Zoya Akhtar reveals what truly makes her richer

Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar says exploring places and cultures with friends make her life exciting, adding that in the future she wishes to film something in Singapore that could be a visual treat for Indian cinegoers.

"Poetry, literature, food and friends -- there are so many things that make my life richer. In this post-lockdown world, where you are trying to find or create a new self to forge a new lens to look at life, the things you truly love are your greatest allies," said Zoya.

Sharing how she always loved showing a different slice of culture and outdoor activities in her films, she recalled a tough experience. "My paranoia for heights literally made me freak out while filming in a small plane for the sky diving sequence (in her 2011 hit, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara). Then I did one underwater scene, being completely claustrophobic," she shared.

Zoya recently had a conversation with the Singaporean filmmaker Boo Junfeng. She expressed her desire to shoot at least a sequence in Singapore, while conversing with Junfeng, and he suggested that Zoya should shoot their traditional event the Hungry Ghost Festival -- a Chinese festival during which, it is believed, the gates of hell open. Throughout the month, the streets of Singapore are filled with incense and offerings to the netherworld, and street-side concerts where the front rows are left empty for the ghosts. IANS