Mragendra Singh is an Engineer turned Film Director. He is based in Los Angeles, California. Mragendra’s first feature film is “normal.“. It is the story of a millennial interracial couple who lose the spark in their relationship after having their first child. normal. premiered at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in May 2019. Mragendra won Best Screenplay for “normal.” at the Singapore South Asian Film Festival in September 2019.
It was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Jagran Film Festival in India. normal. also played next at the Seattle Asian American Film Festival in February 2020. Over the last few years, his short films have played in numerous festivals, garnering an array of awards. He was a participant in the 2017 Reykjavik Talent Lab and was among the top 200 directors for Project Green Light.
Watch the Official Trailer for normal. directed by Mragendra Singh
indieactivity: How did you get into writing and directing? How would you describe your style?
Mragendra Singh (MS): Oh wow, from where I started, as far as I remember I was always a storyteller, but didn’t know my medium, and being born and raised in India in the late 80s and 90s I couldn’t even imagine that one day I would be writing and directing, like filmmaking as a genuine career option only happen in the movies.
It was some 12 or 13 years ago when I was working for a tech company, I ventured out first to explore what filmmaking is like, and in the San Jose bay area there were very few productions and I was fortunate to get a PA gig on the “TV Show”. During those eight weeks, I learned a lot and that started my filmmaking journey. Also at the end of those eight weeks, I realized that I have a lot to say and the only way is to tell stories via this medium.
My style is whatever it takes to service the story. I do like the “fly on the wall approach” of storytelling, where we let the characters pull us into the story, and just like that we are living with them being a part of their world.
What was the casting process like? Did you hire a casting director, or do you like to choose the cast yourself? If so, what criteria go into your casting?
Mragendra Singh (MS): It depends on a project-by-project basis. For “normal,” it was a little different from my other projects because during the development I had a few “table reads” and that helped me gauge the kind of talent I was looking for to be part of this indie project. I ended up working with two actors, Christian (Cyrus Soliman) and Prad (Dushyant Asthana), who showed up to the table reads. We did hold auditions and that is how we found Leah (Suzanna Akins), Maggie (Cynthia Aileen Strahan), Tabby (Mav Viola), and Jen (Maryam Roberts).
Without giving anything away, tell us a little bit about the script, how did you come up with the idea?
Mragendra Singh (MS): So when I wrote Normal, all those years ago, I didn’t know a version of the film would manifest in my own life. Now looking back after living my “Normal”, I feel this story was the result of introspection of my relationship that at the time of writing was not apparent to me. Also, this is the only script I’ve written where I didn’t do any outline or any of the writing prep while writing I felt as if I am just a vehicle and all the words were flowing through me on paper. I remember reading the first draft, and I was surprised to see that somehow it worked, and just needed to be polished.
This gave me the confidence to do other drafts and finally I think the fourth draft is the one I shared with my wife at that time and a few close friends to gauge if “Normal.” is any good. I still remember after reading it my wife asked, “Do you think this is what will become of us” I don’t remember what I said, but in hindsight is 2020. Anyway, the initial feedback for the story was really encouraging. This is also how I got Aseem Tiwari to join the project to play Aniket. After a few drafts, I had the final draft on hand which eventually became the shooting script.
Who is NORMAL for? Who do you think would enjoy it the most?
Mragendra Singh (MS): Normal is for someone who has been in a relationship, who has had their heart broken, who is getting over a relationship, who just found someone, who has moved to a new place to start over, millennials because written by a millennial, immigrants because I’m an immigrant. I feel everyone has their normal and “normal.” is for everyone.
How long did it take to shoot the entire film?
Mragendra Singh (MS): It took us 14 days to shoot the entire film. But almost four months of pre-production which involved location scouting, assembling crew, extensive storyboarding, and rehearsals so that we can utilize the fourteen days schedule to its max.
How long was the post-production process?
MS: It was a little over a year, we went through different cuts with different runtimes, and different endings but eventually were able to come up with a ninety-minute version which was tight with ample breathing room in it.
The film had a lot of talent working behind the scenes as DPs, sound designers, composers, etc. Why is diversity important both in front of and behind the camera?
MS: As a BIPOC filmmaker I’m a huge advocate of inclusion, and diversity also brings diverse perspectives and adds nuance to the stories we are trying to tell. In every aspect of my production from start to finish, I entertain every little suggestion, advice, and note I get from the folks I work with. My whole production cast and crew are my colleagues who are giving their one hundred percent to realize my vision, and if my team is from diverse backgrounds, selfishly as a filmmaker, it’s a win-win for me.
What are your goals with NORMAL?
MS: Normal. is an intimate film that challenges the status quo and asks the right questions. Goes without saying that I want a lot of people to watch this film and if it can inspire people to ask the right questions. I want this film to do well because I feel there is a void for films like these and Normal’s positive reception would be the first step toward filling up the void.
What’s next for you? What are you working on right now?
MS: I am working on a feature film “Still Here”, that deals with the aftermath of gun violence from the perspective of people who are left behind and are still here. The initial response to the screenplay is really good. We have some really good momentum on the project and when I’m allowed to share more I will definitely do that.
What would you recommend to a new director at the beginning of his/ her journey? Any special courses, workshops, or helpful books they can read?
MS: Everyone has their own journey and own path. It feels like such a responsibility to make recommendations, I can only share what I learned. I worked on my craft while perfecting my voice to tell my stories. I’ve read quite a few screenwriting books, but I would suggest using them as a starting point, they are not the end-all-be-all, at the end of the day it’s your story and you know the best way to tell it.
Trust your instincts as a person and more importantly as a storyteller. There are no easy shoot days, every little insert matters, try to make the best version of the film every time. Finally, as directors our job is to serve the story, not our ego, so see what is the best approach. Most importantly, be courteous to the people who are working with you.
Who is your favorite director? Why?
MS: This is an interesting question, and it’s really hard to pinpoint one director, like how it is really difficult to pick a favorite film or a work of literature. I look up to a lot of filmmakers but if I have to pick a few I would definitely say Sydney Lumet, Mani Ratnam, David Fincher, Lynne Ramsay, and Alfonso Cuarón. All these directors are great storytellers and their work speaks of substance more than style.
What advice would you give aspiring writers/ directors around the world?
MS: Always know why you are writing or directing or both. Write whatever you want to write as long as you’re passionate about it, otherwise, it’s really hard to keep on going when the going gets tough.
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