Alia Basu Gayab Hai is a suspense thriller film starring Vinay Pathak, Raima Sen and Salim Dewan. Director Preeti Singh talks to us exclusively, shedding light on how to get Dewan low-tech.

Intrigue and intrigue are what make suspense-thrillers such a compelling and widely used genre. Trying to find her groove in this mold, Preity Singh is here with her first feature film 'Alia Basu Gayab Hai' starring Vinay Pathak, Raima Sen and Salim Dewan. In an exclusive conversation with India.com, Preeti Singh opens up about her journey as a solo indie producer. She spoke about the direction and casting of these amazing actors and how Salim only got two takes while giving more screen time to Vinay and Raima.

Preeti Singh is a passionate director who prefers to bring out the female perspective in the crime-thriller genre. Singh talked about how he was delighted to cast these three talented actors who largely drove the film. Reminiscing about his time on the sets during the shoot, Singh mentioned how Salim Dewan was “intimidating” as he was the youngest and relatively new compared to Vinay and Raima. “A lot of times, for example, it's very basic, when I take three shots and all the three actors are there so my priority is Vinay, Raima and then him. So in the end he's always in a hurry and I can't give him more than two takes. You have to perform in two takes. So he was always a sacrificer,” Singh said with a smile.

However, Singh appreciated Dewan's passion and dedication towards his characters. “He comes with very thorough professional training and no baggage,” she adds.

Preeti Singh's experience directing Vinay Pathak, Raima Sen and Salim Dewan

The thriller finds its axis on only three characters. The entire plot rests on the shoulders of Vinay, Raima and Salim, who each come with subtle and different shades. Talking about the USP of her film, Singh elaborated on how casting plays an important role. She says, “Salim is completely fresh. Vinay is too stereotyped as a comedian and Raima is again a household character. So we wanted to cast actors who had not been seen before in such a genre.”

A budding feature filmmaker, Singh believes in the power of storytelling. She spoke passionately about her experience in which she mentioned that the 'Special Ops' actor, “Vinay Pathak, prepares a lot and then he performs. Raima on the other hand is very intuitive and works with ease. Salim is also very methodical and likes to prepare and then perform just like Vinay sir. So, it's a challenge to strike a balance when you have characters with such different modus operandi.”

Preity Singh on the challenges of being an individual filmmaker in Bollywood

Preeti brings experience in directing creative ad films and more. Like a woman speaking her mind, Preeti did not shy away from uncovering the challenges of individual creators. “It's not easy when you're an indie producer,” says Singh. Bog banners have strong associations because they have large star values. Unfortunately, India is still a star-centric country unlike South Korea or Japan which is the plot.”

“India is still studded with stars. So, bringing in the signature star cast, delivering it is necessary.” Talking about the different challenges at different levels, Singh also highlighted that OTT is going away and cinema is coming back. She added, “People should start going to theaters and watching movies like this and not just 'Bad News'.

In this film, Singh has tried to bring out a woman's eye, a woman's perspective towards crime. The movie will release in theaters on August 9.