Published : 04 Oct 2026, 12:59 PM
Updated : 04 Oct 2026, 12:59 PM
Indian cinema is stepping into the future as Kannada film “Lambodhara 2.0” prepares to break new ground by casting a real humanoid robot in a lead role.
The film, directed by Simple Suni, stars JIA, a humanoid robot developed by Machani Robotics in Bengaluru, ANI News reports.
Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor makes his Kannada debut in the film, which also stars Anil Shetty, Saachi Bindra, Mac D'Souza and Meghana Gaonkar. Shetty co-produces it with Mass Productions.
The makers call it an “AI-driven social thriller rooted in the chaos of Gen Z life on social media”, exploring “contemporary themes of artificial intelligence, youth, and the ever-evolving digital ecosystem”.
“Positioned as a socially relevant, high-concept thriller, Lambodhara 2.0 aims to strongly resonate with today's digitally connected generation,” the synopsis adds.
Shooting began in January and was wrapped recently by Suni.
While introducing the characters, the director shared a glimpse of the robot on his Instagram handle.
“Meet JIA, a humanoid robot developed by Machani Robotics in Bengaluru,” he wrote. “For the first time in Indian cinema, a real humanoid robot plays a character on screen in Lambodhara 2.0. JIA isn't CGI. JIA isn't an actor playing a robot. JIA is the actor. Welcome to the future of Indian cinema.”
