Cannes-bound Sushmita V Singh reflects on her journey from UP to the global film stage

Actor and UPite Sushmita V Singh will debut at Cannes with Bombay Stories an experience she finds surreal. Playing a role inspired by works of Manto

Actor Sushmita V Singh is heading to the Cannes Film Festival with her debut film Bombay Stories, an experience that "still feels surreal."

The actor, whose roots are "deeply connected to Azamgarh and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh," found out about the selection in January and "could hardly keep calm after that," especially since, for someone who "doesn’t come from a Bollywood background, it felt almost unreal.” She views the achievement as something she will "always cherish," adding that she will be attending the festival to represent a project "envisioned for an international audience from the very beginning.”

Actor Sushmita Singh

Working in a film that is an adaptation inspired by the works of Saadat Hasan Manto, Sushmita plays a student navigating a traumatic event. She describes the character as "undeniably one of the toughest" she has ever played emotionally, explaining that she "revisited one of his stories called Khushiya" to tap into Manto's renowned "fearlessness." The emotional weight was so demanding that she had to cope by saying, "I remember taking long showers after pack-up almost every day just to mentally detach myself from her pain."

Working with established actors like Mouni Roy and Anupriya Goenka, “I think what stood out most to me wasn’t just their talent as actors, but the kind of human beings they are. Despite all their success and experience, they remain deeply connected to their roots and struggles.”

Representing her UP and MP heritage on a global stage "feels incredibly special." She further adds, "I genuinely believe that many women in smaller towns and traditional families still hesitate to dream freely because of societal restrictions. In my case, whatever I have achieved has only been possible because my parents supported me wholeheartedly and allowed me to pursue my ambitions fearlessly. Sometimes, a little faith from your family can completely change your life. In fact, if you look at the entertainment industry today, so many powerful and successful women come from North India and smaller cities.”