Made in Chandigarh: I come home for my friends, family and mom’s food, says Aparshakti Khurana

Actor Aparshakti says he can handle roles of small-town characters with ease because he grew up in Chandigarh

Work

An actor, radio jockey and television host, Aparshakti Khurana has worked in various Hindi films, including Dangal, Badrinath ki Dulhania, Luka Chupi and Stree. He has also hosted shows such as You Have Been Warned on Discovery Channel India and a lot of cricket shows on Star Sports.

Hometown

Chandigarh

Family

He is married to Aakriti Ahuja. The two met at choreographer Shiamak Davar’s dance classes in Chandigarh. His mother Poonam, a post- graduate in Hindi, is a homemaker. His father P Khurrana is one of the top astrologers of the region and elder brother Ayushmann Khurrana is an actor. Annie and Fairy, his cousins, are a part of his family and very close to him.

Education

Khurana studied at Hansraj Public School, Panchkula, later completing a five-year law course from an institute in the region. He feels “immense gratitude” for Rajni Thareja, former principal of the school, for helping him get in touch with his creativity early on in life.

My area of expertise

I am best at cracking bad jokes (laughs). My areas of expertise are acting, comedy, radio jockeying.

My secret sauce

•Constant reality checks. You should know where you stand. Apart from being talented, it is important to be present at the right place and at the right time.

•Staying contented. I have always been happy and contented with whatever I do.

•I give the credit of my success to my wife Aakriti who keeps me going in life and inspires me in various ways.

The mantra of success in acting

In acting, one should look at the film in totality. Improvisations should only be made keeping in mind the limits of a character. Always believe in team work.

The turning point

A lot of people think it was Dangal, but for me, the shift from law to radio was a turning point.

What I owe to Chandigarh

The city has given me a high tempo attitude towards life. I want to give back to my city all that I have learnt through my journey, especially creative arts – more so in radio and theatre. As I am from Chandigarh, it helps me pull off roles of small town characters with ease.

Things I like to do when I visit Chandigarh

I come home for FFF - friends, family and food. Getting home-made food cooked by mom is a blessing. I feel I inherit my creativity through the food she cooks for me. Her pinnis (sweets made with wheat flour) are the best. I love eating out in the city too. Chocolate gateau at Monica’s, tandoori chicken at Pappa Ji Dhaba in Phase-7, Mohali, and Amritsari kulcha in Sector-9, are my go to eating joints.

How has the city changed over the years?

While the essence of Chandigarh still remains the same, there is much change witnessed in the education sector with the opening of many new business schools in the city. Also, the dining culture here has completely transformed, with takeaway outlets springing up across the city.

The change I would want to see in the city

Chandigarh has conventionally been a business driven city, it needs more job creation and growth in the tertiary sector. This will enable our youth to work and prosper here as opposed to going to metro cities in search of jobs. The foundation of this is also world class education; we need more such colleges in the city to prepare youngsters accordingly. The Indian School of Business in the city has set a good precedent and I hope more follow suit. The backbone of all of this is infrastructure and what would really help is better connectivity to Chandigarh, especially air connections.

The best advice I’ve ever got

The best advice came from my wife who suggested that I shift to Mumbai.

My advice to youngsters in my field

Watch a lot of world cinema and start doing theatre early in your school days. It will not only make you a better actor but will also make you more confident and aware.