Zebras(2024)
Hindi165 mins
A photographer in Kolkata who uses artificial intelligence to create virtual monsters, blurring the boundaries between reality and digitization, leading to turmoil in the city's photography and fashion industries.
Director:Aneek Chaudhuri
Mood:
darkemotionaldisturbing
Where to watch:
OTT availability not confirmed yet. Check Netflix · Prime Video · Hotstar · ZEE5
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 30 December 2024
- Director
- Aneek Chaudhuri
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h 45m
- Rating
- 1.0/10
Storyline
A photographer in Kolkata uses AI to make virtual monsters. This blurs the line between the real and digital worlds, causing major disruption in the city's photography and fashion scenes.
“When AI creates monsters, reality loses focus.”
Film Details
1.0Rating
165Minutes
HindiLanguage
Release Date30 December 2024
Parental Guide
Violence
Low
Language
Low
Sex / Nudity
Mild
Drugs
Mild
Intensity
Low
Vibe & Tags
Mood
darkemotionaldisturbing
Themes
identitycorruptionsurvivaljustice
Tonegritty
Pacingslow-burn
Complexityrequires-attention
Audiencearthouse
Best Withalone
Violence3
Emotion4
Humor1
Rewatchability3
Cast & Crew
#1
S
Sharib HashmiActor
→#2
P
Priyanka SarkarActor
→#3
U
Usha BanerjeeActor
→#4
A
Aneek ChaudhuriDirector
→#5
A
Ashik MuraliCrew
→Trivia
- The film was shot entirely in Kolkata, using real locations to contrast with its digital themes.
- Director Aneek Chaudhuri often works with non-professional actors, but the lead actor's background is not widely publicized.
- The movie's title refers to the black and white stripes of a zebra, symbolizing the blur between reality and AI.
- It premiered at a European film festival before its release in India, a common path for Chaudhuri's independent films.
- The special effects for the AI monsters were created on a modest budget using accessible software.
- The story reflects contemporary debates in India about AI replacing creative jobs like photography.
- Chaudhuri has stated the film is part of his 'neo-noir' trilogy exploring urban alienation in Kolkata.