Aranya Sahay’s Debut Feature Film Premiers in Austin

August, 2025, Austin, Tx ~ Indie Meme, recently hosted the Texas premiere of filmmaker Aranya Sahay’s debut feature film. An FDI alum, Sahay has previously made five short films and is also trained in Hindustani classical music. His debut feature, shot in just 12 days, blends themes of artificial intelligence, indigenous identity, and societal bias into a deeply moving narrative.

Humans in the Loop

Inspiration and Research

The film was inspired by journalist Karishma Mehrotra’s article "Human Touch", which Sahay encountered during a fellowship at the Museum of Imagined Futures. The fellowship focused on stories at the intersection of technology and society. This led him to spend nearly a year in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, where he observed data-labeling centers—some focused on agriculture, autonomous vehicles, and facial recognition, while others involved the difficult work of content moderation.

“Knowing about the phenomenon is one thing, but to build a narrative around it, I had to live there, work with the people, and see the impact firsthand,” Sahay shared.

Casting and Authenticity

Budget constraints meant there was no casting director. Instead, Sahay combed through alumni lists of drama and film schools across India. Lead actress Sonal, who plays Nehma, was discovered through a recommendation. Many supporting actors, including children, were cast directly from the villages where the film was shot.

“Our instinct was to give indigenous actors representation. Despite industry biases, I wanted faces that truly reflected the land and its people,” Sahay explained.

Symbolism of the Porcupine

A recurring motif in the film is the porcupine, which acts as a spiritual totem and symbolizes Nehma’s connection to nature, wholeness, and self-discovery.

“Tribes often have ancestral totems. For Nehma, the porcupine represents both her childhood fullness and her daughter’s eventual reconnection to that spirit,” Sahay noted, while also joking that his love for the band Porcupine Tree may have played a role.

Themes of Bias

At its core, the film explores bias in AI, culture, and governance. Sahay emphasized that stereotypes about indigenous people often dictate societal perception, just as algorithmic bias shapes technological outcomes.

“If we collaborate with the intent to truly understand each other, many biases dissolve. But power structures want to keep them alive. It’s our human duty to challenge them,” he said.

Audience Reactions

The Austin audience resonated deeply, particularly with the mother-daughter relationship at the heart of the film. One viewer reflected on the honesty of portraying jealousy, insecurities, and love, calling it “a sign of a really good filmmaker.”

Sahay himself admitted that much of the emotion came from personal experience, including his parents’ separation and his own reflections on relationships.

Virtual Q&A by Indie Meme at AFS Cinema, Austin

Release Plans

The film has already reached over 35,000 viewers in India through impact screenings and has been showcased at universities and festivals in the U.S. A limited theatrical release in India is planned for September 2025, and the team is pursuing a U.S. distribution grant.

“This film doesn’t have a star or big director. The story itself has been the star. Our journey so far has been possible only through consistent community support,” Sahay concluded.