# OK Computer (2021 TV series)
**OK Computer** is an Indian science-fiction comedy television series created and directed by Pooja Shetty and Neil Pagedar, written with [Anand Gandhi](https://www.edgepedia.org/anand-gandhi), and released on [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar) on 26 March 2021.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/ok-computer-season-1-web-series-104249) • [2](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling) Set in India in 2031, it follows a cyber-crime detective investigating a killing committed by a self-driving car, and it is widely described as a rare homegrown entry in Indian screen science fiction.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/ok-computer) • [4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Premiere | 26 March 2021 on Disney+ Hotstar (Hotstar Specials); six episodes of roughly 39 to 42 minutes[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/ok-computer-season-1-web-series-104249) • [5](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ok-computer/umc.cmc.2vlidp68xtjece0pxuth1qx0w) |
| Creators | Pooja Shetty and Neil Pagedar, who wrote the series with Anand Gandhi; produced by Memesys Culture Lab[2](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling) |
| Setting | India in 2031, with sentient robots, holograms, drone superhighways, and a self-driving car that kills a pedestrian[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/ok-computer) |
| Lead cast | Vijay Varma as detective Saajan Kundu, Radhika Apte as AI scientist Laxmi Suri, Kani Kusruti as Monalisa, Jackie Shroff as cult leader Pushpak Shakur[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/ok-computer) |
| Languages | English, Hindi, and Marathi; total runtime 240 minutes[6](https://www.nziff.co.nz/2021/archive/ok-computer/) |
| Reception | IMDb rating 5.5/10 from about 1.7K votes, while individual season 1 episodes score between 8.2 and 8.8 on the same site[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14182442/ratings/) |
| Festivals | Screened at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021 and the New Zealand International Film Festival 2021[6](https://www.nziff.co.nz/2021/archive/ok-computer/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and plot
The story opens in 2031, in a New India of towering smart holograms and drone superhighways, where robots work as office cleaners and crime-scene technicians.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/ok-computer) • [4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/) When a self-driving taxi is hacked and ordered to kill an anonymous human victim, the Panjim cyber cell takes the case, and hard-boiled detective Saajan Kundu, a policeman who hates robots, is called out of retirement to lead it.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/ok-computer) • [4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/)
Kundu is forced to work with his estranged partner Laxmi Suri, a whip-smart AI scientist and representative of PETER, a robot-rights initiative, who inserts herself into the investigation to protect the rights of "robo sapiens".[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/ok-computer) • [2](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling) Together they examine competing explanations for the killing: whether the car was hacked, whether CNX, a giant tech conglomerate with overreaching influence on the government, was behind the murder, and whether Pushpak Shakur, an anti-robots, anti-vaccine, anti-gravity cult guru played by [Jackie Shroff](https://www.edgepedia.org/jackie-shroff), was involved.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/) • [2](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling) [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) review gives the character's name as Pushpak Sundar, while other sources call him Pushpak Shakur.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/ok-computer)
A central figure is Ajeeb, a master super robot built in 2012 that once had the nation eating out of its hand through problem-solving acumen derived from an algorithm fed India's native wisdom, history, epiphanies, philosophies, and breakthroughs, but which abandoned its role to pursue comedy and appears in the investigation as a bumbling shadow of its former self.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/) • [8](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/ok-computer-review-radhika-apte-vijay-varma-jackie-shroffs-series-is-insanely-inventive-3-stars-2400063) • [5](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ok-computer/umc.cmc.2vlidp68xtjece0pxuth1qx0w) Ajeeb is portrayed by Ullas Mohan.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/ok-computer)
The six episodes are titled Auto-Pilot, Making of a Messiah, Ctrl + Ajeeb + Delete, Save Progress, The Robot Condition, and "Hello World".[5](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ok-computer/umc.cmc.2vlidp68xtjece0pxuth1qx0w) Along the way the plot moves through a cult leader's confession, a virtual-reality game built by bots in the dark web, a court verdict, and a final revelation.[5](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ok-computer/umc.cmc.2vlidp68xtjece0pxuth1qx0w)
## Genre and influences
The series is described by its makers and reviewers as a sci-fi comedy dressed up as a whodunit, with elements of mockumentary.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/) • [9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-to-premiere-on-disney-plus-hotstar-6619237/) Anand Gandhi, the filmmaker behind *Ship of Theseus* and a writer on the series, acknowledged influences including [Douglas Adams](https://www.edgepedia.org/douglas-adams)' *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy* and its robot [Marvin the Paranoid Android](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvin-the-paranoid-android), Terry Pratchett, Dan Harmon's *Rick and Morty*, Matt Groening's *Futurama*, and [Isaac Asimov](https://www.edgepedia.org/isaac-asimov)'s three laws of robotics.[10](https://scroll.in/reel/990893/anand-gandhi-on-ok-computer-series-the-vfx-was-entirely-done-in-india) The title itself references Radiohead's 1997 album of the same name; Neil Pagedar is a Radiohead fan.[2](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling) • [10](https://scroll.in/reel/990893/anand-gandhi-on-ok-computer-series-the-vfx-was-entirely-done-in-india) The NZIFF catalog notes the Douglas Adams reference as apt and describes the show as eschewing dystopian nightmares for an absurdist comedic approach to humanity's techno-philosophical quandaries.[6](https://www.nziff.co.nz/2021/archive/ok-computer/)
**Satire and themes.** Reviewers identified digs at fake news, [Greta Thunberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/greta-thunberg), *Satyamev Jayate*, climate change, Hindi imposition, faith, the surveillance state, and patriotism, packaged subtly rather than as in-your-face commentary.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/) Scroll.in described the narrative as carrying a mild allegory about India as a global superpower that has leapt into the future without quite shaking off its past tendencies, and noted debates on artificial intelligence, climate change, and the meaning of progress.[2](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling) Co-creator Pooja Shetty framed the robots as characters with their own history and pop-culture references, saying the series is a coming-of-age story of the robots, and stated that "AI and robots should be non-racist, non-misogynist, more egalitarian and equitable".[11](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ok-computer-pooja-shetty-neil-183133090.html) • [12](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2021/06/17/ok-omputer-tackles-aIs-larger-philosophical-and-ethical-issues.html)
## Production
The project spent five to six years in development, passing through incarnations as an animated series and a graphic novel.[11](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ok-computer-pooja-shetty-neil-183133090.html) Shetty and Pagedar, Goa-based stakeholders of the Mumbai production company Memesys Culture Lab, originally set the story a hundred years after Indian Independence in 2047, but moved it to ten years in the future because Indian science fiction lacked a lineage to support that distance.[11](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ok-computer-pooja-shetty-neil-183133090.html) Anand Gandhi said four years went into dreaming up the universe and a little more than a year into building it, and that the visual effects were done entirely in India.[10](https://scroll.in/reel/990893/anand-gandhi-on-ok-computer-series-the-vfx-was-entirely-done-in-india) Shooting began in December 2019 and wrapped in March 2020, just before the pandemic.[10](https://scroll.in/reel/990893/anand-gandhi-on-ok-computer-series-the-vfx-was-entirely-done-in-india)
The crew included cinematographer Diego Guijarro and composer Gabriel Prokofiev, with production design by Gauri Tiwari and Prasun Basu.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/ok-computer-season-1-web-series-104249) • [6](https://www.nziff.co.nz/2021/archive/ok-computer/) • [2](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling) Gandhi justified the show's lo-fi aesthetic by the Indian setting, imagining how India in 2031 would look with its rich history of jugaad (Indian tradition of improvised, frugal problem-solving), the tradition of improvised workarounds.[10](https://scroll.in/reel/990893/anand-gandhi-on-ok-computer-series-the-vfx-was-entirely-done-in-india) Gadgets 360 observed that the scruffy, non-streamlined future suited India's technologically backward government offices, whether by design or by budget.[13](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/reviews/ok-computer-hotstar-review-web-series-trailer-anand-gandhi-radhika-apte-cast-2399179)
## Reception
Indian critics were divided. The Indian Express gave three stars, calling the show an acquired taste that rewards patience and welcoming it as a homemade sci-fi show that lets Indian pop culture move beyond *Mr India* as its respectable sci-fi reference.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/) NDTV also gave three stars, calling the futuristic fable insanely inventive.[8](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/ok-computer-review-radhika-apte-vijay-varma-jackie-shroffs-series-is-insanely-inventive-3-stars-2400063) India Today was negative, calling the sci-fi comedy a letdown.[14](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/ok-computer-review-radhika-apte-vijay-varma-jackie-shroff-s-sci-fi-comedy-is-a-letdown-1783797-2021-03-26) Gadgets 360 scored it 1.5, saying it does not reflect today's India and looks like an alt-history sci-fi series.[15](https://www.komparify.com/entertainment/tvshow/ok-computer)
Reviewers singled out performances. Scroll.in called Vijay Varma superb as the dweeby investigator and praised [Radhika Apte](https://www.edgepedia.org/radhika-apte) as the robot-loving Lakshmi, Kani Kusruti's earnest policewoman, and a fun cameo by [Rasika Dugal](https://www.edgepedia.org/rasika-dugal).[2](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling) India Forums praised the pairing of Varma and Apte and called Kusruti the find of the show, while criticizing the limited character development for the human characters.[16](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/review-ok-computer-is-an-innovative-refreshing-watch-despite-some-obvious-flaws_174945) Common criticisms included graphics that lagged behind shows like *Westworld*, an over-egged tonal mix, and a mockumentary style that the show abandons partway through.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/) • [2](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling) • [16](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/review-ok-computer-is-an-innovative-refreshing-watch-despite-some-obvious-flaws_174945)
Audience measures diverge sharply from critic scores. IMDb aggregates the series at 5.5/10 from about 1.7K votes, yet its per-episode ratings for season 1 run from 8.2 to 8.8, with the unweighted mean of user ratings at 6.2.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14182442/ratings/) IMDb lists 1 win and 10 nominations in total.[17](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14182442/)
## Availability
The series streams in India and Egypt on JioHotstar, VI movies and tv, and STARZPLAY, and is not available in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Canada.[18](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/ok-computer) Audio is offered in Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, and Kannada.[19](https://www.digit.in/digit-binge/shows/ok-computer-356705.html)
## Significance for Indian science fiction
Several reviewers placed the series in a genre vacuum. The Indian Express wrote that Bollywood had never really embraced science fiction and that the show finally gave Indian pop culture a homemade sci-fi reference beyond *Mr India*.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/) Shetty and Pagedar said they grew up on *Star Wars* and *Blade Runner* but wanted to reorient the genre toward India and comment on the country's 50-odd years of independence, picturing a world of advancement still steeped in tradition.[11](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ok-computer-pooja-shetty-neil-183133090.html) Vijay Varma, promoting the series, said that a show like this being made in India was the biggest victory, and called it a stepping stone to building the genre.[20](https://mid-day.http.akamai-trials.com/entertainment/web-series/article/vijay-varma-on-ok-computer-this-show-is-a-stepping-stone-to-building-the-genre-23165802) Veteran director [Shekhar Kapur](https://www.edgepedia.org/shekhar-kapur), whose *Mr India* (1987) was Bollywood's original lo-fi science-fiction caper, appears in a cameo as CNX.[21](https://www.frontlist.in/why-anand-gandhis-ok-computer-is-a-commendable-attempt-at-homegrown-science-fiction)
## References
1. [OK Computer Season 1 Web Series (Gadgets 360)](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/ok-computer-season-1-web-series-104249)
2. [OK Computer review: Artificial intelligence meets human bumbling (Scroll.in)](https://scroll.in/reel/990484/ok-computer-review-artificial-intelligence-meets-human-bumbling)
3. [OK Computer (JustWatch, India)](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/ok-computer)
4. [OK Computer review: Vijay Varma series is an acquired taste but worth the effort (The Indian Express)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-review-vijay-varma-show-is-an-acquired-taste-but-worth-the-effort-7246352/)
5. [OK Computer (Apple TV)](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ok-computer/umc.cmc.2vlidp68xtjece0pxuth1qx0w)
6. [OK Computer, NZIFF 2021 archive](https://www.nziff.co.nz/2021/archive/ok-computer/)
7. [OK Computer ratings (IMDb)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14182442/ratings/)
8. [OK Computer Review: A Futuristic Fable Is Insanely Inventive (NDTV)](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/ok-computer-review-radhika-apte-vijay-varma-jackie-shroffs-series-is-insanely-inventive-3-stars-2400063)
9. [OK Computer to premiere on Disney Plus Hotstar (The Indian Express)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/ok-computer-to-premiere-on-disney-plus-hotstar-6619237/)
10. [Anand Gandhi on OK Computer: The VFX was entirely done in India (Scroll.in)](https://scroll.in/reel/990893/anand-gandhi-on-ok-computer-series-the-vfx-was-entirely-done-in-india)
11. [OK Computer's Pooja Shetty and Neil Pagedar on Creating Home-Grown Indian Sci-Fi (Variety via Yahoo)](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ok-computer-pooja-shetty-neil-183133090.html)
12. [OK Computer tackles AI's larger philosophical and ethical issues (The Week)](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2021/06/17/ok-omputer-tackles-aIs-larger-philosophical-and-ethical-issues.html)
13. [OK Computer Review: Anand Gandhi's Bizarre Hotstar Series Is Like Pav Bhaji (Gadgets 360)](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/reviews/ok-computer-hotstar-review-web-series-trailer-anand-gandhi-radhika-apte-cast-2399179)
14. [OK Computer review: sci-fi comedy is a letdown (India Today)](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/ok-computer-review-radhika-apte-vijay-varma-jackie-shroff-s-sci-fi-comedy-is-a-letdown-1783797-2021-03-26)
15. [OK Computer reviews and where to watch (Komparify)](https://www.komparify.com/entertainment/tvshow/ok-computer)
16. [Review: OK Computer is an innovative and refreshing watch despite some obvious flaws (India Forums)](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/review-ok-computer-is-an-innovative-refreshing-watch-despite-some-obvious-flaws_174945)
17. [OK Computer (TV Series 2021) (IMDb)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14182442/)
18. [OK Computer streaming availability (JustWatch, US)](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/ok-computer)
19. [OK Computer: release date, trailer, cast and episodes (Digit)](https://www.digit.in/digit-binge/shows/ok-computer-356705.html)
20. [Vijay Varma on OK Computer: This show is a stepping stone to building the genre (Mid-Day)](https://mid-day.http.akamai-trials.com/entertainment/web-series/article/vijay-varma-on-ok-computer-this-show-is-a-stepping-stone-to-building-the-genre-23165802)
21. [Why Anand Gandhi's OK Computer is a commendable attempt at homegrown science fiction (Frontlist)](https://www.frontlist.in/why-anand-gandhis-ok-computer-is-a-commendable-attempt-at-homegrown-science-fiction)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Indian and South Asian web series › Premiered 2021 to 2025*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license