‘Mumbai is pretentious’

Written By Shaikh Ayaz | Updated:

When Khursheed Khurody kissed Dev Anand in the recent ‘Mr Prime Minister’, it made news - what didn’t and should have was her talent and other achievements.

When Khursheed Khurody kissed veteran actor Dev Anand in the recent ‘Mr Prime Minister’, it made news - what didn’t and should have was Khurody’s talent and other achievements, besides her own educational history.

An AM degree holder in Indology and South Asian Studies and Civilization from Harvard University, Khurody is now looking at a film career. That’s because the actor considers cinema a melting pot for all the performing arts. “I think this is an exciting decade for cinema in India and I look forward to being an integral part of it,” she says.

She will soon star alongside Om Puri and Gulshan Grover. Incidentally, she is an advanced pianist, having played concerts in the UK, US, and Mumbai. “In fact, I played the piano in the blockbuster ‘Black’,” she exults. She has also performed with the San Francisco City Ballet, the Harvard/Radcliffe Ballet Company and the Joffery Ballet School in New York.

Naturally, music is something she wants to be a part of, all her life. She adds that she will soon be holding a concert in Mumbai though surprisingly, she doesn’t like the city much. “I don’t like Mumbai, it’s pretentious. I prefer rural India,” she says, adding, “fortunately, I come from a family that have given me enough exposure and opened new avenues for me. I am glad that I broadened my horizon by going to prestigious colleges and studying.”

Her parents however never forced their opinion on her - but that’s evident because of their cultured background. Her father, Nawshir D. Khurody is currently a TAS officer (Tata Administrative Service) and recently retired as the managing director of Voltas and chairman of Tata Infomedia. Interestingly, he graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge University, with Dr Amartya Sen and Dr Manmohan Singh. Her grandfather, Dara N. Khurody, a Padma Bhushan and Ramon Magsaysay awardee, built the Aarey Milk Colony, and is the father of dairying in India along with Dr Varghese Kurien.

With an illustrious family to boot, Khurody could have explored any avenue - but for her performing arts is where the future lies. Let’s hope her next public appearance isn’t in a forgettable debacle.

s_ayaz@dnaindia.net