CTRL Film Review: Ananya Pandey is an excellent film about deepfake and the dangers of the digital world

CTRL movie review: Vikramaditya Motwanes CTRL is an eye-opening watch. How? Read on to find it.

It’s a digital age and we all love it. Forget hours, everything is available in minutes and sometimes seconds, making our lives easier and more relaxed. We have become dependent on this technology-driven life. This is what you would expect in the 24th year of the 21st century.


Over the past two years, we’ve seen rapid developments in AI, which has been around for a long time but has recently gained tremendous momentum as AI measures everything from our phone screens to our cars to our washing machines. As we enjoy our lives with AI bots, have you ever wondered what price we pay for all of this? What potential horror can it cause in our lives? Motwane’s film, starring Ananya Pandey, addresses all these concerns in its film; Exploring the impact of social media and AI and the fact that privacy will be the word we use in discussions in the coming times.

Starring Ananya Pandey in the lead role, the nearly two-hour film highlights the horrific impact of this technology-driven social media age in which we are all unknowingly controlled.

The film follows the life of a young couple, Nella Awasthi and Joe Mascarenhas, popular social media influencers known as NJoy. Nella and Joe’s entire world takes place on social media. They are the #pairgoals for millions of their followers – until one day Nella finds out that Joe is kissing someone else, which was broadcast live on her social media account. This leads to their separation and leaves Nella alone to navigate her life in her social world.

As Nella thinks about how to manage her social media presence, she enlists help from an AI app that not only deletes Joe from her entire life but also helps her grow her channel.

With millions of followers, Nella relies on an AI companion, Allen, to manage every aspect of her life. While Nella enjoys her success and lives a dream life with millions in her bank account, her ex Joe goes missing and the story takes a drastic turn. How Nella’s life turns into a nightmare due to a reality check forms the core of the plot.

Directed by Motwane and co-written by him and Avinash Sampath, the film is a poignant commentary on the lives of youth and the vulnerable situations they find themselves in and how their entire lives revolve around social media, trends, commentary and collaborations.

Motwane and Avinash have done a commendable job in writing and addressed the negative impact of social media, data breaches and AI deepfakes in the simplest and relatable manner.

The film is sharp and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout with its exciting plot. Although we had many films and shows on similar topics. But I enjoyed it CTRL due to the presentation, the concise and clear plot and the effective editing.

In just a few minutes, the climax addresses the dangerous effects of deepfakes and reminds us of the negative impact they can have on our lives.

If we talk about the performance, this film is a badge of honor for Ananya Pandey. After falling for her innocence in her previous show Call me Bae, I loved her as vulnerable and ambitious Nella. As a Gen Z star, she embodies the character of that era well. Vihaan Samat as Joe, who may not have much screen time, played his role well.

What is shown in the film reflects the reality of today and the costs that millions of people pay for it. It shows us how bleak the future is of this seemingly bright and charming world, where reality may not exist.

CTRL is truly a thought-provoking watch.