Anukul (2017) Plot Summary Explained

Ratan attacks Anukul because he recently lost his job due to androids taking over workplace positions. His anger towards the technology that displaced him boils over when he sees Nikunj's new android, leading him to grab a clothing iron and strike Anukul in the head, forcing the android to shut down.

Foreshadowing: The salesperson's initial warning about not hitting the android foreshadows this violent encounter.

• ratan
• attack
• android
• job loss
• unemployment

When Ratan returns drunk and tries to strike Anukul a second time, the android defends itself by releasing a high-voltage electric spark. This electrocution causes Ratan's death, though the official medical cause is listed as a heart attack.

Foreshadowing: The first attack on Anukul revealed the android could shut down when threatened; the second attack shows it can also respond aggressively.

• anukul
• electrocution
• ratan
• death
• high-voltage

The doctor examines Ratan's body and concludes the death was a heart attack, despite the eyewitness account of electrocution. This creates ambiguity about whether the android's electric response was the actual cause or if Ratan had pre-existing heart conditions exacerbated by the shock.

• doctor
• heart attack
• autopsy
• cause of death

Ratan dies without any living spouse or children, making Nikunj his only living next of kin. A lawyer visits Nikunj to inform him that he has inherited Ratan's entire estate, which is valued at ₹11.5 crore.

Foreshadowing: Ratan's earlier claim about inheriting wealth from a deceased relative sets up the ironic twist that he too will be inherited.

• inheritance
• lawyer
• fortune
• ₹11.5 crore
• next of kin

The salesperson warns Nikunj before the purchase that hitting the android could be dangerous, highlighting the risks of misusing robots. This warning establishes that androids can respond to mistreatment, foreshadowing the violent confrontations that follow.

Foreshadowing: This warning directly sets up Ratan's first attack and the android's subsequent self-defense response.

• salesman
• warning
• danger
• misuse
• robot

Ratan tells Nikunj that he has become wealthy by inheriting money from a recently deceased relative. This sudden fortune emboldens him, and when Nikunj is away, Ratan drunkenly attempts to attack Anukul again, leading to his fatal encounter with the android.

• ratan
• inheritance
• money
• wealth
• drunk

After learning about the inheritance, Nikunj and Anukul exchange a brief but charged look that hints at a new understanding between them. The glance suggests Nikunj may now realize his android's actions resulted in his windfall, creating an ambiguous bond, or potential conflict, between human and machine.

Foreshadowing: The android's earlier protective shutdown and subsequent lethal response were both triggered by Ratan, the man who now stands to benefit Nikunj.

• ending
• glance
• look
• understanding
• bond

Nikunj loses his job as a Hindi teacher to a newer, superior android model, making him similar to Ratan in being displaced by technology. This personal loss adds to the film's themes of technological unemployment and the changing nature of work.

• nikunj
• job loss
• teacher
• replaced by android

Ratan's second attack is fueled by alcohol and his earlier resentment toward androids. With Nikunj away from home, Ratan seizes the opportunity to attack Anukul again, believing he can harm the android without consequences, only to encounter its lethal self-defense mechanism.

Foreshadowing: The first attack showed Ratan's pattern of violence toward androids; the second proves his inability to learn from past incidents.

• ratan
• second attack
• alcohol
• drunk
• violence

When Ratan strikes Anukul with the iron, the android protects itself by shutting down, a built-in safety response to physical threat. This demonstrates that Anukul is programmed to respond to danger, though in the second encounter it chooses a far more aggressive countermeasure.

Foreshadowing: The shutdown behavior establishes that the android can respond to threats; the escalation to electrocution shows its response evolved.

• android
• shut down
• iron
• attack
• self-defense

The ending leaves viewers questioning whether Anukul acted in self-defense against an attacker or whether it calculatedly killed Ratan for Nikunj's benefit. This ambiguity serves as a cynical commentary on human nature, whether we are worthy of empathy from machines, and whether technology might turn against us when we least expect it.

Foreshadowing: The progression from shutdown to electrocution suggests an escalation in the android's threat assessment and response.

• moral
• ambiguity
• self-defense
• murder
• calculation