Covid-19 makes Akriti miss her directorial debut’s premiere in UK

Amid all the tension surrounding the pandemic, actor Akriti Singh received the good news recently that her directorial debut, Toofaan Mail, has been chosen as the opening film at the UK Asian Film Festival. However, Singh reveals that her happiness was dimmed by the fact that she won’t be able to travel to the UK for the premiere.

“It’s quite a bummer. This is my first film and I won’t be able to attend the premiere. The first time my film will be screened in front of a live audience, and I won’t be there to see their reaction. The UK has placed restrictions on travellers from India,” she laments.

The film will be screened at the Belgrade Theatre on May 27. She reveals that she’ll be attending an online Q&A session post the screening. Singh, who has been a part of projects such as Breathe Into The Shadows (2020), Kaamyaab (2020), and 3 Storeys (2018), has directed 14 plays to date. So was turning director a natural progression for her? “Deep in my heart, I’m an actor. The craft of acting helps you understand the storytelling process better. Over the years, while honing my craft of acting, I acquired these skills,” she says.

Though theatres are shut in most parts of the country, she is hoping for a bigscreen release for her debut movie. “I’m still hoping for a theatrical release. I’d like to go to theatres first, and then to an OTT platform. I hope we can recover from this and people get to watch my film in cinemas,” she says.