Akshay Singh on Wearing Many Hats: “When I Act, I Surrender; When I Direct, I Shape

Mumbai:Akshay Singh is basking in the glory of the success of his web series Naam Gum Jayega. It is currently streaming on Amazon MX Player, and Akshay has donned multiple hats—as the director, co-producer, and also an actor—for the series. But his job was not just limited to this. He said, “It’s a gripping drama-thriller laced with twists, suspense, and emotional depth. “To do justice to the story’s layered narrative, I wanted to experiment with a completely new visual grammar—a distinct departure from my previous works, Feature Film – Pinky Beauty Parlour and Web Series’ Assi Nabbe Poore Sau,” he said. “I innovated at every step— Shots, camera movement, lighting and staging to create the desired impact without exceeding our means. When people assume the series was made on a much higher budget, I take that as the best compliment to our creative process,” he added. As someone who eats, lives, and breathes cinema, it wasn’t challenging for him to wear the multiple hats of Director, Actor and Producer. He said, “It isn’t as daunting for me as it might seem—mainly because I genuinely love every aspect of filmmaking. Whether I’m behind the camera directing, in front of it as an actor, or managing things as a producer, each role excites a different creative part of me.” “As a director, I’m constantly discovering new ways to tell a story, experimenting with tone and style. When I step into a character as an actor, I immerse myself completely—though, somewhere, the director in me still keeps an eye on how the entire scene is shaping up. People on set often joke that I have a split personality, and honestly, I take that as a compliment!” he added. Asked about the experience of directing the cast of Naam Gum Jayega being an actor himself, he shared, “Every actor requires a different approach, and as a director, adapting to each one’s rhythm is crucial. On Naam Gum Jayega, I had a wonderful experience working with an immensely talented cast—Barkha Bisht, Rahul Singh, Romiit Raaj, and several others. Every actor needs a unique approach: with Barkha, it was about nuances; with Rahul, it was about emotion; and with Romiit, it was about motivation.” And asked about the challenges of directing and acting together, Akshay Singh shared, “When I’m acting, I surrender to the moment. When I’m directing, I shape the moment. Balancing both in Naam Gum Jayega was a challenge I truly loved,” Akshay concluded.