World Theatre Day: ‘Theatre is my happy place’, says director Akarsh Khurana

Akarsh Khurana

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] through theatre. She's an actor and playwright, and a psychologist - she brings in a lot of new perspective. My brother [Adhaar Khurana], on the other hand, actually didn't want to do theatre. He wanted to become a forensic biologist but eventually, organically, was roped into acting roles. He really helped Akvarious; he brought the youth into our plays - not only in terms of audiences but in terms of content. A lot of urban and contemporary content came from Adhaar. I think they all influence things in a particular way. For example, Dilshad felt that there weren't enough good roles for women in the plays we were doing, hence ‘Dekh Behen', which is one of our biggest hits. I, being married to a psychologist, decided that my ninth children's play [‘What Planet Are You On?'] would be about ADD (attention deficit disorder). My mother likes to work with slightly emotional content. And, Dad of course, is quite a maverick. I had the courage to take on a play like ‘The Kite Runner' knowing that he would pull off the most critical figure of the father [Baba]. We tend to involve each other a lot in our individual work.

A scene from 'Dekh Behen'. This play is one of Akvarious's biggest hits

AR: During the lockdown, Akvarious has been performing live on social media. Recently, some of those works were performed at Prithvi Theatre. Do you think this synergy between physical and digital theatre has a long road ahead?

AK: I think we were not looking in that direction until we had to. Personally, I have always been very open to experimentation - we were one of the first theatre groups to start cineplays, even though most of them weren't immediately successful. Every idea has its time. Similarly, when the lockdown happened, more than creating content, we wanted to keep our actors occupied and keep audiences engaged during that time. I think a lot of great work came out of that. A lot of original pieces were created from people who hadn't written before. I realised that if we take that on the stage, re-design it a little bit, it could also work as an entertaining evening with pieces that had to do with the Covid-19 situation. Having said that, I don't know how successful online theatre has been. We did quite a few of our own plays during the lockdown, including ‘Timeloss', and there was the film version of ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles' that happened through Aadyam. I think people at least wanted to understand that there is this alternative space that can be explored - everything has its pros and cons, but it is a possibility. Initially, we would have considered it a peripheral possibility, but now it is a real thing. So, people are taking notice.

AR: In one of your interviews, you said Naseeruddin Shah gifted you a book, ‘Towards a Poor Theatre', and it was a life lesson for you. Why?

AK: The second play [‘They Shoot Horses Don't They'] that I directed under Akvarious, I ended up getting very ambitious. We were adapting a novel and a film for the stage. And, I don't think at that time we had the maturity or skill to do it in the right manner. As it happened, Naseeruddin Shah, or Naseer uncle as we know him, came for the show. It was a terrible show and we were almost booed off stage. But he watched right till the end and he said, "Come and see me". He gave me that book and it was a life lesson because it made me realise that you need to walk before you run. You have to get your basics right and then you can build stuff. Gimmicks aren't going to work till the play is strong.

AR. You are an actor, director and writer. Do these roles influence each other when you are juggling them together?

AK: When I do act, I land up submitting to the director because it is that person's vision. I try and purely be an actor, and not let my directorial mind take over. I think being an actor probably helped in direction because I understand what actors go through. I understand that there are ways to achieve something and therefore, my approach may be a bit more practical. The writer-director overlaps for sure. The good thing for me is that I like being all these things - it's not about getting used to just one. I enjoy directing the most; I don't think it complicates anything.

AR: In the past few years, you have worked for films, OTT platforms and of course the stage. Which medium makes you the most comfortable?

AK: Theatre is my happy place. It could be because I have been doing it for 20 years. I have been in the film industry since 2003. I think theatre is the place where I'm most comfortable and happy because it is a zone with actors, in which you're creating something. Also, it gives you an immediate response. The commitment to a film or an OTT show is so long, that even once you finish, between shooting and its release, so much work has to be done that gratification takes longer. In theatre, there is always an instant result. But what I love the most is actually working with actors to tell a story - and that is the same across mediums. That involvement and interaction is a constant; only the setting and budgets change, and the stakes are higher. But getting to tell stories is what makes me the happiest.

AR: You have adapted many literary works for the stage. Who is your favourite author and what are you reading currently?

AK: It is very hard to say who my favourite author is. I'm currently reading a book by one of my favourite authors - Nick Hornby's ‘State of the Union'. It is his only book, which I hadn't read. I am a big fan of his works, among other writers.

Akarsh Khurana adapted Khaled Hosseini's 'The Kite Runner' for stage. He cast his father Akash Khurana (in pic) in a pivotal role

AR: How did you navigate the lockdown?

AK: When the lockdown happened, I was about to get into the shooting of a film. The first month of the lockdown was very disorienting for me. The next few months, I kept myself occupied by going back to my writing, and there was no other distraction. I focussed on some unfinished projects. I also got to spend time on the script of my upcoming film, ‘Rashmi Rocket'. Then, before we knew it, the world had adapted to the lockdown and working remotely. The post-production of ‘Mismatched' also happened through the lockdown. So, I was working on editing, sound and dubbing. It eventually turned out to be a pretty busy lockdown for me.

AR: What were your original plans to celebrate two decades of Akvarious?

AK: We had a week-long festival at Prithvi Theatre when we turned 15. And I was quite certain I want to do something bigger for the 20th. We were talking to Prithvi and NCPA, and also had plans to perform at a couple of other cities - it was supposed to be a large-scale celebration. In the beginning of 2020, I even brought in another producer to help me. But then the lockdown happened and she took over Akvarious Live. We were very fortunate that in the last week of November, Prithvi re-opened. So while we did not get the week we had planned and all the events we had planned, we did a few shows - getting to perform after the lockdown was a celebration in itself. We were meant to open the sequel to ‘Dekh Behen', but all those plans went for a toss.

AR: The performing arts were one of the worst affected sectors during the pandemic. How do you think theatre can bounce back?

AK: We are under the threat of something which is quite dangerous. We need to see how successful the vaccinations will be. At this point, all I can say is that it is critical for performers to keep in touch with their art in whatever way they can, so that there is some sort of continuity to it. It is a very tough time, but little things are happening in the right direction and there is glimmer of hope. I don't know what the ‘normal' is anymore, but I think we need explore the unexplored opportunities that come our way. Hopefully, we will be back in full force soon.

Akvarious's play 'What Planet Are You On?' tackles the issue of ADD (Attention deficit disorder)

AR: What about open-air performance venues? Are they an option in Mumbai?

AK: There is a lot of talk about that as an option. I have performed in open-air theatres in Ahmedabad and venues in Kerala. There is an amphitheatre space in NCPA which has had performances, but right now they are taking strict precautions. Even the Prithvi Festival at one point was presented in an open-air format at the [Mahalaxmi] Racecourse. It is doable. There are venues, but it isn't popular perhaps because of the weather and the lack of logistics. We used to perform a lot at Horniman Circle, and I even performed in a garden during the Bandra Festival. I think we have all done it, but there is no regular outdoor venue.

AR: What's the road ahead for Akvarious?

AK: We are at an interesting cusp. There has been a pretty big pause in terms of new productions. There were a lot of plans - we were doing a collaboration with the NCPA, we were doing a new play for Aadyam, but those are on hold right now. We are still running existing productions. But a little bit of normalcy needs to return; all of us are itching to create something new. Right now, we are keeping ourselves busy with other work, but we have shows coming up in the second week of April at Prithvi Theatre. There are lot of projects in the pipeline; we just don't know which one will take off first.