Ahead of the premiere of This Tempting Madness at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), director Jennifer E. Montgomery and actor Suraj Sharma spoke about the psychological thriller’s real-life origins, the formation of its non-linear dive into memory, and the casting process that ultimately centered around Simone Ashley’s performance.
Montgomery described the story as “mostly true,” while Sharma, returning to IFFI more than a decade after Life of Pi’s release, reflected on the density of the script and the collaborative spirit that drew him to the film.
Inspired by true events, the story follows Mia, played by Simone Ashley (Bridgerton), who wakes up from a coma after a near-death fall. Severely injured and unable to fully remember her past, she learns that her husband is missing. As her broken memories come back to life, Mia becomes confused and overwhelmed by a surge of emotions. The cast also includes Austin Stowell (NCIS: Origins) and Zenobia Schroff (Marvels).
“This is an outlandish story because the strangest part is the truth,” said Montgomery, who co-wrote the screenplay with Andrew M. Davis. “I think that’s mostly true, but some parts are a little more advanced for interpretation.”
The three main roles are played by actors of South Asian origin. Regarding casting, Montgomery said the process was centered around Simone Ashley. “We centered the whole movie around her. We were really surprised by Simone. She was exciting and brought a ferocious intensity to the role. At the time, she had just come out of Bridgerton, so we were excited to cast her. That gave us the opportunity to cast the rest of the family. That’s how we found Suraj and Zenobia Shroff.”
For Sharma, the appeal of the film is “the collaborative spirit of the team and the script. It’s very dense and complex,” said Sharma, who plays Mia’s younger brother.
Regarding the theme, Montgomery says that, as the title suggests, “This Tempting Madness” is “ambitious in its darkness, its intensity, its emotion, its structure. It’s nonlinear because it deals with memory. And memory is inherently nonlinear.”
IFFI’s premiere aligns with Montgomery’s belief that great stories know no boundaries. “It was always important to us that this film be seen by the world,” she said, adding that they are preparing for an early 2026 release.
Sharma, who is based in the US, said he would like to do more work in India. His last Indian project was the 2023 Hindi film ‘Gulmohar’. “It was tough to straddle two industries, but it was a valuable learning experience. I hope I get a good job in India as well. I want to be one of the actors who can do both,” he says.
