As A Mosquito in the Ear continues its journey across international film festivals, the film has been receiving encouraging feedback from audiences across the globe. For the actor Micky Singh, much of this journey has been experienced through social media and messages from family and friends who have watched the film internationally.
“My association with A Mosquito in the Ear travelling across several international film festivals has been limited to social media. I have also got feedback from my family and friends who watched it across the globe, and they have all come away raving about the storytelling and the visuals,” says Micky in an exclusive conversation with Filmibeat Assistant Editor Abhishek Ranjit.
An avid reader, Micky was particularly delighted to discover that the film was a book adaptation. Her own experiences also came into play while developing Sister Aruna. “As far as Sister Aruna is concerned, I channelled some of her mannerisms from my own experiences as a kid studying in Loreto Convent, Lucknow, under some fascinating nuns,” she shares.
At the same time, director Nico Rinciari had a very clear understanding of who Sister Aruna was at her core. “Nico had a very strong vision for the fundamental personality of Sister Aruna, which I agreed with and followed through to the best of my ability,” she adds.
Micky’s work across different films and with different directors has also given her the opportunity to experience varied approaches to acting and collaboration. “It’s given me a lot of experience with different acting styles and different collaboration styles, depending on the directors. That has given me a lot of confidence as an actor,” she says.
That experience has also shaped what she looks for when choosing a project. Storytelling, she says, remains an important consideration, particularly when the story is able to be simple without losing its meaning.
“Definitely, I am always drawn to stories that are very simple and gentle, just like A Mosquito in the Ear. It’s about a child who doesn’t want to be uprooted. There is no heavy message which weighs this film down,” she explains.
For her, simplicity does not mean a lack of depth. She points to Apples and Oranges, which won the National Award for Best Educational Film, as an example. “Meaningful doesn’t have to mean something really heavy. Apples and Oranges was a story about tolerance, told to children, but it was actually meant for adults. And this film proved that a small story can have a large moral responsibility.”
“Yes, I do give storytelling a lot of importance when I am picking up a project,” she adds.
With the film eventually expected to make its way to Indian audiences, she is looking forward to seeing how it resonates with viewers at home. “I am very excited about ‘A Mosquito in the Ear’ coming to Indian shores whenever it does. I am sure the Indian audiences will react to it in the same way audiences across the globe have,” says Micky.
“Because at the end of the day, we are all the same. Our emotions are the same, we feel the same way. I really do hope that this story, which is shot in India and has an Indian protagonist, and which has been so beautifully presented, will resonate with everyone,” the artist adds.
