He dons many hats. An architect, theatre person and celebrity manager 27-year-old Vasudev Kanthraj is busier than most people his age but says he wouldn’t have it another way.
After pursuing his engineering and following a string of interesting internships, Vasudev worked for an architecture firm based out of London for a while, before he realised he wanted to “explore more and do things differently.”
He is currently a part of HOH (Hope-Opportunity-Happiness) Studio where he says, “We try to explore the idea of craft in simple contemporary everyday buildings and show that material culture and skill are as relevant now as they were in the past. Every project we undertake is an opportunity to develop ideas that are apt, sensible and necessary. We innovate around the practice of building with local craftsmen, indigenous skills, and home-grown materials, thus, we ensure social relevance which is the essence of a sustainable community. Our endeavour is to build such communities that are vibrant, self-sustaining and happy.”
Vasudev has been involved in drama and theatre from his school days, whether as an actor, script writer, or director, he has been a part of innumerable plays in the city.
So it comes as no surprise that he endorses and advocates the concept of “theatre in education”.
“I work with a lot of school students and young adults sharing with them the experiences I have gained through my interactions with some great people in the industry. I make sure that my actors write their scripts and improvise lines — a technique taught to me by my theatre gurus. I treat theatre as a personality-building exercise. This way the process of acting becomes a wholesome experience. Apart from this I try to bridge the gap between by passion and profession by working on set designs.”
From designing sets for a movie to that of a Sufi concert by A.R. Rahman, the young man has done it all.
Vasudev is also a part of BTOS Productions that handles celebrities of international repute. “My urge to travel and work with new people is met through this job of mine.”
Ask him how he manages to make time for his varied interests and excel at all that he pursues, and he responds: “It’s been easy and difficult at the same time. It’s easy because I’m driven to push my boundaries and because I have many likeminded people working with me.”
On the flipside, “Time management is always a challenge. It becomes difficult when people expect me to be at two places at the same time. My kind of work requires me to travel a lot. Sometimes driving almost 300 kilometres on a daily basis can be tiring. But so far, I’m enjoying the ride!”
Vasudev and his team at HOH are currently working on an apparel park in Krishnagiri which is a community-based initiative. “I hope to use this project as a pilot model which can be replicated in other rural parts of our country because I believe that there is a lot of unexplored talent and passion available in India. I would also like to get into teaching architecture. And as far as theatre is concerned, all my plans for the future are aimed at providing an opportunity to deserving individuals, young adults in particular, to nurture their talent,” he concludes.
This column features those who choose to veer off the beaten track
