I'd love to work with Anurag Kashyap: Akriti Singh on her wishlist of directors

After working in several TV shows, directing her own plays and working in films like Bank Chor and 3 Storeys, actor Akriti Singh recently made her digital debut alongside Vikrant Massey in AltBalaji's Broken. She is also a part of two upcoming films — Ritesh Batra's Photograph, co-starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Sanya Malhotra and Hardik Mehta's Kaamyaab, co-starring Sanjay Mishra and Deepak Dobriyal.

While eager to explore all formats of storytelling in her career, Akriti agrees digital web-series and shows allow a performer much more freedom and space. She says, "To be honest, I have been a part of many TV serials in the past but they have never really mirrored my own approach to acting. There's hardly any growth in that space. For instance, on daily soaps sometimes you get your script three hours before the shoot. On the other hand, the shows intended for the web-format require a focused approach. Everything is planned and co-ordinated in a fluent, professional manner. Moreover, content on digital platforms is more progressive and layered, and thus fun to perform and be a part of. In Broken, I got to collaborate with Vikrant, who is also a trained actor and understands the nuances of the craft well."

Dwelling on her theatre career and how she juggles both her passions — acting and writing/directing — Akriti says, "Sometimes it is nice to let go of control. When I used to direct my own plays and travel everywhere with them, I used to worry and fret about every aspect of the production. As an actor, you let the director and the script do the job while you get to focus on your character and the scene at hand. So that's also nice." The actor, who hails from Roorkie in Uttarakhand, has a degree in architecture. "But acting has been my lifelong passion and I want to keep focusing on it up ahead."

Asked if she thinks Indian digital content matches up to world standards, Akriti cautions, "In India we become too celebratory about ourselves everytime we achieve something new. In my opinion, I feel we still have a long way to go before comparing our shows with international content. It will take a lot of hardwork and commitment to get there, but I am very hopeful about the future of web-shows in India."

Quizzed about the foremost director on her wishlist, Akriti reveals, "I would love to work with Anurag Kashyap. His films are always very real and powerful and full of great performances. I don't think he is aware of my work, but I hope to meet him soon and collaborate with him."

All eleven episodes of Broken Seaon 1 are available for streaming on the AltBalaji app. The show also stars Harleen Sethi, Jitin Gulati and Simran Kaur Mundi.