Aparshakti Khurana, as an actor and musician and the younger sibling of famous actor, Ayushmann Khurrana – dons diverse hats at work. He recently launched his new album – ‘Sohna Mukhda’, and is the voice behind songs such as ‘Kudiye Ni’ and ‘Teri Yaari’, and has starred in various movies.
Merging boundaries – creativity & social media, and Trends
Expressing his views at an event, about creating creative boundaries and the role of social media and the Insta’s and Facebook’s of the world, he says, “Instagram is a strong medium, and the social media is a strong currency in today’s time – not only for us as artists but also for brands and everyone else. Everybody needs to be on social media to showcase their work.”
There is a constant shift in the consumers' perspective regarding the trends defining the future in the entertainment industry, wherein they not only want entertainment but want it on various platforms and in different formats. “Whatever the KRA, whether for brands or us as artists, we need to be careful about what we’re putting out on the social media.
For instance, when I wrote ‘Sona Mukhda’ – the writing and composition and the thought that goes into the songs, it matters what is communicated to the audience. There are so many times when the audience cannot resonate with the content. We have artists that can put out good music. It’s for the audience to appreciate the right kind of content,” Khurana articulates.
Artists & the Audience
There is a democratisation of arts, artists, regional art, and new and fresh art in India and across the globe. Artists gain by being on the right platform and vice versa – being digital first – there is a win-win situation for both at the end of it. “The platform, writer and director and then me – I’m the fourth person in order when it is about contributing to a project. We are going the right way in terms of content, there is no way there is a U-turn for this,” he tells.
When linking numbers of measurement to the success of content, is it right to put metrics to all of this? Khurana comprehends, “The brands and agencies putting out numbers – they give us numbers for what is working in terms of popularity and audience choices depending on the content that they resonate with. For me, the simplest and most significant barometer is the audience’s reaction.”
Trends in the movie industry such as making sequels, do they work? “It gets stressful to follow such trends. Sometimes it is good to follow trends which matter – but it is about conviction. Talking about using these techniques for brand building – it is about working together and hand-in-hand, not alone because it is about teamwork to make a project successful,” he opines.
It is an era of multitasking. “Versatility – from me being an artist today, I have already learnt how to cut fabric – my father was fond of wearing good clothes; also farming – these activities are something which I want to probably consider doing at some point of time in my life,” Khurana understands.
Talking about his stardom on social media, he explains that he considers himself an artist: " It is not about being a star on social media—it has got more to do with my work and KRA.”
Khurana remains unfazed by trolling and negative comments on social media: “I am not emotionally connected to my work. I don’t feel bad when people speak ill about my work on social media—I just move on to creating the next thing that I want to. I am quite detached by people’s opinions about my work.”
Emerging Talent & Content
Stating about stars on social media becoming stars on screen, he understands that some of them don’t know how to act. “Quite understandably, not every actor knows how to create content, and every content creator is not an expert in acting. But it’s unprecedented the way content creators have created this field and directors, musicians, and even fellow artists want to collaborate with them.”
Diversifying into various streams – from creating music to anchoring and hosting, there are so many things to do. “These are interrelated. Sometimes writing the script and even directing it – that’s what a lot of people in this industry have done, including delivering your thoughts not in an hour, but in a few minutes. It opens the creative juices in you – it’s about how you would want to sustain yourself and your talent, and channel it in the right direction,” he believes.
With the changing appetite of the consumer in terms of consuming content, there is an edginess in content, “The audience is becoming intelligent. They are sure what they want to read and listen to and what they don’t want to. Most commercial movies in the 90’s. the audiences did not give writers that kind of push and desirability for that kind of content. But the audience has become very discerning over a period of time.”
Unafraid by AI
Talking about creative boundaries and technological boundaries, and explaining whether he is scared of AI, Khurana says, “Change is the only constant. Embracing the utilisation of AI is about moving forward. An actor in Lucknow cannot say that he won’t go to Mumbai – Mumbai is where the acting industry is. A musician cannot and should not refrain from putting his music on Instagram – it will help him augment and promote his talent as a purist, allowing it to reach different parts of the globe, which is a positive thing. When half-baked things are doing well on social media, then a dedicated artist is sure to benefit immensely by implementing such technological innovations.
There would be a time when people would want to switch to an organic life – with a reduction of mobile phone usage, wearing simpler clothes and leading a simple life - if and whenever they think it would be appropriate to do that.”
He is very clear in mentioning that he doesn’t use AI to create his music. Talking about enacting an AI script, Khurana talks about his film on Netflix – Ctrl (Control). “The voice of AI in that movie is me – I am the voice of AI in it.”
About making a choice between movies and music, he says that he doesn’t think or plan too much – whatever opportunities he comes across, he chooses to do those.
On a concluding note, he mentions, that for a biopic – to act in it, he would have thought of Yograj Singh (the cricketer) till a week ago. “But then I saw his interview and I changed my mind. I think I would choose anyone else – an actor who would be full of energy.”
