Mumbai: Kuku, the digital entertainment company behind Kuku FM and Kuku TV, has announced its foray into theatrical film production with its first Hindi feature, Indian Institute of Zombies, slated for release in cinemas on May 8. Positioned as India’s first campus zombie comedy, the film marks a strategic expansion into big-screen storytelling for the company.
Set within an elite engineering campus, Indian Institute of Zombies blends elements of zombie horror, youth comedy, and social satire, aiming to deliver a high-energy theatrical experience. The ensemble cast includes Jessie Lever, Anupriya Goenka, Mohan Kapur, Ranjan Raj, Shivani Paliwal, Shantanu Anam, Rose Sardana, Sachin Kavetham and Tanishq Chaudhary, among others.
The project has been developed in-house at Kuku, with the screenplay written by Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal, known for their work on films such as Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva and the series Farzi. The film is directed by Gaganjeet Singh and Alok Dwivedi of Low Gravity Productions, marking the first step in building Kuku’s theatrical slate.
Kuku’s move into cinema reflects its broader strategic evolution beyond audio and mobile-first storytelling. While Kuku FM has scaled into one of India’s largest audio platforms, Kuku TV has driven the emergence of the microdrama category, particularly among younger audiences.
“Kuku has always been obsessed with how India consumes stories,” said Lal Chand Bisu, CEO, Kuku. “We built scale in personal consumption through Kuku FM and created a new microdrama category in India with Kuku TV. Theatres for us represent the next frontier and we are excited to make our first steps in it. Indian Institute of Zombies marks the first of our many, rooted in youth culture, genre innovation and mass Indian tastes.”
The film also underscores Kuku’s AI-native approach to content creation, with artificial intelligence integrated across development and production workflows—from story structuring and budgeting simulations to creative iteration. The company positions AI not as a novelty but as a core enabler of efficiency and scale.
“IIZ or Indian Institute of Zombies is a film for everyone who has ever been on a college campus. We hope our audiences get to experience their adventurous and brave side as they watch this hilarious film on zombies. We observed the success rates of Horror Comedies at the cinemas, the lack of a breakout Indian Zombie film yet and the insatiable appetite for campus stories across age groups in India.” Said Kunj Sanghvi, Senior Vice President, KUKU.
“We don’t see AI as a replacement for creativity, but more as an amplifier. By deeply integrating AI into our filmmaking process, we’re able to iterate faster, visualise better and make sharper decisions earlier.” He added.
With Indian Institute of Zombies, Kuku signals its intent to build a curated theatrical portfolio, leveraging its audience insights, distribution reach, and AI-led production capabilities to create culturally resonant, genre-driven cinema for Indian audiences.
