If you are an Artist, you have to be little fool.

I was born in a humble background. We were hugely impacted by the Mill’s strike in Mumbai during the 1980s. By the time I turned sixteen, we had changed eighteen homes due to our financial condition. Do you know what made it easier for me to adapt to the different locations during those years? Films! ‘Matlab aisa hai na ki agar tumhe movies me interest hai aur tum Mumbai me ho toh friends aaram se ban jate hai.’

All thanks to my father. Tab humare paas utne paise nahi hote the lekin papa was passionate about the theatre culture in Mumbai. Like there used to be outdoor theatre screenings on festivals or any special occasions. Papa mujhe cycle pe le jate the. So these experiences introduced me to the creative keeda inside me, and I started loving theatre.

Soon, I learned about a Swedish theatre company named Slava Theatre. Their work felt surreal, so I wanted to learn from them. I inquired about it with a mentor named Kefas. And he changed my life. We found a way, and in 2005, I went to Sweden with a one-way ticket and rupees twenty-five thousand in savings. Initially, the plan was to stay for one month, do the course and return to India. But how it stretched to ten years even I couldn’t realise. I got many opportunities to explore theatre across the different parts of Europe and other countries. Ab to aisa hai ki Theatre has become a lifestyle. So I live it every day. I’ve worked on numerous creative projects. Sometimes as an actor and other times as a director, producer or coach as well.

I’ve made an artist residency called ‘Fool’s Paradise’ to give back to the artists. You might think that ‘Ye kya murkhon ka paradise banaya hai’. But the truth is agar aap artist ho to aapko thoda murak to hona hi parta hai; otherwise, you might be doing something else. I hope you got the point! I believe artists reflect the environment, and performing artists teach us what to feel about our society. So, through Fool’s Paradise, I’ve tried to give them a platform to nurture their creativity.

Recently, my short film, 'Karm’, was released on Humara Movie. It’s about the conscience of a criminal. Through the movie, we’ve tried to take you to the psyche of a criminal and let you see the world from their lens. Isn’t it an interesting point of view? Do watch it. I’m sure you’ll love the concept.

We’re glad to partner with Humara Movie. They release a film every week. And we feature the story of someone behind the film. After all, everyone has a story.

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