Actor Aahana Kumra on what acting means to her: I should be able to face the generations to come

Aahana Kumra, you may remember her from Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016), started her career with acting on stage at the age of 14. And she continues to do theatre.

But being an actor means different things for different people. Some people want to have big houses, Aahana says in a candid chat with City Times, and others live the craft with all honesty.

"And people like us," she continued, "who do a lot of independent cinema, we tell very different stories from most commercial cinemas."

So, for Aahana, acting has always been about telling the story that she will be proud of. "I should be able to face generations to come, look them in the eye and say 'this is what I left for you,'" she said. "This is what I believe in, and I hope to do something right, to touch a chord somewhere because I feel cinema has a very different meaning in today's time, at least that's how I see it in my country."

"Having said that, I would love to have something that I am really proud of," she added.

Notably, Aahana was in the UAE after 10 years. We further discussed her thoughts on the impact Bollywood has here, the recently concluded IIFA, and some of her exciting projects. Excerpts from the interview:

You're back in the UAE after 10 years. How different is it now?

It is absolutely fine, but I'm so surprised at seeing so many new high rises and so much more infrastructure. And the city really has changed, you know, and it's fun to be here. And of course, as Dubai has a thriving nightlife, my nights have been very hectic.

You were also at IIFA recently. The two days were filled with chaos as well as love for Bollywood. What was it like witnessing all the love in another country?

It was really nice because it's wonderful to be able to go to another country and realize that your cinema has really no boundaries; people are watching your work despite the fact that you are working in the Hindi film industry, but people across the globe also watch your work and appreciate it. And it was nice to be able to meet a lot of colleagues from back in Bombay because we're all in such hectic schedules, we don't get to meet each other. So this is that one stop shop where you meet all your producer friends, director friends, and actor friends. And most of these award ceremonies are chaotic because there's so much happening in the day.

Bollywood culture has grown massively in the region...

Well, I have to give it to IIFA for organizing the event in Abu Dhabi and, of course, Abu Dhabi for having that big Etihad Arena housing about two lakh people or maybe more. I don't know how many people were there in that arena that night because when I turned back from my seat, I saw there was not a single seat vacant. And it was lovely knowing that people have really come from far and wide, I know people travelled from Israel and so many other places to come and watch the IIFA. So it was really nice to be able to see such a huge mix of people come together and celebrate Indian cinema.

What was your favourite performance from the Bollywood extravaganza?

I loved what Nora (Fatehi) and Varun (Dhawan) did. That was really fun. I love watching Nora, she's really like a firecracker on stage.

You've got some exciting projects lined up. Tell us more about it.

Well, the exciting thing is that I'm writing and developing my own scripts, and I've got a series and a show going. And, if everything goes well, I hopefully should be able to have my own project on floor very soon.

Lastly, what's your favourite thing to do in the UAE?

I love the amount of cuisines I'm getting to eat here; there's so much food here. I went to Atlantis recently with my friends and saw the aquarium. I think there's so much for everybody out here if you want it.

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