Ahilan
KarunaHaran
Director
Playwright
Screenwriter
Dramaturge
Musician
Producer
Get to
Know Ahilan
Ahi Karunaharan is a multidisciplinary artist of Srilankan Tamil descent working across stage and screen in Aotearoa. His work interrogates memory, nostalgia, dislocation, loss and grief from a diaspora lens.
From intimate encounters to large scale epics, pioneering works for the South Asian community, International Arts Festivals, immersive participatory installations and musicals, Ahi has worked with acclaimed companies across the globe including Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney Festival and Adelaide Festival and with Native Earth and Planet IndigenoUS Festival.
Ahi is the founder of Agaram Productions, a multi-award winning South Asian production house championing alternative narratives and otherness and tutors at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Scxhool of Drama and The Actors Programme.
In 2018 Karunaharan was awarded The Bruce Mason Playwright Award, recognising his work as an outstanding New Zealand playwright and an Excellence in Arts Leadership award in 2019. He is the recepient of multiple Auckland Theatre Awards and an Arts Foundation Laureate award celebrating his artistic contribution and achievements.
Reviews
"One of New Zealand's most exciting and visionary directors."
- Pantograph Punch
"Karunaharan's direction: seamless, heartfelt and unerringly true. "
- The New Zealand Herald
"Doing vital and invigorating work to shake up and challenge mainstream art. A bold and rebellious step towards making theatre a more representative space in New Zealand."
- Theatrescenes
Past Productions
Auckland Arts Festival
Winner for Overall Excellence
The Next Big Thing
Auckland Theatre Company
My Heart Goes
Thadak Thadak
Commissioned by Silo Theatre
Past Productions
Presented at Kia Mau Festival in Association with SquareSums&Co
First World Problems
An Original Concept and idea conceived and presented in association with Agaram Productions with Prayas and Basement Theatre
Presented as part of the International Comedy Festival
Past Productions
Kollywood Extra
Commissioned by Satellites Auckland
Swabhoomi:
Borrowed Earth
A Fine Balance
First Co-Production and presentation of an all South Asian Cast on a Mainbill programme in New Zealand for Auckland Theatre Company and Prayas
Past Productions
Rudali
Presented in Association with Auckland Live.
Charandas Chor:
The Honest Thief
A Co Production with The Performing Arts Centre of Auckland
Presented in Association with Working Class Production
Past Productions
Othello
Ugly Shakespeare Company
Presented to High schools all over New Zealand
Romeo and Jules
Ugly Shakespeare Company
Commissioned by the He Waka Noa trust and Presented to High schools all over New Zealand
Samaroh:
The Great Carnival
Commisioned by Auckland Arts Festival.
Artistic CV
Education and Training
Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School | Wellington, Wellington
Bachelor of Performing Arts: Acting
Victoria University of Wellington | Wellington, Wellington
Bachelor of Arts: Theatre And Film
Awards
2020 Arts Laureate Award
2019 Auckland Theatre Awards - Overall Excellence in Leadership
2018 Bruce Mason Playmarket Award
2018 Auckland Theatre Awards
Work History
2022 Programme Manager Silo Theatre
2021 Associate Artistic Director - Silo Theatre
2015-2019 - Artistic Curator - Short and Sweet Festival
Producing Credits
2021 First World Problems 3.0
2020 New Works Festival - Agaram Productions
2020 Yatra - Producer Prayas Theatre
2019 First World Problems 2.0 - Executive Producer
2018 Dara - Producer Prayas Theatre
2018 America Rex - Producer JK Productions
2014-2018 South Asian Writers Festival - Agaram Productions
Artistic CV
Directing Credits
2021 Boom Shankar - International Comedy Festival
2021 The Mourning After - Kia Mau Festival
2021 Romeo and Jules - Ugly Shakespeare Company
2020 Go Solo - Toi Whakaari
2020 Othello - Ugly Shakespeare Company
2019 A Fine Balance - Auckland Theatre Company
2019 My Heart Goes Thadak Thadak - Silo Theatre
2019 Kollywood Extra - Satellites
2019 Light Vs Dark - Auckland Live
2018 Tea - Auckland Arts Festival
2018 First World Problems
2017 Swabhoomi : Borrowed Earth Writer and Director Prayas Theatre
2017 Samaroh: The Great Indian Director Auckland Arts Festival Carnival
2016 Shoulds Woulda Coulda Devisor and Director Auckland Theatre Company
Writing Credits
2021 Serenade
2021 The Mourning After Reimagined
2020 - A Mixtape for Maladies
2019 Auckland Writers Festival
2019 My Heart Goes Thadak Thadak
2018 Tea
2018 Playmarket Annual
2017 Light Vs Dark
2017 Pantograph Punch
2016 Swabhoomi
In Development
Serenade
A coming of age TV series about romance, high school and 90s music.
Pooja, What is this Behaviour
A riotous wrecking ball of a play.
A Mixtape for Maladies
A Mystery
A Musical
A Memory Play.
Get in touch
Mailing Address
1g/20Morning Star Place,
Mt Albert,
Auckland, 1021
Email Address
Phone Number
022 329 3662