Akarsh Khurana appears as an actor in TVF’s latest web show Yeh Meri Family.
Akarsh Khurana is a man of many talents. While most of us know him as the director of films like Karwaan and High Jack, he has also written shows like TVF Tripling. Akarsh is currently winning fans for his portrayal of a father of three kids in TVF’s latest web show Yeh Meri Family. He, however, continues to call himself a ‘reluctant actor’.
“It’s not something that I usually look for. It’s just that some projects happen with friends and Sameer Saxena, the creator of Yeh Meri Family, is a good friend. I was reluctant at first, but when I read it, it was a lovely throwback to a far more innocent time. I really liked that environment, that setting,” Akarsh said in an exclusive chat with indianexpress.com.
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.
In TVF’s Yeh Meri Family, Akarsh Khurana and Mona Singh play parents to three kids.
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.
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.
Akarsh Khurana in a still from Yeh Meri Family.
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’s available online these days. For me, I never thought it was a risk because I knew this was a very well written story with phenomenally relatable characters. So I had faith. Sameer is a fabulous director and his sensibilities are something I trust implicitly.”
“Of course, people who are in their 25 to 30 and above will all be able to relate to it because it will feel like a flashback to their lives. But the question was will the younger generation, which makes a large chunk of the audience, connect as well? Quite honestly, that question has been answered as well. The relationship with the brother, the father or the mother, those things have not changed. I think your equations are the same. Your mother will never stop nagging you and your father will never stop asking more practical questions,” he added.
Akarsh Khurana along with the cast of Yeh Meri Family at the show’s launch.
So does that mean we’ll get to see more of Akarsh, the actor, in future? “Obviously, I enjoy being behind the camera rather than in front of it. But when I am acting then I completely go with what the director’s vision is. I think that when people take a chance on me and cast me, despite my reluctance, I know they are doing it for some reason that fits into their larger vision. So then it becomes essential for me to go with their cut because I don’t pretend to have some sort of skill set. I go with whatever is expected of me.”
Watch | Yeh Meri Family Official Trailer
Yeh Meri Family began streaming on TVF (The Viral Fever) app on July 12.
Akarsh is currently also gearing up for the release of his directorial Karwaan, which stars Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila Palkar. Karwaan releases on August 3.