Inarguably, the best place to learn filmmaking is a movie set. For Sumeet Vyas, it has to be a Sudhir Mishra set. The actor-writer, who is gearing up to turn director, says that he silently observed the filmmaker as they shot for their next, Afwah.

“I wanted to see how he [approaches a subject], how he works through the nuances. [Collaborating with Mishra] was like a film school. I was like a Go Pro, always observing him as he went about creating a moment,” says Vyas, who plays a pivotal part in the Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bhumi Pednekar-starrer.

Afwaah, he says, is what one has come to expect from Mishra — an original story viewed from his keen lens. “I have always enjoyed Sudhir sir’s films because he has a unique voice. It was refreshing to be on a set with people who are passionate [about the project].” 

Vyas intends to apply the learnings from this experience in his directorial debut. The actor reveals that the project is currently in the writing stage. “It’s a high-concept film. I am writing it, and there should be an announcement in some time.” 

For now though, Aar Ya Paar has his attention. The actor plays a cop in the Disney+ Hotstar series. “With Afwah and Aar Ya Paar, the attempt is to break the clutter that has set in. It’s a problem when you make a show only because something is the flavour of the season, and not because you want to tell a new story. If corporate [heads] tell you what content to make, it will always be a problem. You need people with an understanding about stories [to take such calls],” says the actor-writer of Tripling fame.