Research Article

Human-like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives

Volume: 11 Number: 2 December 29, 2025
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Human-like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives

Abstract

This study examines the representation of human-like artificial intelligence (AI) characters in Indian cinema, situating them within the intersection of film studies, cultural analysis, and AI ethics. While global science fiction often depicts AI through the lenses of autonomy, rebellion, and technological anxiety, Indian cinema reframes these narratives through culturally embedded moral frameworks such as dharma (cosmic duty), seva (selfless service), and the melodramatic tradition. Using a qualitative, interpretive methodology, the research analyzes a selection of films—including Enthiran (2010), 2.0 (2018), Ra.One (2011), Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 (2019), and Anukul (2017) were chosen for their portrayal of humanoid AI with physical, cognitive, and emotional human-like traits. The findings indicate that these films construct AI not as mere technological novelty but as ethical agents whose legitimacy derives from moral alignment, relational commitments, and service to the community. By embedding AI within familiar socio-cultural contexts, Indian cinema both participates in global posthuman discourse and offers an alternative vision in which collaboration, mutual responsibility, and ecological harmony shape human–machine relations. The paper concludes that Indian cinematic narratives of AI extend beyond Western-centric concerns, proposing culturally grounded models for negotiating the technological future.

Keywords

References

  1. Aronson, J. (2020). Artificial intelligence and art: The impossible avant-garde? University of Chicago Press.
  2. Baudrillard, J. (1981). Simulacra and simulation. Éditions Galilée.
  3. Baudrillard, J. (1994). Simulacra and simulation (S. F. Glaser, Trans.). University of Michigan Press. (Original work published 1981)
  4. Benjamin, W. (2008). The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction (H. Zohn, Trans.). Penguin. (Original work published 1936)
  5. Boden, M. A. (2006). Mind as machine: A history of cognitive science (Vols. 1–2). Oxford University Press.
  6. Bolter, J. D., & Grusin, R. (1999). Remediation: Understanding new media. MIT Press.
  7. Bordwell, D., & Thompson, K. (2019). Film art: An introduction (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
  8. Buckland, W. (2000). The cognitive semiotics of film. Cambridge University Press.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Cinema Sociology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

December 29, 2025

Submission Date

October 9, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 20, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 11 Number: 2

APA
Göker, D. (2025). Human-like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives. International Journal of Cultural and Social Studies (IntJCSS), 11(2), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.46442/intjcss.1799907
AMA
1.Göker D. Human-like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives. IntJCSS. 2025;11(2):1-10. doi:10.46442/intjcss.1799907
Chicago
Göker, Doğuşcan. 2025. “Human-Like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives”. International Journal of Cultural and Social Studies (IntJCSS) 11 (2): 1-10. https://doi.org/10.46442/intjcss.1799907.
EndNote
Göker D (December 1, 2025) Human-like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives. International Journal of Cultural and Social Studies (IntJCSS) 11 2 1–10.
IEEE
[1]D. Göker, “Human-like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives”, IntJCSS, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 1–10, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.46442/intjcss.1799907.
ISNAD
Göker, Doğuşcan. “Human-Like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives”. International Journal of Cultural and Social Studies (IntJCSS) 11/2 (December 1, 2025): 1-10. https://doi.org/10.46442/intjcss.1799907.
JAMA
1.Göker D. Human-like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives. IntJCSS. 2025;11:1–10.
MLA
Göker, Doğuşcan. “Human-Like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives”. International Journal of Cultural and Social Studies (IntJCSS), vol. 11, no. 2, Dec. 2025, pp. 1-10, doi:10.46442/intjcss.1799907.
Vancouver
1.Doğuşcan Göker. Human-like Artificial Intelligence in Indian Cinema: Cultural Narratives, Ethical Dimensions, and Posthuman Perspectives. IntJCSS. 2025 Dec. 1;11(2):1-10. doi:10.46442/intjcss.1799907

 International Journal of Cultural and Social Studies