Akarsh khurana biography sample paper

If you were an animal, which one would you be? This question is an age-old trope used by corporate companies to size up fresh-out-of-business-school youngsters during interviews. In 2010, theatre company Akvarious Productions recreated this all-too-familiar scenario in a smart production called The Interview. In the play, the protagonist nervously opts for a safe option—the tiger. “Why? Do you see yourself as extinct?” shoots back the grumpy boss. The eager-to-please youngster then feebly offers, “A panda?” As the interview moves forward, the questions get progressively bizarre and hilarious. The dark comedy goes all out in mocking the inanity of corporate work culture—brain teasers being thrown at you during interviews, confusing corporate jargon and unhealthy office politics. These situations resonate with young theatre-goers. For them, this is art imitating life.

The Interview ran for 100 shows in over 16 cities from New York to Hisar (in Haryana). Its unprecedented success helped its makers, Akvarious Productions, define their signature style: Original, contemporary and, importantly, relatable. By extension, they became instrumental in drafting younger audiences to theatre.

The men behind the company are the Khuranas, or the three AKs in Akvarious: Senior thespian Akash Khurana (64), his elder son Akarsh (36) and younger son Adhaar (28), all of whom write, direct and act. The group was started by Akarsh while performing for Thespo, a festival that gives young theatre artistes a platform to showcase their work. The Khuranas have made an invaluable contribution to Indian theatre. Last December, their unusual family business hit the 15-year and 50 productions milestones, with 22 of the productions c

Akvarious, one of Mumbai’s popular theatre groups, recently turned 20. The founder talks about the journey so far, navigating the lockdown, and the road ahead

Akvarious’s two-decade relationship with theatre began in December 2000. Since then, the theatre group has grown by leaps and bounds. From adapting literary gems like Khaled Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner’, to staging the immensely popular play ‘Dekh Behen’ (with an all-woman cast and crew), it has been quite an eventual journey, says founder Akarsh Khurana. 

Even during the Covid-19 lockdown, Akvarious kept audiences engaged with online performances via their Instagram page, Khurana tells Mid-day.com in a free-wheeling chat. 

Excerpts from the interview:

AR: It’s been 20 years since you started Akvarious. Looking back, how would you describe your journey?

AK: Twenty years is a long time, but it doesn’t really feel like that. We were so young and started so long ago, and I almost don’t remember the early years. But I also feel like everything happened very fast. Honestly, I don’t think we had a concrete plan when we started. We were doing something we liked, and before we knew it, we had completed 10 years. And 20 [years] happened quite organically; it just felt like one thing led to another in an almost casual manner. 

AR: The Khuranas are a family of performers. Tell us how your family influences your work.

AK: They influence my work in very different ways. My father [actor-director Akash Khurana] had done theatre for so many years, and this was one of the reasons why I was interested in theatre. He exposed me to the world and I found it very appealing. My mother [Meera Khurana], who also directs and acts, was always involved when my father was doing plays – she would do the costumes and handle production, so it felt very natural. I also met my wife [Dilshad Edibam] t

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The show also stars Mona Singh as Akarsh’s onscreen wife. “It is a great opportunity to work with Mona. I kind of knew her socially but I had never worked with her, so that part was an amazing experience,” he said about teaming up with Mona.

Set in the 90s, Yeh Meri Family is the story about a family and its daily shenanigans. From the direction to dialogues and casting, every nuance about the show has been carefully set to suit the era, giving it a very nostalgic and innocent feel.

Also read | Yeh Meri Family actor Mona Singh: Enjoyed playing a mother because you miss such real characters on TV

Akarsh, who reveals he isn’t a dad in real life, further shared how it was to do a show set in a different time. “It is set in a pre-mobile era where your distractions were a lot less. And because of the lack of technological advancements, it felt that the time went a lot faster. Family was more important. It was your universe and people are responding so well to the show because it is a throwback to a time when you sat at the table and had a meal together. You discussed problems with family and everyone was really invested in each other’s lives,” the actor said.

Amid the typical saas-bahu sagas on television and the web content becoming bolder and unfiltered by the day, was it a challenge to bring such a show that is set in a non-complicated time frame? Akarsh responded, “Considering the trend on the web right now, this would have been an experiment in itself. Because this is not the norm and that’s why it is so different from what’