Actor Nimisha Sajayan has built a reputation for choosing layered and complex female characters, with notable performances in The Great Indian Kitchen, Malik, Poacher and Dabba Cartel. Having worked across Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi cinema, she is now set to appear in Prime Video’s upcoming film Babita Singh Reporting.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Nimisha spoke about her preference for collaborating with female directors. She said she “absolutely” loves working with them, describing the experience as “very fresh”.
According to Nimisha, female filmmakers often bring an intuitive understanding to conversations about emotions and personal experiences. She said they can understand what she is going through without requiring her to explain every feeling in detail.
For Babita Singh Reporting, that connection was particularly relevant because the story explores a woman’s lived experience. Director Ambeika Pandit said that a female perspective was important to the project because the subject was rooted in her own experiences.
Pandit acknowledged that empathetic male filmmakers also exist, but said her personal connection to the story allowed her to approach it more authentically. Since the material reflected her own experience, she felt there was little distance between herself as a director and the story she wanted to tell.
Nimisha also felt an immediate connection with her character, Baby. After reading the script, she said she felt as though she had encountered the character before, adding that she recognised “shades of Baby” in herself and wanted to experience the character’s journey.
Babita Singh Reporting, starring Nimisha Sajayan and Barun Sobti, is directed by Ambeika Pandit and premieres on Prime Video on August 28. Pandit has also directed an episode of Netflix’s Black Warrant.
