Ok Computer, starring Radhika Apte, Vijay Varma, Rasika Dugal, Jackie Shroff, Kani Kusruti, Sarang Sathaye, Vibha Chibber and Ratnabali Bhattacharjee released on Hotstar on Friday. Pooja Shetty and Neil Pagedar are the creators of the show who also wrote it along with Anand Gandhi. The series has 6 long episodes. So, is it worth watching? Read on to know.
The story of Ok Computer is set in the year 2031. While we are still dealing with a pandemic, by then we are not only COVID-19 free but have AIs/robots and human-like holograms everywhere around us. The series starts with a car named Nikhil reporting to the cybercrime department that it has gotten into a big accident and killed someone in the crash.
Cop Saajan Kundu (Vijay Varma) arrives at the crime scene and inspects everything around. Monalisa (Kani Kusruti) and several other holograms are busy collecting evidence while other droids are trying to match the DNA, impact of the accident and trying to figure out the identity of the victim. We are shown how everything that takes hours or days is done immediately because of these AIs.
In OK Computer, Saajan Kundu hates droids as Pedro Pascal does in The Mandalorian. He doesn’t trust them at all. It is also because of a droid named Ajeeb who was supposed to be a messiah but ‘betrays’ the human race when he decides to be a stand-up comedian. Then there’s Radhika Apte’s Laxmi Suri who has immense trust in the droids. Laxmi and Saajan have an argument at the crime scene as the former thinks it was just an accident but the latter is of the opinion that it’s a murder.
Pooja and Neil’s series presents an interesting concept for us. Through Saajan they constantly remind us that robots can be a threat to the human race. Laxmi’s character assures us that robots can’t harm humans as they are programmed in such a manner. Amid all this drama, they try to find out if Ajeeb is responsible for the chaos and unfold who the dead person is!
Sometimes, Ok Computer fascinates you with how the writers take a dig at problems that are relevant today. From fake news to human riots and global warming, the AIs and holograms subtly mention how disastrous human beings are. Sometimes, the story appears bizarre and you ask ‘what is going on?’ Even with robots, there is no peace and convenience in life.
But the story also instils fears. If the world successfully manages to create such AIs for everyone, human beings’ existence will hardly matter. Offices won’t need humans to do work as robots are available for free. Even in the Hotstar series, you rarely see many humans around. I didn’t even see anyone with a pet dog or cat or even the strays. Pineapple has become extinct and I wonder why!
Coming to performances, Vijay Varma and Radhika Apte play their part well. Their fights sometimes get repetitive but you’ll pass through it. Jackie Shroff’s character didn’t contribute anything significant to the story. But he was brilliant for whatever time he was on the screen. The rest of the cast and the robots did a good job too.
Ok Computer: Is it worth it?
Overall, Ok Computer is freaky, dark, hilarious and odd. Sometimes it makes sense and at times, the story loses track. But you will still stick till the end to know whodunit.
Ok Computer is currently streaming on Hotstar.
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