Known for his beguiling screen presence and superlative acting, AparshaktiKhurana isn’t like any other actor you’ve met or watched on screen. Down to earth and full of joie de vivre, this human dynamo is so warm and humble that talking to him feels more like catching up with a long lost friend than interviewing a Bollywood actor. Aparshakti comes across exactly as the warm, charming guy as most of the characters he’s played, and the more you talk to him the more you realize why the audience is enthralled by him. Gushing over his wife and giving all the credit for the choices he has made to his upbringing, he is clearly a family man at heart.
With hits like Dangal, Stree, Luka Chuppi, and PatiPatniaurWoh, a former career as a RJ and an anthology called Kanpuriye under his belt, you can describeKhurana as the master of all mediums. Talking about his journey in an exclusive interview with the Delhiites magazine, Aparshakti spills the proverbial beans
Q – We love how your Instagram bio says RJ-ing, hosting, acting, singing, writing, composing, this thing, that thing, so what’s the next thing on your mind?
“Next thing on my mind would be kickboxing, and after that, I want to do bungee jumping, sky diving. Although, I have done that before now I want to do it in a more professional way. I have a really close friend in Chandigarh who plans to be an instructor for sky diving, and I am very fascinated by the idea. I always want to try all the things that people around me are doing.”
Photographer: @ajay.s_photography | HMU: @glitterglambyavantika
Q – A quick glance at your Instagram revealed that you took a short vacation with your wife in Himachal, how was it getting away from the city?
” At the end of the day it’s about fresh air, the greenery around and empty roads like the ones in the countryside. Himachal does that for you. Especially for people like us who don’t have the liberty to take a drive and reach the hills. We happened to be in Chandigarh and the entire family came down and stayed there for a couple of days, I personally feel it’s really important to geographically change your location to have a new mindset every few weeks when you are at home. Obviously we are dealing with Covid-19, so you have go to a place where you can step out, relax, take walks and do your thing but still be safe.”
Q – We’ve seen adorable videos of you, and your father together, humming Kishore Kumar songs with Ayushmann on Father’s Day.
“It’s amazing to do things we used to as kids, or when we were in school; we’ve grown up dancing and singing with our father and we have loved every second of it. We used to all play musical instruments and jam together. This year, we got to do that again. My father has a creative side to him, especially on the music front. He used to sing in college, was on the bhangra team and also has a law degree just like I do.”
Q – Is your father being a professional astrologer (who also writes the astrology column for Delhiites*) something that has impacted your life in a significant way?
Laughs. “It is, as kids we used to think that our father knew about everything that was happening around us but then as we grew up, we realized that ethically, he’s not allowed to practice astrology on his family and he never did that but I really believe, that he’s very mature and extremely wise as a person, understanding human nature and the follies of it very well. I say that because when you’re reading multiple horoscopes in a day and you’re only reading people’s failures, you realize where people are going wrong. Hence, I believe that subconsciously, as a father, he has taught us such valuable life lessons that have stayed with us and guided us throughout. All of the decisions that I or my brother has taken in the last few years have really worked out for us and the credit for that goes to our father.”
Q – You started off as a cricketer, So was Cricket the big dream or did you secretly yearn to become an actor?
“Cricket was always the big dream. Even today I function like a sportsperson. It becomes your way of life. I go to a film set thinking that I am a part of a sports team, my co-actors are my team member and we are on the ground. If I talk about Stree, I feel Rajkumar Rao is at the pointers, I am at the covers and I have to make sure that I don’t disturb his catch. I’ll catch the ball when it’s hit in my direction. What I’m trying to stay is I stick to the script and my character. I have to improvise only when I need to dive to catch my ball, not when the ball is in someone else’s direction. It helps avoid comparisons and insecurities amongst the cast members. And that’s what teamwork teaches you. That’s the main thing which has kept me in good health, physical and mental.”
Photographer: @ajay.s_photography | HMU: @glitterglambyavantika
Q – After your cricket days, you went and got yourself a degree in law and worked in the High Court. What was that like?
“I have really close Lawyer friends, some of whom I have studied with, some are family friends and watching them work I can safely say that there is a different kind of creativity, focus and passion that’s required for the profession, and I didn’t have that in me. I was a misfit. My creative streak has always leaned towards the performing arts which I realized later in life. I had to follow a strict protocol that didn’t allow me to be the flexible and vibrant person that I am. I was not a happy soul during those days because I was dissatisfied. I found that happiness at a Radio station and that was the turning point of my life.”
Q – You were also an RJ for Big FM in Delhi. Was it because of anyone RJ that you used to follow and decided to pursue it?
“I used to listen to Naved all the time, he is undoubtedly a legend. I have always been a Naved and Mantra fan and still am today. I used to record their show on cassettes and listen to them on repeat to try understand the format. I used to dissect them to understand how they have constructed the show. Before cracking the audition for Big FM, this was my way of preparing. Those were my learning days. Radio taught me how to multitask. My creative rise started from that platform and I owe my career to it.”
Q – You have been happily married for six years. Where did you meet your wife for the first time?
“I met my wife Aakriti during a dance class in Chandigarh and we never knew that we’ll end up dating after all these years. We celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary recently and it still doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. Things started to fall in place in my life after the day I got married, I started receiving recognition for my work. I had heard of lady luck as a concept but I actually experienced a sea change in my life after getting married and I attribute it to her.”
Blue Suit: @motifbyudhaymahajan | White Shirt: @motifbyudhaymahajan | Sunglasses: Dior from @kapooropticalco | Photographer: @ajay.s_photography | HMU: @glitterglambyavantika
Q – Dangal happened in 2016 and was a huge success. What happens after your first film earns more than 300 crores on the box office?
“300 crores happened because it was an Amir Khan film. That’s a little reality check which I have in place for myself. That film did put me on the map because of its success. But it also brought in the feeling of “what’s next”. Thankfully, people seem to recognize me from the last role that I did in PatiPatniaurWohand before that they recognized me from Luka Chuppi, and Stree. So somewhere I have managed to keep myself relevant which is very difficult in our profession. The credit goes solely to the audience because I didn’t plan this, the right thing happened for me at the right time.”
Q – You have a best friend vibe to your personality. Was there a fear of being type-caste when you were starting out in the industry?
“I don’t believe in the word, type-caste. There’s either good work or bad work. I have done nine comedy films back to back and I feel that they’ve all been good films. So, it’s all about the quality of your work and its relevance at the end of the day. The best friend vibe people seem to associate me with is probably because I am a good friend to people in real life, I would take a bullet for them. That’s the main reason I can do such roles on screen. I remember when a fan once told me at an airport “Sir apnena hero ke best friend koizzatdedihai.” I was on cloud nineafter he told me that and I couldn’t sleep that night.”
Q – After Dangal you did Badrinaath, Stree, Luka Chuppi, PatiPatniaurWoh – which were all successes- is there a magic touch to picking the right scripts that you have?
“I have a very different way of approaching a script than my brother. I never think about my role, or the length of it when I read a script. I only think about the world that the script has created and if I want to be a part of that world. The length of the role has never been a major concern of mine, it’s important to be a part of good storylines.”
Q – You are committed to a very demanding career, how do you maintain a healthy work-life balance?
“I am multi-tasker, always busy doing something. That’s my way of life. I have tried to do meditation in the morning or just do one thing at a time but doing that affects my energy level. Everyone has their way of doing things. I believe, especially given the fast paced nature of the times we live in, it’s important to multi-task. This ability has been engrained in me since my radio days where we would do all the scripting, market research and host the shows every day. ”
Q – What is the secret behind your signature hairstyle?
“They have a life of their own. Laughs. One thing that I have learned during this lockdown is how to style my hair in less than 5 minutes. Prior to this it used to take me a minimum of 30 minutes and assistance, but not anymore. As kids, my brother and I were not allowed to shorten our hair because my father is a huge Dilip Kumar fan. Once, my father, my brother and I were out to pick up our food order and the owner of the restaurant looked at me and told my father that I resemble Dilip Kumar. My father was so happy, his eyes were twinkling and when we came back home, he told my grandmother about it and she was so elated, she gave me Rs. 501 as shagun. Back then I couldn’t understand that emotion but now I do and these are the memories I remember so fondly.”
Blue sweater- @bunn-na | Photographer- @ajay.s_photography | Make-up: @glitterglambyavantika
Q – What’s your favorite part of being on the set of a movie?
“The best part of doing movies and being on a set is that you get to play something you are not. You get to play a new character every three months, play different roles that are poles apart from your real life. It’s a very different sort of thrill that you are not waking up as Aparshakti, you are waking up as a brand new character. It keeps life from getting monotonous and you look forward to the events that will happen to you that day as your character.”
Blue Suit: @motifbyudhaymahajan | White Shirt: @motifbyudhaymahajan | Sunglasses: Dior from @kapooropticalco | Photographer: @ajay.s_photography | HMU: @glitterglambyavantika
Q -What’s your favorite song at the moment?
” Yaar Mod Do by MilindGaba and Guru Randhawa
BaateinKaro by Vayu”
Q-What would you want your last meal to be?
“Dal Makhani and PaneerLababdar.”
Q -What’s your ideal Sunday like?
“Play a sport, Brunch with my wife, have a relaxing spa in the evening, and retire to bed early.”
Q -What’s your favorite food joint in Delhi?
“Dal Makhani and Fish Pomfret at Bukhara, ITC Maurya, Tandoori Chicken at Kake Da Dhaba, CholeBhature at Sita Ram Diwan Chand, The Potbelly Rooftop Café and Momos from Brown Sugar.”
Q -One thing you love about the cities you’ve lived in?
- Chandigarh: FAMILY
- Delhi: FOOD
- Mumbai: WORK
Q -Who has been your favorite co-star till date?
“It’s a tough call between Varun Dhawan and Rajkumar Rao who are both amazing. Apart from that Kriti Sanon in Luka Chuppi and BhoomiPednekar in PatiPatniaurWoh. “
Q -An actor you’d love to work with in the future?
”Ranbir Kapoor”
Q -A leading lady you’d like to romance on-screen?
“Neena Gupta Ji”
Q -A director you’ve always wanted to work with?
“VasanBala”
