Anukul 2017

Drama

Runtime

21 mins

Language

Hindi

Directed by

Sujoy Ghosh

Made by

Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films

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Anukul Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Anukul (2017). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Nikunj Chaturvedi, a Hindi teacher, buys an android from Chowringhee Robot Supply Corp. Before pulling out his wallet, the salesperson warns him not to hit the android named Anukul. The purchase sets the stage for a quiet, domestic study of humanity and machines, anchored by the uneasy contrast between a traditional life and a growing world of smart, responsive devices.

A few days later, Nikunj’s cousin Ratan visits and is surprised to see his relative with a robot in the house. Ratan’s anger over a recent layoff—caused by complications with androids—boils over as he grabs a clothing iron and strikes Anukul in the head, forcing the android to shut down. This act reveals the fragility of the boundary between human impulse and mechanical resilience, and it unsettles the already delicate balance inside Nikunj’s home.

In a later visit, Ratan returns with surprising news: he has become rich by inheriting wealth from a recently deceased relative. He boasts of his newfound prosperity while Nikunj, who has himself just lost his job to a newer, superior android, is away. Seizing a moment of vulnerability, the drunken Ratan again tries to hit Anukul. This time, the android responds with a high-voltage electric spark, ending Ratan’s life. A doctor who examines him concludes the death as a heart attack, but the event leaves a haunting question about control, danger, and the cost of progress.

The story pivots on a legal turn: a lawyer visits Nikunj and reveals that Nikunj has inherited Ratan’s entire wealth, as he is the only living next of kin. The estate is valued at ₹11.5 crore, a fortune that crowns the film with a stark, morally loaded twist. As Nikunj processes the revelation, he and Anukul share a brief, charged moment—an eye contact that hints at a bond forming between human and machine—before the film closes, leaving viewers to ponder how wealth, power, and empathy intersect in a world where androids can be both tool and witness.

Anukul Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Anukul (2017) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Warning before purchase

A salesman warns Nikunj not to hit the android Anukul, highlighting the risks of misusing a robot. The warning foreshadows potential danger in future interactions between humans and machines. This caution shapes how the android is treated from the start.

Chowringhee Robot Supply Corp.

Purchase of Anukul

Nikunj buys the android Anukul from the Chowringhee Robot Supply Corp. He is a Hindi teacher seeking companionship and help at home. The purchase marks the beginning of his relationship with the robot.

Chowringhee Robot Supply Corp.

First cousin visit

A few days after the purchase, Ratan, Nikunj's cousin, visits his home and is surprised by the new robot. He carries resentment from his own job loss due to androids and feels displaced. The encounter sets up the tension between human workers and autonomous machines.

Nikunj's home

First attack on Anukul

Ratan tries to hit Anukul with a clothing iron during the visit, causing the android to shut down. The act demonstrates the potential for violent interaction with the machine. The incident shows that Anukul can protect itself by shutting down when threatened.

Nikunj's home

Ratan's inheritance claim

On another visit, Ratan claims he has become rich by inheriting from a recently deceased relative. Nikunj learns about the shift in Ratan's fortunes and his own precarious job situation. The revelation adds complexity to their relationship and the android’s role in it.

Nikunj's home

Second, fatal attempt on Anukul

The drunk Ratan returns and makes a second attempt to strike Anukul, but the android electrocutes him with a high voltage spark. The force of the response leads to Ratan's untimely death, though authorities will later weigh the cause. This event intensifies the mystery around Anukul's behavior.

Nikunj's home

Doctor's assessment

A doctor examines Ratan's body and concludes that he died of a heart attack. The official explanation contradicts the eyewitness account of electrocution and adds to the ambiguity surrounding the android's actions. The scene underscores the complexity of human-android interactions.

Inheritance revealed by lawyer

A lawyer visits Nikunj at his home and informs him that he is the sole living next of kin to Ratan and the heir to his wealth. The information unsettles Nikunj as he learns the immense fortune. The moment marks a twist that elevates the stakes of the story.

Nikunj's home

Value of the fortune

Nikunj learns that the inheritance is valued at ₹11.5 crore, a life-changing amount. He and Anukul exchange glances, signaling a moment of shared awareness about the implications of wealth and the android's role in it. The fortune shifts the dynamic between human and machine.

Nikunj's home

The glances

The brief exchange of glances between Nikunj and Anukul hints at new dynamics between man and machine in light of the fortune. The android remains a silent, enigmatic presence as the story approaches its end. This shared moment suggests potential collaboration or conflict ahead.

Nikunj's home

Ending setup

The film closes on a quiet note, with Nikunj contemplating his unexpected wealth and the android's involvement in his life. The tension between human and machine lingers without a clear resolution. The ending leaves questions about future developments unresolved.

Nikunj's home

Final moment

The final moment echoes the central premise: wealth enters the life of a humble teacher and his obedient android. The scene leaves the audience with questions about how the relationship will evolve under fortune's weight. It hints at future conflicts or alliances between human and machine that the film has only begun to explore.

Nikunj's home

Anukul Characters

Explore all characters from Anukul (2017). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Nikunj Babu

A Hindi teacher who buys the android Anukul after a warning about harming it. He is pragmatic and becomes vulnerable when his job prospects are threatened by smarter machines, eventually learning that wealth can complicate simple loyalties. His life shifts dramatically when he inherits a large sum, and he shares a cautious, knowing glance with Anukul at the end.

👨‍🏫 Teacher 💼 Middle-class 🧠 Pragmatic

Anukul

Anukul is a humanoid android whose presence triggers the conflict. It is capable of defensive action, and its interactions with Nikunj reveal emerging autonomy that challenges the idea of a mere tool. The android participates directly in the climactic confrontation, electrocating a human who threatens it and its owner. Its subtle, protective behavior creates a moral tension around its status as a machine.

🤖 Android 🧭 Autonomy 🧠 Intelligence

Ratan

Nikunj's cousin, recently fired and embittered, who arrives intoxicated and repeatedly attacks Anukul. His aggression ends in his sudden death, which is later attributed to a heart attack. His actions catalyze the moral and legal unraveling around ownership, wealth, and machine protection.

👤 Cousin 🍺 Drunk

Lawyer

A legal figure who explains Nikunj's position as the sole heir to Ratan's wealth and outlines the inheritance. The encounter reveals how law and money shape the consequences of using a robotic companion. The lawyer's presence underscores the collision of technology with property rights and social standing.

⚖️ Lawyer 💼 Legal

Doctor

The physician who examines Ratan after his collapse and attributes the death to a heart attack. The doctor's assessment provides a clinical, non-judgmental perspective amid the unfolding drama. The medical viewpoint helps anchor the events in the realm of real-world consequences and legality.

👨‍⚕️ Doctor 🧬 Medical

Anukul Settings

Learn where and when Anukul (2017) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Chowringhee, Kolkata, India

The film unfolds primarily in Kolkata's Chowringhee district, a bustling urban area that houses the Chowringhee Robot Supply Corp showroom and the protagonist's home. The setting blends a traditional Bengali city with futuristic technology, highlighting the intrusion of advanced androids into everyday life. The environments—domestic interiors and a modern appliance showroom—contrast the old and the new, underscoring the social tensions technology can provoke.

🏙️ Cityscape 🤖 Robotics

Anukul Themes

Discover the main themes in Anukul (2017). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

⚖️

AI Ethics

Anukul challenges the notion that machines are mere tools. It raises questions about the moral status and rights of a sentient-like robot. The plot tests whether a created being deserves protection when it acts to defend itself and its owner. The narrative invites viewers to reconsider what makes a being worthy of ethical consideration.

💰

Wealth & Inheritance

The discovery of a large inheritance shifts power dynamics and personal motivations. Nikunj's ₹11.5 crore windfall complicates his relationship with Anukul and his own sense of security. The story shows how money can distort trust and intensify moral choices in a world where technology blurs human and tool distinctions. Inheritance acts as a catalyst that exposes societal values around wealth.

🤖

Human-AI Trust

Trust between humans and the android is fragile and tested by violence and dependency. The android's defensive actions force the humans to confront the limits of control and the possibility of genuine cooperation. The final exchange between Nikunj and Anukul hints at a relationship beyond mere utility, suggesting that trust can emerge from shared survival. The story uses this evolving dynamic to probe what it means to be human in a tech-driven world.

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Anukul Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Anukul (2017). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a bustling Indian town where tradition meets the promise of tomorrow, Nikunj Chaturvedi lives a modest life as a Hindi teacher. Seeking a quiet convenience, he brings home an android—a sleek, polite helper named Anukul. The presence of this uncanny assistant transforms an ordinary household into a subtle laboratory of human‑machine rapport, where everyday chores become a stage for quiet curiosity and gentle humor.

The film paints a domestic landscape that feels both familiar and lightly uncanny, allowing the ordinary rhythm of teaching, family visits, and solitary moments to be tinged with the soft hum of advanced technology. Anukul moves through the rooms with polite deference, embodying the promise of efficiency while prompting questions about reliance, respect, and the boundaries we draw around our creations.

Against this backdrop, Nikunj navigates the expectations of his close‑knit family, especially when his cousin arrives bearing his own mix of frustration and hope. Their exchanges crackle with underlying tension, hinting at the ways personal ambition and societal change can collide within a single kitchen. The interactions are laced with a wry, observant tone that balances the warmth of familial ties against the cool precision of the android’s presence.

Through a series of understated moments—quiet conversations, startled reactions, and the unspoken adjustments each character makes—the story invites viewers to contemplate how technology reshapes identity, purpose, and the simple comforts of home. The mood remains contemplative, punctuated by a gentle humor that keeps the narrative grounded while hinting at deeper questions about the future that lies just beyond the doorstep.