So, Vikramaditya Motwane—aka the director who never sticks to one genre—is back at it again, shaking up Bollywood with CTRL, India’s first-ever screenlife thriller. This isn’t your typical drama; think of it like Searching meets Unfriended, but with Ananya Panday squaring off against AI and social media chaos. 🔥
CTRL: From Petty Quarrel to Full-Blown Tech Nightmare
CTRL starts off like any millennial/Gen Z relationship—you know, cute DMs and subtle shade-throwing—until things take a dark, dark turn. (Cue the dramatic music 🎶.) According to Motwane, he wanted to do something fresh, something that reflects our real obsession with likes, comments, and internet clout. And boy, did he deliver!
Teaming up with Ananya Panday and the ultra-hilarious Sumukhi Suresh, Vikramaditya was determined to NOT be the “40-year-old guy telling 20-year-olds how the internet works.” 😂 Smart move, because let’s be real, we know our memes better than anyone!
The Struggle Is Real: Tech Headaches Galore 💻
Now, you might think the biggest challenge was coming up with the story, but nope. The real struggle? Creating EVERY. SINGLE. THING. on-screen from scratch! Imagine coding your own Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter just for a movie. Sounds exhausting, right? 🤯
Everything had to be spot on, from the DMs to the comments section (we all know how creative comment sections can get). Not only that, but every detail had to be legally approved. So yeah, CTRL wasn’t just a thriller for us—it was a nerve-wracking, tech marathon for the team.
Meet Allen, the Flirty AI You Didn’t Know You Needed 🤖💬
In CTRL, Nella, played by Ananya Panday, faces off against an AI assistant named Allen—a digital assistant with some serious personality. Think of Allen as the Siri or Alexa you secretly wish could flirt back. Allen can be your social media manager, delete your embarrassing past posts, and be your digital wingman (or geeky sidekick, depending on your vibe). 😉
But don’t get it twisted. Allen’s charm hides a much darker side. Let’s just say that by the end, you’ll definitely think twice before asking your phone anything.
The Ending That Almost Was… Revenge, Baby! 🔥
And here’s where things get spicy! In an early version of CTRL, Nella was supposed to go full-on revenge queen. 👑💥 Yup, you read that right. Nella would’ve gone after the bad guys, wreaking digital havoc. But alas, Motwane and his team decided to keep things more subtle and stick with the screenlife vibe.
Why? Well, making a full-blown revenge movie didn’t really fit into the “watch-it-all-on-a-screen” format. So, sadly, no John Wick-style Nella for us. 😭 Instead, we got a more mind-bending ending that leaves you wondering, “Did Nella really just…?”
No CTRL-Z for This Ending: A Sequel? 👀
Motwane also toyed with the idea of making an interactive Bandersnatch-style CTRL, where YOU could pick the storyline. But after getting a headache just thinking about the possibilities, he ditched the idea. 😂
As for a sequel? Motwane’s not sold. “In Nella’s case, she’s doomed. She’s gone down that rabbit hole again,” he laughs. So, for now, it looks like CTRL is a one-and-done thriller. But hey, never say never in Bollywood, right?
What’s Next for Motwane? 🎬
Motwane’s cooking up some fresh projects, including Indi(r)a’s Emergency (a docu-style project) and Black Warrant, a prison drama. He’s staying away from theaters for a hot minute, but don’t worry—he’s already got his eyes on the action genre, and we’re ready for it! 💥
With CTRL, Vikramaditya Motwane has proven he’s the king of flipping genres on their heads—and we can’t wait to see what internet rabbit hole he jumps into next.