Actor Akshay Singh, who made his debut as a producer and director with his feature film Pinky Beauty Parlour, shared that the movie was ...
Actor Akshay Singh, who made his debut as a
producer and director with his feature film Pinky Beauty Parlour, shared that
the movie was more than just a project for him. It wasn’t only his vision
coming to life but also a risk he chose to take. And as luck would have it, the
risk paid off when Pinky Beauty Parlour not only made headlines at film
festivals but also turned into a multidimensional journey that saw Akshay
wearing several hats, including that of writer and lead actor.
He said, "Honestly, I had only signed up to
write and direct Pinky Beauty Parlour. But once the script took shape, I
thought, why not play the male lead too? The character spoke more through
silences and eyes than words, and I have always found that space
intriguing."
"Plus, on a lighter note, this poor guy gets
beaten up by everyone, the cops, the two leading ladies, even his colleague and
a client at the parlor! I figured no one else would volunteer to get so much
bashing up, so I might as well take the hits myself," he added.
Sharing how he ended up producing it, he said that
though initially he had a producer on board, things didn't work out with them.
He said, "I didn’t want to compromise on the film’s vision. After a long
conversation with my wife, who is also my producer partner, we decided, ‘Let’s
do this ourselves; beg or borrow or take the risks, but let’s make the film our
way!’ My wife and I put in our savings, broke our investments, and backed our
belief in the story. And just like that, I accidentally became a producer
too."
Akshay mentioned that the film centered on beauty
standards and societal pressure and was inspired by his own childhood
experiences. He said, "The idea came from a very personal place. I grew up
in a joint family and witnessed how two of my younger cousin sisters were
treated differently because of their skin tone. The fairer one was always
adored and pampered more, while the other faced constant comparisons. It
bothered me deeply because I felt love shouldn’t be filtered through shades of
fairness."
"Years later, when I was brainstorming for my
first film, this memory came rushing back. I started researching more on this
and discovered countless real life stories across India that echoed this
complexion bias. That’s how my film Pinky Beauty Parlour was born, a fictional
story rooted in a painful reality. During my research, I also realized there
are more beauty parlors in India than paan shops! That insight itself said so
much about our country’s obsession with appearance." he added.
Among its many accolades, Pinky Beauty Parlour was
honored as the Closing Film at the Hawaii International Film Festival (USA) and
the Ottawa Film Festival (Canada), and as the Opening Film at the reputed SAARC
International Film Festival (Sri Lanka). It also received a Special Mention at
the International Film Festival of India (IFFI, Goa), a special recommendation
at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MAMI), and Special Jury Awards at
both the Kerala and Rajasthan International Film Festivals. Besides these, it
was also selected and screened at international film festivals in Melbourne,
Seattle, Sydney, Canada, Moscow, and many more.
Reflecting on the film’s global journey, he
described it as a surreal experience. "The festival journey of my film
Pinky Beauty Parlour was nothing short of magical and deeply humbling. I still
remember screenings where people from different states and countries walked up
to me, some even with tears in their eyes, saying they saw their own families
and societies reflected in the film. That kind of emotional connection is every
filmmaker’s dream," he said.
"In fact, the fact that my first feature film
as writer, director, and producer went on to travel across more than 30
international film festivals, winning accolades and hearts along the way, was
in itself a huge award and reward for me, along with it being a humbling
experience," Akshay concluded.
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