Inside the making of flight 182 with director rippin sindher featuring executive producer Archie panjabi

Written by: Milla Nguyen + Photography by: Evan Odinsoff + Videography by: Michael Kokorine

Rippin Sindher’s Biography:

Rippin Sindher is a fearless filmmaker who fuses sociology with cinema to ignite impactful conversations around justice and identity. Her work is bold, unflinching, and deeply personal—rooted in her perspective as a Punjabi-Sikh woman and driven by a passion for stories that inspire social change. A two-time Bank of America Big Tell Award recipient, she earned Congressional recognition for SEVA, her anti-hate documentary on Sikhs in America, and followed with ZONE, which exposed California’s legacy of redlining. Her narrative shorts, Broken Drawer and The Hideout, explore the intricacies of human connection and have won acclaim on the festival circuit. In 2023, she won the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge with CAPE and Janet Yang Productions for FLIGHT 182, a gripping true-crime drama executive produced by Emmy® winner Archie Panjabi. Sindher was elected Vice President of the RISE Council (Dan Lin’s accelerator for POC creators) and was honored with UCLA’s Women Leaders Award for her impact as a storyteller. She is also the founder of KAUR Creative, mentoring teen girls, and co-founder of Sindherella Co.

Archie Panjabi’s Biography:

Archie Panjabi made history as the first Asian actor to win a Primetime Emmy® for acting, earning acclaim for her role as Kalinda Sharma on the CBS drama, The Good Wife. Born in London to Indian parents, her global perspective and cultural heritage deeply inform her work. In addition to her Emmy win, she has received an NAACP Image Award, multiple Emmy and SAG nominations, and a Golden Globe nomination. She earned the EFP Shooting Stars Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Chophard Trophy at Cannes for Female Revelation of the Year. Known for her magnetic screen presence, Panjabi has starred in a wide range of acclaimed projects, including Bend It Like Beckham, A Mighty Heart, Run, and Hulu’s Under the Bridge. Her fearless approach to complex, multidimensional characters has made her a standout in both Hollywood and international cinema. Off screen, Panjabi is a dedicated humanitarian. She is an outspoken advocate for global health initiatives, including polio eradication, and supports human rights causes such as combating gender based violence and amplifying marginalized voices.

Archie Panjabi made history as the first Asian actor to win a Primetime Emmy® for acting, earning acclaim for her role as Kalinda Sharma on the CBS drama, The Good Wife. Born in London to Indian parents, her global perspective and cultural heritage deeply inform her work. In addition to her Emmy win, she has received an NAACP Image Award, multiple Emmy and SAG nominations, and a Golden Globe nomination. Known for her magnetic screen presence, Panjabi has starred in a wide range of acclaimed projects, including Bend It Like Beckham, A Mighty Heart, Run, and Hulu’s Under the Bridge. Her fearless approach to complex, multidimensional characters has made her a standout in both Hollywood and international cinema. Off screen, Panjabi is a dedicated humanitarian. She is an outspoken advocate for global health initiatives, including polio eradication, and supports human rights causes such as combating gender based violence and amplifying marginalized voices.

Author’s Note:

It is an honor to highlight Rippin Sindher and Archie Panjabi as two of our Vicarious Column guests for our second issue. Rippin Sindher is soaring to new heights with her latest project, FLIGHT 182, a winner of the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge presented by CAPE and Janet Yang Productions. When she’s not directing on set, Rippin Sindher is a dedicated leader who strives to mentor young filmmakers. She also contributes to several filmmaker communities: KAUR Creative, Sindherella Co., and Rideback Rise, all of which have empowered many creative careers. When Sindher and I conducted the interview, she spoke about the essence of unity. To make her projects happen, her team must be one with each other. When she founded her own production company, Sindherella Co., she had to be in sync with her brother, who is her co-founder. Most of the time, she has to be in tune with herself when writing or directing. Her films display what it means to be human, what it means to be Asian, and what it is like to confront otherism. The common thread weaved in this tapestry of work is the concept of strength and healing from grief. Rippin Sindher has always carried herself with a sense of poise, eloquence, and humility. In her unique directing style, her actors’ performances utilize the power of poise to draw you in as as a viewer. In real life, Sindher draws us in when talking about her passion for filmmaking, providing an intimate lens of what kind of person she truly is.

The Start of Rippin’s Journey

Rippin Sindher was raised in Selma, a farm town in California. As a child, she didn’t know how to define her passion for cinema. Most of her memories involve watching Indian films with her parents or participating in her town’s community theatre group. It wasn’t until she arrived at UCLA that she began to discover her passion for the arts and a potential career path in it. She majored in English and sociology, which allowed her to combine writing with an understanding of human behavior. She said, “I always had a zest and curiosity for life, to see what was beyond my upbringing, but never lost sight of where I come from.” From then on, Sindher chose filmmaking as a career. She began working for the Directors Guild of America while creating her own content. Rippin served as a directing fellow and consultant on S.W.A.T. for an episode that explored the story of Air India Flight 182. She’s been a finalist for several prestigious industry programs, including the Sony Directors Program, Shondaland Women’s Directing Mentorship, Sundance New Voices Lab, AFI DWW+ and Lena Waithe’s Rising Voices. When we discussed the role of fellowships and mentorships, she emphasized their importance in shaping her path: “All of these programs are access points to build relationships and keep honing your craft.” She was also candid about the setbacks behind the scenes, admitting, “I’ve received so many rejections over the years. There’s so much pressure to do it one way, but what I’ve discovered in reality is that there are multiple ways to arrive at the same destination.” When she shadowed on the show Ratched through the Ryan Murphy HALF Initiative, she spoke about the ability to practice and manifest. She said, “The biggest challenge is that not too many people look like me in these spaces. There’s no anchor image to refer to.

The Making of FLIGHT 182 featuring Executive Producer, Archie Panjabi

Rippin Sindher is most known for her short film, FLIGHT 182. The short is a winner of the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge presented by CAPE and Janet Yang Productions. As she develops the feature-length version, she continues to conduct deep research on the true tragedy of 1985, a flight en route to Delhi that went off the Irish Coast when a bomb planted inside of a suitcase took down the aircraft. Sindher opened up about having a relative who lost his life in the tragedy and why she is so passionate about it. She said, “This was a global tragedy that impacted families everywhere, and yet, it did not get the media coverage needed for the world to call attention to it. My wanting to make this film comes from a deep place to understand parts of history that have been erased and resurface hard conversations through cinema. I chose to make this a narrative with a universal message of family and drop the viewer into a moment of profound dilemma.” Sindher recalled when Archie Panjabi, the Emmy® Award-winning actress and producer, signed on to be an executive producer of the short. Sindher said, “I first saw Archie when she received the Icon Award in Canada at iSAFF and spoke about her visceral work on Under the Bridge about the Reena Virk story. I will never forget her speech, and yet, little did I know she had asked festival organizers to watch my film because she knew of this historical tragedy.” In response, Panjabi remarked, “FLIGHT 182 exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the film for days. I told Rippin she needed to get this story out in the world far and wide, and I wanted to support her in every way possible.” The film has screened at several Oscar-qualifying festivals, with Sindher and Panjabi now setting their sights on an Academy Awards campaign. The pair spoke about the film’s universal appeal and how this year marks 40 years since the tragedy. Throughout the conversation, it was clear that Sindher and Panjabi had a powerful, glowing friendship. A connection that rose beyond the film.

Delving deeper, Rippin Sindher and Archie Panjabi are strong advocates for female empowerment through AAPI-led projects. I asked, “Why is it important for AAPI women to support each other?” Sindher mentioned the significance of perspective. She said, “I want people to know they are enough in this world and no matter the limitations, they can determine their own path. Looking back, women have played a huge role in supporting my dreams and being Punjabi is such an integral part of who I am. I want people to know you can integrate all facets of yourself into your art and live in full expression. As filmmakers, we have to pay it forward. It’s a testament to people like Archie who broke through these barriers in the first place.”

Panjabi elaborated, “My acting career is a tribute to my mother. I had this burning desire to act on screen because there wasn’t anyone who looked like me. In my opinion, there’s so much satisfaction in mentoring young people. No one succeeds without failure or mentors.”

Wrapping up the conversation, Sindher and Panjabi emphasized their desire to educate audiences with FLIGHT 182. Sindher said, “Not a lot of people know this, but this tragedy was the largest aviation attack before 9/11. It was like a domino effect after that. The feature film version will delve further into the mishandled evidence and race politics that played a role.”

Investing in Community

Sindher was elected Vice President of RISE council, Dan Lin’s accelerator for POC creators. Sindher spoke about how Lin turned a space into an incubator to help filmmakers grow in their skills and craft. She said, “He created this one-of-a-kind campus complete with workshops and a sense of community to support filmmakers. I was at the forefront of developing the TV Summit during the inaugural year of the program.” At the TV Summit, Sindher worked with a team to bring forth keynote speakers, host innovative panels, and encourage networking opportunities. She is deeply committed to nurturing the community that RISE has built. In her own time, she also founded KAUR Creative during the pandemic. She said, “During that difficult time when Covid first broke, we felt more fragmented than ever. I was on a production that got shut down. I started KAUR Creative so young girls and women could have a safe space. I wanted young teen girls to feel empowered and have a sense of sisterhood, think about their wellness and who they want to be in this world despite the setbacks.” Sindher reflected on how many of the girls who joined KAUR Creative were in middle school or their freshman year of high school at the time. Now, they’re accomplished graduates from Harvard or artists who have decided to start independent projects. She expressed the sentiment of building bridges and helping others within the industry. She said, “Who knows what would’ve happened if someone else had reached out their hand earlier in my career. Honestly, I wouldn’t have changed my personal journey for the world, but I think it takes courage to go beyond your cultural norm.”

Rippin Sindher and her brother, Gurinder Sindher, co-founded their production company, Sindherella Co., with a shared mission to tell bold, purpose-driven stories through independent film and media. “He has always been a constant in my life,” she said, “His mindset has always been, ‘don’t live in scarcity—invest in yourself and your community.” Together, the duo brings their ad agency experience to creatively direct and produce projects for clients, including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Nike, Etsy and more. Inclusivity is a key part of their operations. Both emphasize the importance of employing a diverse crew and providing fair, equal pay. Gurinder Sindher’s roles primarily include acting and producing, while Rippin Sindher contributes her directing and writing skills. One of their first projects together was a web series, The Man of Mystery, after Gurinder worked on Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. In the future, they are committed to investing in diverse, purposeful stories, as well as taking a chance on rising filmmakers.

Directing on Set with Rippin Sindher

Sindher is a well-versed master at directing narrative content, documentaries, commercials and theatre. I asked her about the directing mindset between documentaries. She narratives explained and that documentaries are rooted in trust. She said, “How truthful am I in treating the topic and subject while having a camera between us? How well does the subject trust me to give me access into their most vulnerable thoughts? You’re like a human investigator uncovering the topic in real-time.” Documentaries pushed Sindher to take a leap out of her comfort zone and forge ahead with an unplanned story, oftentimes picking up the camera herself to tell a story.

“Sometimes you can’t always prepare for everything, and improvising teaches you leadership and stretches you creatively when you don’t have all the resources you need. In many ways, it prompts a new level of tenacity.” Sindher’s other short film, Broken Drawer, follows a man who must confront his childhood trauma hidden in a family heirloom and the aftershocks of a break-up. She said, “I wanted to challenge the boundaries of what it means to be masculine while exploring mental health.” She described the film as her love letter to loss and mentioned how deeply it represented her own grief of losing her mother unexpectedly at the end of Sindher’s senior year of high school. Sindher’s work seems to have many major recurring themes: resilience, unity and social change. Last April, Sindher was selected for a directing intensive on Criminal Minds Evolution. She was mentored by veteran episodic director, Bethany Rooney, who advised her on this hands-on experience. Sindher was able to collaborate with many of the production departments, learn new directing skills, and build on her creative stamina. Between film projects, Sindher has also directed stage plays, including An Evening Repast at the Morgan Wixson Theatre and most recently, Pyar Aur Coffee, which earned sold-out runs and heartfelt audience responses. After the final performance, she invited the audience to share personal reflections by writing love notes and placing them in a jar. “Afterward, my team and I sat together and read the notes for the first time it helped us understand how deeply the show resonated,” she said. “That’s who I am at my core: someone who thinks through the little things that elevate a creative project into a purposeful piece of art and an everlasting memory.” Sindher emphasized how working in theatre has shaped her approach to directing, especially in blocking, collaboration, and drawing out the best in actors.

The Future

Sindher is now focused on the feature version of FLIGHT 182, a finalist for the Sundance Cultural Impact Residency. She’s also writing a one-hour family drama and a hometown feature. Recently signed to direct a campaign with a South Asian music star, she remains committed to telling culturally rich stories, and mentoring the next generation along the way. Ultimately, Sindher is a director and leader who will continue to invest in projects that create change and pass the baton to those she’s working with. Finally, I asked if there was anyone she would like to thank for supporting her in this career. Sindher named her family, Harleen, cousin Kiran, childhood friends, CAPE and the UCLA community who have championed her passion from the start. She also credited veteran directors Bethany Rooney and Mary Lou Belli for encouraging her filmmaking journey during her time at the Directors Guild of America. And above all, she expressed deep gratitude to Archie Panjabi, executive producer of FLIGHT 182, for believing in both her and the story.