Ahilan Karunaharan is writer, director, actor and producer of Sri Lankan descent from New Zealand.
Ahi Karunaharan was born in the United Kingdom and raised in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Karunaharan talks about the importance of writing and identity:"We moved here to New Zealand because of the Civil War that broke out in my home country.
[4] In 2019 he took part in Satellites, a series of public events and encounters showcasing contemporary Asian artists in Auckland.
It was written over two years by Karunaharan, and celebrates the communal spirit and ritual of making art in India.
"[13] Aki Karunaharan has named the writer Briar Grace-Smith and her play Purapurawhetu starring Nancy Brunning as an influence.
Also Apirana Taylor's Whaea Kairau: Mother Hundred Eater which he saw at Otago Museum, and actors Taungaroa Emile and Jarod Rawiri who he had seen in The Prophet by Hone Kouka.
A play written, produced and designed in Auckland with an entirely South Asian cast of local actors about a tea plantation in Sri Lanka.
Silo Theatre – a play set in 1970s Bombay, and a collision of East and West, with themes of representation, modernity and tradition.
[4] Sitaare Aaja Nachale – a dance drama for young audiences about space, stars and dreaming big.