Agam Darshi is breaking boundaries with her new film ‘Donkeyhead’ now on Netflix. She explains what it was like to direct her first film, and the inspiration behind the project.

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Darshi plays Mona in Donkeyhead, a struggling writer whose been taking care of her ill father. When his health takes a turn for the worse, her three siblings enter the picture to take control of the situation.

To say this film is good is an understatement, Darshi has created a masterpiece that tells an organic story. After watching the film one would never guess that this was her directorial debut.

“I’ve been acting for a long time and I’ve had a wonderful career, but I’ve never been number one on the call sheet. There was a part of me that said I’m just going to write myself a role where I get to lead it.” Explained Darshi about what made her want to write and direct Donkeyhead. “I’ve been a supporting figure and a prominent figure in film and tv but never number one and I wanted to see what that was like. I love dramedy and indie films, so many of them I adore, but I’ve never seen people who looked like me in them.”

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The odds weren’t always in the actor’s favor when making the film. Shooting happened last year during the COVID-19 pandemic and the cold winter months, but Darshi pushed through and beat the odds.

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“It was wild and difficult because this was before anyone got vaccinated. Nobody quite knew how it was going to work out, but we kept everybody safe and we got everyone tested. We also shot in Regina, Canada during winter when it was minus 40. It was hard there were times when our dolly froze. It was a tough place to shoot but it looks beautiful.” Said Darshi.

Another great element about the film is how well the characters are written. They come off raw with so much depth and layers. Mona is introduced as a woman who deeply cares for her father, and deep down is a good person, but at the same time, she has many skeletons in her closet.

“I think the version of South Asian women that we see on tv and in film tends to be, not all the time, but a little bit one-note. They’re very beautiful, they’re doctors, they’re lawyers. I wanted to see a woman who felt like a mess, and not just because she was South Asain, but just because, she was a mess of a human being and came from a background where she was sort of left out from the family. I think all of us have a little bit of mona inside of us.” Said Darshi.

Creating a well-renowned film like Donkeyhead isn’t easy, and many people strive to get their foot in the door, but Darshi has some advice for people who are eager to follow in her footsteps.

“Be overprepared. anything that you think you don’t need to know just know it. Surround yourself with people who are so much smarter than you and who believe in you, and just be as good as you can be.”

The sky is the limit for Darshi, and Donkeyhead is only the beginning. She has goals and aspirations to release more works of art to the masses.

“I want to keep acting I want to keep directing, I want to be a showrunner, and I just want to put out stories that count and that matter, and stories that haven’t had the chance to be seen or heard by mainstream audiences.”

Donkeyhead is now available to watch on Netflix.