Diving into the realm of nostalgia, Akarsh Khurana gears up to present his latest theatrical production in Bengaluru

Time, while it has a special place in science, plays a crucial role in the matter of our own lives. Nostalgia and time often go hand in hand. This Time, a play by Akvarious Productions, directed by Akarsh Khurana, takes us through the stories of the past and the present through a college reunion with an undertone of comedy and nostalgia. In conversation with the director, Akarsh Khurana, we get more insight into the play.

Tell us about This Time?

The play is set at a college reunion. Of course, there’s a lot of nostalgia. I wanted to do it for a very long time, but I did not find the right kind of take on it till a friend of mine was researching a project on the concept of time. He sent me his research papers to look through and there were some very wonderful stories in there. From that, the idea came where two people were meeting each other after a long time. The man is a futurologist and the girl is a museum curator, so she is obsessed with the past. So, time becomes a very essential element in their relationship.

How did you create a blend of comedy mixed with nostalgia?

The protagonists are quite serious about their own issues, but the characters that they keep running into are quite colourful and vibrant. We had realised back in the day when we did the plays that the message we wish to put across should be done forcefully but in a light-hearted way where they enjoy it but take something from it as well.

What were your inspirations behind making the production?

Some inspiration comes from how life takes you in these different directions and there are some really strong bonds that you had formed in the past and maybe you would meet them again, which will make you think of simpler times. So, this is a deep dive into nostalgia and the pros and cons of it. I watched a film called The Big Chill, which is a very special film. There is another film called Peggy Sue Got Married, which is lovely. And there is this lovely Tamil film called 96. These were some of my inspirations.

How did you cast the play?

There are six actors in the play and two of them play the protagonist, Adhaar Khurana and Mallika Singh. For their part, I needed people who would not get lost in the comedy of it because they were serious. For the other four, there were two things. One, I needed people who were uninhibited and willing to push through and go crazy with their paths but at the same time had enough skill to play at least three different characters.

Being a director for so long, would you say your process has changed over time?

In terms of direction what I enjoy the most is getting actors into a room and getting them to tell the story. I try to hold on to that basic thing because it’s what I enjoy the most. I think that what has evolved over time, perhaps, is that I have begun to trust the process a lot more.

What are your upcoming projects?

For now, we have got a bunch of shows lined up in May, June and July. We have already got our calendar worked out till the end of July. So, we are travelling and doing shows in Bengaluru, Goa, Pune and Delhi in the next couple of months and lots of shows in Mumbai as well. For now, we are performing the plays that we opened last year.

INR 200 onwards. May 10, 3.30 and 7.30 pm. At Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar.

Written by: Shambhavi Ranjan

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