Actor Darasing Khurana on being appointed as the Commonwealth Year of Youth Champion and the topics he intends to discuss with Prince Charles
Actor-model-philanthropist Darasing Khurana recently got appointed as the Commonwealth Year of Youth Champion. The development came following Khuarna’s appearance at a conclave on spirituality where he was on a panel with Commonwealth secretary-general The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC. The two of them had a discussion over some poignant issues post which the secretary-general appointed him for the post. As a result, Khurana has been invited to a lunch with the Royal Family in London, which will also see Prince Charles in attendance.
The actor calls this honour a result of his ‘manifestation’. He says, “It’s like winning a lottery. I remember I was shooting when I got the mail where I had received this appointment letter. Just seeing the word ‘Commonwealth’ made my heartbeat faster. I wasn’t expecting such a big post to be appointed at and it was truly a shock. It took me a while to let it sink in.”
To have this honour next to his name is like a dream for Khurana. He insists, “I had very small dreams growing up as I am scared of seeing very big dreams. I just see one step ahead. So, for someone like me, who came from a small town of Parbhani with crooked English, to be sitting so close to the Royal Family of the UK, I feel really humbled.” Mention his upcoming meeting next week with Prince Charles, an enthusiastic Khurana says, “I remember buying a ticket to see the Birmingham Palace from the outside. Getting to meet people who live inside there, is just a dream. I am not even thinking much about it as I get too excited.”
Khurana shares that he intends to discuss the topics of mental health and digital detox with Prince Charles when he meets him. He informs, “When kids grow up in an environment whereas they switch on the TV, they see news of wars, children getting killed, women getting raped, and at home they see their parents fighting, I feel like the future of the world is not so secure. I really want to work on the ground level for the 56 countries in the Commonwealth. We teach students on how to maintain a work-life balance, and also maintain a balance between you, your phone and social media. This is going to be my major topic of discussion.”
Professionally, Khurana made his acting debut last year with a Punjabi film. He went on to work in a Malayalam film and made his Bollywood debut with Kaagaz 2 recently. Ask if he thinks this designation will help him in his career too, and he responds, “I hope it does, but I am not seeing this from that lens. Being a tiny part of the Commonwealth and be able to bring even a small change in the society is an achievement for me in itself.” The actor concludes by revealing that he will soon be making his Marathi film debut as well.