Tahira Kashyap Khurrana, whose directorial debut plan was hit by the lockdown, is spinning tales around it
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 19, 2020)

When not baking, painting or helping the kids with homework, Ayushmann Khurrana’s author-wife, Tahira Kashyap goes back to writing, inspired by the humdrum of daily life. Currently, she is penning “simple stories set in complex times” that revolve around the Coronavirus lockdown.

Domestic Virus, the 11th story in the series, is from both, the victim and the perpetrator’s perspectives and Tahira says she likes to write about hopeful things. “To be hopeless in a hopeful situation or to cling on to hope despite unfavourable circumstances is a decision that, like this story’s characters, all of us face in real life,” she adds.

Having worked on two short films, Tahira puts her camera-handling skills to use by narrating the stories for the social media. “I shut the door, place my phone on a tissue box as I don’t have a tripod stand yet, and record myself,” she relays.

Tahira also connects with her audience using elaborate gestures and facial expressions. Is acting the way forward? “I have done 10-15 years of theatre, but that doesn’t qualify me to be an actor. My histrionics in the video are from a storytelling perspective,” she insists. Meanwhile, she’s working on a feature film which was also scripted by her and has two other scripts, which she was approached to direct. “As soon as the lockdown is lifted, we’ll start work on the film,” she asserts.

Tahira and Ayushmann often get together to write but a collaboration is not on the cards. “We don’t meddle with each other’s style. Both of us have a distinct voice in writing, so we don’t even compete. Only when one of us slacks, does the other try to motivate,” she signs off.