When Agam Darshi visited the YVR Screen Scene Podcast in 2019, she was preparing to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: to Sri Lanka, to film a pivotal role in famed director Deepa Mehta’s Funny Boy. Funny Boy is an adaptation of Shyam Selvadurai’s 1994 novel about Arjun, a young Tamil boy from a wealthy family navigating hate against two key aspects of his identity: his sexuality and his ethnicity. Agam is Radha Auntie, the lone voice who encourages Arjun to be himself, to be precocious, to be the Grand Diva, to cherish those parts of him that make him different and special. The film has garnered much acclaim since premiering in December 2020 (Ava DuVernay’s distribution company Array acquired Funny Boy and released it internationally on Netflix), as well as controversy about its casting of non-Tamil actors in key roles.

In this riveting episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Agam discusses the joys, challenges, and controversy of Funny Boy, as well as what she’s learned about art and storytelling from Deepa Mehta. Agam also previews her feature film directorial debut, tentatively titled Indians in Cowtown and now filming in Regina – and for the first time, she reveals the shining stars that will appear alongside her in her film (a list that includes some beloved friends-of-the-podcast!). Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment