SEPT 30 2020: A year ago, actress Agam Darshi was shooting in Sri Lanka on Deepa Mehta’s newest film Funny Boy, based off of the acclaimed book by Shyam Selvadurai. “Everything about the project was a dream come true. I had been a great admirer of Deepa’s for a long time and wanted to work with her. But to work with her on this film, and on thischaracter, is more than I could have asked for,” says Agam.
Funny Boy is a coming of age story about Arjie a young gay Tamil boy who grows up in Colombo during the civil war. The film is being touted for it’s beautiful performances and bold choices. “I don’t know if I have ever seen two brown men in love on screen before, in this way. It blew me away when I watched it,” Darshi says.
Four months after shooting Funny Boy, Agam Darshi was cast in Ava Duvernay’s HBO Max tv pilot, DMZ. Starring Rosario Dawson the series is based on the popular DC comics depicting a United States left literally divided after a second Civil War. “I played Mia Franklin, a tough as nails woman who smuggles people in and out of the DMZ.”
To work with two of the most acclaimed filmmakers back to back is an enormous experience for any actor. “I look up to Deepa and Ava so much. I learned just by watching them,” Darshi explains.
Which is a good thing, because next up Agam is making her directorial debut of her own feature film she penned, Indians in Cowtown. Agam will also star in the film as the lead character of Mona, the troubled, messy writer who moves back into her traditional Sikh father’s house only to stay for seven years after he was diagnosed with cancer. When his health takes a turn for the worst, her three successful siblings return home to take care of the situation.
Producers are Anand Ramaaya and Kelly Balon of Karma Film. The film is being made with financial support from Telefilm Canada and Creative Saskatchewan.
“This is a very personal story. I really wanted to create a film that exposed my experiences of growing up in North America, and feeling as much North American as I do Indian – if not more at times,” says Darshi.
Indians in Cowtown will be in production January 2021 in Regina Saskatchewan.
