From the bustling streets of Jaipur to the bright lights of New York's off-Broadway stage, Aabir Vyas's journey as an actor is a testament to passion, perseverance, and an unrelenting drive to chase his dreams, shining brightly in the production of Ramaavan: A Musical in NYC.
Aabir Vyas grew up in the small but vibrant city of Jaipur, India. As a child, he was introduced to classic Bollywood films by his parents, with Dev Anand quickly becoming his favorite actor. Comedy actors like Rajpal Yadav also had a profound influence on Aabir. Even as a child, Aabir entertained his family by mimicking his favorite actors, unknowingly laying the foundation for his future career. Coming from a middle-class family with no connections to the film industry, Aabir began his acting journey at the age of 16. He started by creating videos in his room and posting them on YouTube and Instagram. This experience taught him not only how to act but also how to write, direct, and edit, as he took on every role himself. These early sketches, often centered around comedy or drama, began gaining traction, and soon his videos went viral.
Aabir became particularly well-known for his character “Indian Student Abroad," which garnered him over 400,000 followers and millions of views online, his most viewed video being viewed over 50 Million times. His success led to collaborations with major brands like Netflix, Duolingo, and Doritos, where he became the face of their digital promotional campaigns. By the age of 22, Aabir had achieved significant financial success and used his earnings to enroll at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City, renowned for its method acting training.
During his time at Lee Strasberg, Aabir honed his craft, studying acting, directing, writing, singing, and stage combat, equipping himself with all the skills necessary to become a well-rounded performer. Shortly after completing his training, Aabir booked his first off-Broadway musical, Ramaavan: A Musical, in which he played the role of Indrajit, the prince of Lanka. His solo singing performance opened the show, captivating the audience with his voice. As Indrajit, Aabir also performed several stage combat scenes, including sword fighting. His training in stage combat, under the guidance of Fight Master J. Allen Suddeth—Fight Director for Disney’s Newsies on Broadway—was instrumental in these sequences.
Ramaavan was performed at the renowned Cullum Theatre in New York City and they were also invited to showcase their talent at the Consulate General of India in New York, where it received media coverage. The musical brought the epic story of the Ramayana—one of the two great epics of ancient Indian literature—to American audiences, introducing them to the cultural richness of South Asia. Directed by award-winning choreographer and director Rimli Roy and co-produced by national award-winning Indian actress Rituparna Sengupta, the show was a huge success, with seven performances over five days.
In a fascinating coincidence, acclaimed director Nitesh Tiwari recently announced a film adaptation of the Ramayana starring superstar Ranbir Kapoor, Aabir’s favorite actor since childhood. Both Aabir and Ranbir attended the same film school in New York, albeit at different times, and while Ranbir will play a lead character in the Ramayana on the big screen, Aabir portrayed a lead character from the epic in an off-Broadway musical.
When asked about his future projects, Aabir mentioned that his short film Give Me Love, which he directed and starred in, has been nominated at nearly 10 film festivals and has already won two awards. Another high-budget short film in which he plays the lead, Soot, Char, and Ashes, directed by award winning director Ashique Shahir, is currently in post-production. Aabir describes this project as particularly challenging, as it deals with the sensitive topic of school gun violence through the story of a young immigrant boy.
As for his future in Bollywood, Aabir hinted at exciting prospects, saying, "There are definitely some talks going on, so hopefully, you'll hear good news soon."
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