When Netflix India first arrived, it introduced audiences to a wave of independent films that stood out for their originality and depth. Over time, that space shrank as the platform shifted its focus to mainstream content. After years, Netflix is once again opening its doors to Indian indie cinema with Humans in the Loop, a film that has already earned widespread acclaim on the festival circuit. The movie will begin streaming on October 31.
Directed by Aranya Sahay and produced by Storiculture, Humans in the Loop is a Hindi-Kurukh fiction film that tells the story of Nehma, an Adivasi woman from Jharkhand who works as a data labeller training artificial intelligence models. Her work involves tagging objects in images and videos, but what begins as a simple job soon reveals the deeper biases and ethical dilemmas of AI systems.
Inspired by journalist Karishma Mehrotra’s FiftyTwo article “Human Touch,” the film highlights the contributions of women in data annotation while raising questions about how technology intersects with marginalized communities. It premiered at MAMI and later screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala, receiving strong praise for its storytelling and nuanced portrayal of gender and technology.
Critics have called it one of the most thought-provoking Indian films of the year and described it as a rare blend of social realism and technological reflection. With its release on Netflix, Humans in the Loop could finally reach a wider audiences.