Kannada film Lambodhar 2.0 to feature real humanoid robot Jia, director claims it is happening for the first time in Indian cinema

The film also marks the debut of Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor in the Kannada cinema. It is directed by Simple Suni.

Updated on: Oct 3, 2026, 19:08:11 IST

By Santanu Das

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A humanoid robot to star as a character for the first time in Indian cinema. The Kannada film is called Lambodhar 2.0. The film is directed by Simple Suni and stars a humanoid robot in the lead role, which is developed by Machani Robotics in Bengaluru. The character of the robot is named Jia.

The film also stars Anil Shetty, Saachi Bindra, Mac D'Souza and Meghana Gaonkar in the lead roles.

Meet the humanoid robot Jia

Simple Suni took to his Instagram account to make this announcement. The film also marks the debut of Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor in Kannada cinema. The post had a picture of Jia standing with the actors, smiling at the camera.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Su Ni (@simplesuni)

In the caption, he wrote, "Meet JIA — a humanoid robot developed by Machani Robotics in Bengaluru.

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."

More details

As per the latest update on news agency ANI, the makers of the movie noted that the film is an “AI-driven social thriller rooted in the chaos of Gen Z life on social media. It explores 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," added the synopsis. The shooting of the film started in January and was wrapped recently by the director Simple Suni.

The release date of the film has not been announced by the makers yet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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