Aahana Kumra seeks Union Health Minister's help for parents

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; July 5, 2022)

Aahana Kumra is beaming with enthusiasm as she welcomes us to her new abode in a suburban Mumbai high-rise. The actress who has been a part of the film industry for over a decade now tells us that she has always lived life on her own terms, even when it came to navigating through Bollywood’s tough terrain. The Lipstick Under My Burkha actress recently moved into her new home in Andheri, and the interiors of the home have been inspired by European architecture. And of course, her new pad has several happy and cozy corners for the actress to relax, unwind and enjoy a cuppa chai.

Showing us around ecstatically, while telling stories behind each vase, crockery and painting, she exclusively shares with us what the house means to her. “For me, a house should feel like a home not a hotel room. Ghar, ghar jaisa lagna chahiye. I am a huge fan of decluttered, simple houses. I love modern European decor and colours so that reflects here. Whenever I travelled to London or Paris, I would take pictures for reference and I have been doing this for years, even when I didn’t own a house. In 2002, I bought crockery for my future house and my mother neatly preserved it for 20 years (points towards the cupboard near the dining table). I have selected each tile, each lamp, art from places across the globe like London, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Srinagar. I manifested a house for 20 years and I finally have one,” says Aahana.

After a brief pause, Aahana adds, “My heart is full of gratitude. It isn’t easy for women to work on their own terms in the film industry or otherwise, but I have been able to do that. When I look back, I’ve never had to prove my worth, beg for work or compromise on my work ethics. I have always maintained a healthy work-life balance where I spend as much time at home as I do at work. What’s the point of building a house when you can’t stay at home!”

Having lived with family all along, Aahana admits that her new found independence comes at a price. “I now know my dhobiwala, plumber, carpenter, doodhwala. I have never had to deal with issues of the house. I have always been dependent on my parents, so now having to learn new things as I moved into my new home was quite empowering. I worked full-time even as the interiors was being done, so I know how difficult it is for single working women. I would love my parents to come and stay with me. All of us have a life of our own, so we aren’t intrusive and give each other space, but we also need each other,” she concludes.
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Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 5, 2022)

Actor Aahana S Kumra has been part of the entertainment industry for more than a decade and one thing that she swears by is not going by what critic reviews say about her or anyone else’s performance.

“I watch and decide for myself, and then [observe] what the audience says. Having said that, I feel one also has to be careful about what work you pick, how you want to resonate with your audience and how you want to be seen. My work has always been diverse. That’s interesting,” she says.

As for critic reviews, the actor maintains, “I don’t read too many [of them]. I feel if you cannot make a film, you cannot review. Everybody has an opinion, as simple as that. For instance, every food [variety] is different. If I like anything and you don’t, you will say you don’t like it. It’s simple analogy. A person who is reviewing, if they don’t like a certain scene and if it hasn’t resonated with them, it’s their opinion. There are so many films that I liked, but reviewers didn’t. Why should I force my review on you?”

Actors sometimes claim that movie reviews can get extreme, and seem like a personal attack rather than constructive criticism. Has Kumra, who was recently seen in the second season of the web show Avrodh, ever faced something like that? “I don’t think I am that famous that they personally attack me or have something against me,” says the Khuda Haafiz (2020) and Bawri Chhori (2021) actor, adding, “It has never happened. Reviewers like my work. It’s rare that I get bad reviews for my work.”