‘Dhurandhar’ star Saumya Tandon almost quit while training her digital avatar for new AI film, ‘Vispala’: 'I wanted to abandon'

Following her appearance in ‘Dhurandhar’ (2025), Saumya Tandon is set to headline the experimental short film ‘Vispala: India’s Forgotten Warrior Queen’, directed by Ishan Modi. What attracted her to the project was its unusual blend of generative artificial intelligence and live action to narrate an ancient tale.

The 25-minute film revisits the legend of Vispala, often regarded as one of India’s earliest warrior queens who returned to combat with a prosthetic limb. Running parallel is the story of Ishani, a present day woman whose life echoes that same spirit of endurance. By weaving myth and modernity, the film aims to reinterpret a historic narrative for contemporary audiences.

Saumya Tandon on working with AI

The 'Dhurandhar' actress admitted that adapting to AI based performance techniques proved far more difficult than she had anticipated.

Accustomed to traditional acting methods rooted in emotional immersion, she found it disorienting to first create a digital avatar and then train it to convey feelings. “I’m used to internalising a character and emoting naturally. Here, you create a digital avatar, and then you have to teach it to express emotions.

In the beginning, it was so frustrating that I wanted to abandon the project,” she shared with Mid-Day.

The process demanded patience as well as technical collaboration, something entirely new for her as a performer. Over time, guidance from the AI team helped her stay committed and push through the discomfort.Inspired by references in the Rig Veda, the film revisits the account of Vispala, who is believed to have fought again after receiving an iron prosthetic leg. Tandon portrays Ishani, a modern woman who runs a prosthetic limb foundation while dealing with a strained marriage shaped by ambition and ego.

The narrative draws thematic parallels between physical battles of the past and emotional conflicts of the present.

“Whether it's a warrior queen in 1200 BC or a modern woman in 2026, the real battle is often against ego within a relationship,” the actor observed. This dual timeline attempts to highlight how resilience transcends eras.

About ‘Vispala: India’s Forgotten Warrior Queen’

What sets ‘Vispala: India’s Forgotten Warrior Queen’ apart is its deliberate use of artificial intelligence as an integral narrative device.

The mythological segments are rendered through AI generated imagery to evoke a grand, timeless scale, while the contemporary portions are shot in live action to preserve emotional authenticity. Instead of relegating AI to brief flashbacks, the film intercuts both timelines using seamless transitions and visual parallels.

This approach allows past and present to converse with each other rather than exist as separate tracks.

The creators view technology as a collaborator that expands visual storytelling possibilities without replacing human creativity.

A new phase in Saumya Tandon’s career

Scheduled to premiere on YouTube, ‘Vispala: India’s Forgotten Warrior Queen’ signals a distinct shift in Tandon’s artistic journey. By embracing a technology driven format, she steps into territory that combines performance with digital innovation. At the same time, the project remains rooted in character and emotion, elements that have defined her work so far. The film positions itself as both an experiment and a statement about the future of filmmaking in India.

For Tandon, it represents not just another role but an exploration of how storytelling itself is evolving.