BENGALURU: Ira Khan does not consider herself a perfectionist like her father, Aamir Khan. The Bollywood superstar’s daughter is making her theatre directorial debut with the play, Medea, a Greek tragedy by Euripides that was first performed in 431 BC. After a successful show in Mumbai, Khan’s play will be performed at Ranga Shankara on Dec 22. There are a lot of firsts for Khan in store through this play. Apart from being her directorial debut, this would mark her maiden visit to Bengaluru too. “I am so excited about this visit,” she tells CE. “Being in theatre for sometime now, I have heard about Ranga Shankara so much, and also about the city, that I can’t wait for the weekend,” she says.
Khan, 22, has been active in the theatre scene since her school days, and got the idea to recreate a classic while she was working backstage for Faezeh Jalali’s play, Shikhandi. “The story is not a secret at all since it was written thousands of years ago. I have not contemporised the play, but neither has it been set in ancient Greek era. It could be set in any time period and has been recreated in a very intimate way,” says Khan, who studied theatre in the Netherlands. The play is produced by actor Sarika’s production house Nautankisa, and Hazel Keech plays the title role.
Sitting on the director’s seat could be fun, but the young director calls herself a “control freak” who has over time learnt to relax with the whole process. “I got lucky with my team, and everyone was very accommodative of me. In any situation, I would try and sort out an issue my way, but if it does not work, then I find what’s not working out, and will not do it again,” says Khan, who ultimately wants to join Bollywood. Coming from a family which has been into movie business for a long time does have its advantages, she says. “The advices are not in your face, but I guess since I have spent all my life with them, I have picked up thing subconsciously,” Khan admits, adding, “I want to be sure of myself and my work before I start any project with my dad, because he is really well-read. So, when I reach there, I would think about directing him.”
Khan loves watching all kind of movies, except for horror, and has learnt a lot through it. But since the play started, she has not been able to find time to watch movies and swears to get back to it once the play is over. One of the series that she is looking forward to binge-watch is the British crime series, Peaky Blinders.Medea will be performed at Ranga Shankara on December 22, 3:30pm and 7:30pm.
