In Lionsgate Play’s latest offering Feels Like Home, Mihir Ahuja plays Akhil Gandhi, a boy from Ghana who shifts into a Mumbai home with three other boys. He dreams of becoming a cricketer, just the way Ahuja always dreamt of becoming an actor. Last seen in Dhaakad in a negative role, the performer is gung-ho about his new projects, including Zoya Akhtar’s much-talked-about Archies movie. Edited excerpts from a conversation:
What appealed to you about 'Feels Like Home'?
The show is not just about parties, drinking and people enjoying adulthood. It’s a lot more. You are looked upon as an adult by society and there are responsibilities on your shoulders once you reach a certain age, but you also have your passions and your dreams. You get to see the boys when they are vulnerable. At one level, it’s about making a house a home which is what these boys do by staying together and staying with each other through thick and thin.
Your character Akhil Gandhi is a budding cricketer. Are you a cricket enthusiast in real life?
I used to play cricket during my school days but sports took a backseat once I got interested in extracurricular activities such as dancing and acting. However, I am a cricket enthusiast and I watched the IPL this year as well.
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There have been a lot of shows and movies on bromance, but not all of them work. What do you think works for this show?
The audience will relate to these guys, especially when they are not trying to be someone else and are in their vulnerable state. The show is a rollercoaster of emotions. You will get the feeling that you know people like them. All the characters come from different backgrounds and they are so different from each other as personalities. How they come together and make this house a home is what the show is about.
Akhil shifts from Ghana to Mumbai and you shifted from Jamshedpur to Mumbai. Did that make it easier for you to relate to your character?
Yes, I completed my schooling from Jamshedpur. I always wanted to become an actor, so I shifted to Mumbai in 2017 to pursue acting. I was studying commerce in a college in town and every evening, I would catch the train and go to Andheri for auditions. Just the way I am inclined towards the performing arts, Akhil is passionate about cricket. That’s how I related to it. He has his net practice and I have my auditions. Both of them are in pursuit of their passions and dreams.
You are 24 now and already have a couple of acting projects under your belt. What do you think is the best part of being a young actor today?
It is definitely a great time... I came here when I was 19-years-old, started auditioning when I was 20 and got my first project when I was 21. Sometimes I think I still came very late but I have no regrets. What if I had not received the same opportunities as I am doing now? Everyone has a different journey here. I am glad that I got to be part of the projects that I did and looking forward to more.
You are part of Zoya Akhtar’s film on Archies along with a bunch of star sons and daughters. A lot has said about nepotism... What are your thoughts on this issue?
We are all creative people and talented actors. Talent deserves to be given a chance and Zoya is doing just that. Everyone on the set here is talented, whether they come from a film background or not and that’s all I have to say.
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