Ahilya Works with Oldest Filmmaker; Finds Common Ground Despite Age Gap

At 25, Ahilya has already made a splash in Hindi cinema with Shoojit Sircar’s 2024 film I Want To Talk. This year, she crossed over into Telugu cinema with the film Sing Geetham, a project that brought her into the orbit of the world’s oldest living active filmmaker, 94‑year‑old Singeetham Srinivasa Rao.

In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, the actress explained how the collaboration felt like a meeting of minds rather than a generational divide. “Singeetham is 94 years old, he’s a visionary who has seen cinema at every stage of its evolution. It was really lovely to be directed by him,” she said. “And there’s Nag Ashwin, the producer, who has made such impeccable cinema. I was immediately drawn to that.”

Rao, who had to direct the film remotely because of his age, was involved in every creative decision. “Every decision, every frame had to be vetted by him. He was in every writer’s room; nothing would go past him,” Ahilya recalled. “But to be directed by him was such a surprise because he came with such a light, jokey energy. He always had such funny things to say to us about our characters.” She added that the experience was surprisingly collaborative, with no sense of distance between the veteran and the young actress.

Ahilya’s role as Gauri required her to learn Telugu, a language she had never spoken before. “Taking up a project in a language you cannot speak is something most people wouldn’t do,” she said. “I think more than that, you want to do justice to a character that’s so very Telugu, so rooted in her culture.” Growing up in a forested area of Auroville, she felt a personal connection to the character’s love of nature. She admitted, however, that critics have pointed out her Telugu accent, a flaw she has accepted as part of the challenge.

Since Sing Geetham hit theaters and later appeared on Netflix, audiences have praised the film for its uplifting tone and its subtle commentary on society and greed. Ahilya expressed gratitude for the positive feedback, noting that the story’s fable‑like quality has prompted viewers to reflect on broader social issues.