Actor Saumya Tandon is set to headline an experimental short concept film titled Vispala: India’s Forgotten Warrior Queen, marking a shift toward AI-powered storytelling following her recent project Dhurandhar. The film, which also features Viraf Patel and is directed by Ishan Modi, began as an entry for Google’s 1 Billion Summit AI competition before evolving into a hybrid trailer that combines generative AI with live-action performance.
Drawing inspiration from the Rig Veda’s account of Vispala — a warrior queen who is said to have returned to battle with a prosthetic iron leg — the narrative connects ancient mythology with a contemporary storyline. Tandon plays Ishani, a modern-day woman who runs a prosthetic limb charity while navigating a marriage shaped by ego and ambition. The film attempts to build a thematic bridge between Vispala’s resilience and the emotional conflicts faced by women today. “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,” said Saumya Tandon.
What distinguishes Vispala is its structural use of artificial intelligence as a storytelling device rather than a background tool. The ancient world is visualised through AI-generated imagery designed to evoke a mythological scale, while the present-day portions are filmed in live action to maintain emotional immediacy. Instead of employing AI for isolated flashbacks, the film constructs parallel timelines where past and present intersect through match cuts and fluid transitions.
The project positions AI as a collaborative creative medium aimed at expanding visual possibilities without replacing performers or filmmakers. By juxtaposing stylised AI-generated sequences with grounded live-action scenes, the makers seek to explore how technology can support narrative ambition.
Scheduled for release on YouTube, Vispala: India’s Forgotten Warrior Queen represents a new direction in Saumya Tandon’s career as she engages with technology-led formats while continuing to explore character-driven stories.