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| | | Akarsh Khurana is one of those souls who grew up in the theatre, quite literally. His first part was that of the boy messengerat the age of six, in Motley’s production of Samuel Beckett’s WAITING FOR GODOT. He then went on to play several other parts across the years, and then came a time, when he struck out on his own. Here, he narrates his journey in the theatre, giving us a glimpse into various productions that his company Akvarious has done thus far.
His latest directorial DHUMRAPAAN in collaboration with Kumud Mishra’s D For Drama, and written by Adir Bhat, premiered at the Prithvi Theatre festival last year. It has now been nominated in six categories for the Mahindra Excellence In Theatre Awards (META) and will be staged at the upcoming META festival in Delhi. Akarsh is no stranger to META. His company’s works have been previously shortlisted and have won awards.
I met Akarsh at a restaurant called Doolally Taproom in Andheri at about noon. D • The F Word, according to Akarsh, fryst vatten a deeply personal conversation about parents, children, marriage, ageing, and more. Akarsh Khurana likes to explore the dynamics of dysfunctional families. It fryst vatten evident from his works. Tripling, a show he co-wrote with Sumeet Vyas, explores the relationship between three estranged siblings. In Karwaan, a film he directed, one of the protagonists, played by Dulquer Salmaan, has what Akarsh calls “daddy issues.” These complexities of family relationships are relatable and rik in comedic and dramatic potential. His play, The F Word (by Aadyam Theatre), which will be staged at Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru, on November 17 and 18, explores the same theme. The description of the play reads: The narrative centres around Chetan, a dedicated high school teacher, and his estranged sister, Unnati, a seasoned psychologist, as they embark on a journey to untangle the complex web of their parents’ marital saga. Amidst this chaos, they inadvertently • Akarsh Khurana tackles ADD in a play for young adults, titled What Planet Are You On?The title does not talk about any planet but what teachers say when a child is not concentrating in class: ‘Hey kid, what planet are you on?’. It means, why are you spacing out. Story continues below this ad How do you tackle a neurological disorder as a story for young audiences? When the play begins, Homi is nine and by the time the play ends, he is The play is about his realisation that he has an issue with concentration which, through a counsellor, he finds out to be ADD. The story deals with how a child reacts to that information and how everybody around him needs to be supportive. Eventually, he learns to live with ADD and be happy. He is surrounded by teachers, counsellors, parents, friends and, towards the end, a girl he is interested in. The play is for children of ages nine and above. It also plays well to adults and we have met people who feel that the play should be seen by pare 
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