Alaknanda Samarth

Set in two historical epochs, 1735 and 1735. The spirited Miss Queen (Khote), performing in a period play, recalls a previous incarnation when she was the actual person she is now acting on the stage. She inherited the throne because the state of Ranigarh had no constitutional male heirs and her horoscope was deemed auspicious. Instead of being merely a figurehead, she opposes the corrupt minister Jairaj and army commander Mubarak and, following the advice of the court poet (Pahelwan), she makes sure the royal court is accessible to the suffering people.

A music student listens to stories and legends about the birth and evolution of the Khayal form of classical Indian singing. These stories are re-enacted by actors who play several key figures throughout the history of classical music.

Tackling the theme of identity from the perspective of Asian and Afro-Caribbean actors, the film emerged from an acting workshop exploring the relationship between acting idioms in theatre and cinema led by Kumar Shahani and Alaknanda Samarth.