Actress Akriti Singh’s directorial debut, Eight Down Toofan Mail, is about a woman who claims to be the Queen of Awadh. She arrives in New Delhi in 1974 and seeks a meeting with the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, to reclaim her heritage. Akriti says the film is a fictional take on this story. In this interview, she talks about her new roles and the coming together of acting, scriptwriting and direction.
You envision a change in the course of filmmaking as actors take to writing and directing their own films. Are we saying that specialisation in various aspects of filmmaking is going to be superseded by the genius of one person?
With the advent of easier tools for editing and other aspects of filmmaking, our obsession with making reels and TikToks, and a video camera in everyone's pocket, I think filmmaking has already changed. Every individual is capable of and keen on telling their story through videos. Actors are storytellers; it is the basic requirement of the craft. Once the technical aspects are taken care of, good actors are master storytellers and can surely get into filmmaking if it is something that interests them.
What are the challenges of converting a historical episode into a film? We have seen it done with such acclaim in the Broadway musical Hamilton. Does it require a different kind of scriptwriting, one that is careful with historical facts and personalities?
You discover so much when you dig deep into a historical event. I would say historical events lend themselves beautifully to films. Not only do we know the history, but we also know what happened in the future as a result of that event. We are living and breathing in a world shaped by it.
The storytelling becomes very layered. Writing a historical episode into a film is a reflective process. Since it is fiction, no matter how much research we do to make it historically accurate, the writer's gaze will seep into it too.
How did you bring your friends together to act with you in the film? Was it easier working with people who know your artistic vision?
I have been acting on stage for a number of years now. I also have my own theatre group, where I write and direct plays. All my co-actors in the film are from my theatre company. It took just one phone call each to convince them to act in the film. Theatre has a camaraderie like no other medium. Working with such passionate and kind people was special in more ways than one.
Also, having worked together for years in multiple plays, we all had a shorthand.
Could you briefly describe how you envisioned shooting the film, with a relatively low budget and small settings?
Restrictions are very helpful when creating or writing something. I was aware of the budget constraints while writing the script, so I wove all the restrictions into the story, and they showed me the way ahead.
Having been on multiple film sets made me realise the excess that goes into filmmaking. I realised that if you are really keen on telling a story, nothing will stop you. Money will surely not stop you.
We all treated it like a collaborative theatre production, and lo and behold, our film was ready.
What does the story of the Queen of Awadh hold for modern audiences, who are often displaced and lost due to societal changes and government policies?
The story is about finding the Queen (or the Nawab) in you – not settling for anything less. It is about courage and fighting to get what is rightfully yours. At one level, the story is about the madness needed to hold on to the beauty in the world that has been passed on to us.
How was enacting this role special for you?
One of the acting gurus I had the chance to work with, Mr Pankaj Kapoor, said during a workshop that it is easy to play low-status characters but very difficult to play high-status characters.
I took playing the Queen as a challenge. Her status was higher than everyone else's in the film. Yet she had to come across as sweet, a rational and intelligent being, but at times bordering on madness. It was sheer delight to portray her.
How did your craft, the videographer's skills and the editor's role shape the final film?
The cinematography of the film is unique; it takes one back to the 1970s. Our cinematographer, Shaurya, figured out the texture and colour of the film to suit the era. We deliberately chose not to have many camera movements. We framed most of the scenes like a King's (Queen's) court. The lenses were all vintage 1950s and 1960s lenses, collected painstakingly.
Editing is the backbone of any film, especially one shot in a limited number of days with limited resources. I could shoot the story efficiently because I was also the one editing it. My storyboards on the set helped me shoot quickly.
Would you like to do more films like this? Are there any in the pipeline?
I have already made two short films using the same methods. One of them, The Softer Kiss, is going viral, with 1.4 million views. The other is in the post-production stage.
The script for my next feature is ready. I plan to begin shooting very soon. It is a comedy set in Mumbai.
As a film person, which movies have inspired you to make Eight Down Toofan Mail, and do you have any role models in filmmaking?
Norah Ephron is my role model. So is Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf. A lot of writers inspire me – Michael Ondaatje, Elmore Leonard, Scarlett Thomas, Dharmveer Bharti and many more. Actors inspire me too. Olivia Colman in The Crown inspired me to make this film.
