Stage Impressions

INTERVIEW: Geetanjali Kulkarni (Part 1)

POWERHOUSE PERFORMER

Geetanjali Kulkarni's recent performances in plays like S*x, M*rality and Cens*rship and Haath Ka Aaya... Shunya, have been powerful dramatic parts that she has laced with humor and a sense of occasion that have made her characters truly memorable. Here, in an interview with Vikram Phukan she gets under the skin of her roles, and tells us a little bit about her journey as an actress.

INTERVIEW: Geetanjali Kulkarni (Part 2)

(Continued from Part 1)

Most of the characters you’ve played in the recent past are not necessarily likable people, some are downright unsavory. The mother in Dreams of Taleem, for instance, is rather cantankerous… but then there is this surreal moment when you get to deliver a few lines from Devdas, do you think this detracts from the satire… because it is so easy for you to garner the audience’s sympathy?

As far as Dreams of Taleem is concerned, it is a very intense play, and those moments relieve the tension. That can be understood in different ways depending on the average age of the audience. We had performed at P L Deshpande Kala Academy, there the average age was 45, that changes the perspective since they can identify with this character. In Prithvi, the average age is 25 to 35 years, the way they look upon things is different. The seriousness of the role is not necessarily obscured by the humor. I can feel the pain in the character of Aai, I know the kind of life people of her age are going through, since they’re so completely isolated as they haven’t tried their best to connect with the changing lives of younger people. Very few people manage to bridge that gap. I see how my father cannot connect well with his grandchildren. I can understand the loneliness he feels.

INTERVIEW: Anand Tiwari

CAN PLAY ANYTHING (EVEN A LAMP-POST)

An interview with one of contemporary Indian theatre's most versatile young actors, who has worked in plays like Sunil Shanbag's Dreams of Taleem, the AkVarious production of All About My Mother, and Rage Theatre's One On One.

There is a lot of creative interchange taking place these days in theatre, for instance, actors working across different companies, which may not have happened a few years back. You are one of those actors who’ve worked with a diverse set of directors. How did this opening up of talent come about?

I think, about 5-6 years ago, the situation in Mumbai theatre was that groups had become very insular, but then there were initiatives like Writer’s Block from Rage where they got directors and writers from outside to collaborate and create new works. So a lot of connections began. At the same time, a lot of groups started dissolving and people started looking for work outside. A lot of talent suddenly went into that open pool and people could approach anybody and actors could work with anyone they chose.

TALK: Dreams of Taleem

A FREEWHEELING CONVERSATION WITH SUNIL SHANBAG

Where did you get the idea to make Dreams of Taleem?

Well, I had decided to do Chetan Datar's Ek Madhavbaug but found that it was written at a time in several histories–the history of theatre, the history of the gay movement etc. Chetan, very often, would present the play as an attack on fascist writing and the arrogance of the playwright who, at will, can change an ending to suit a dramatic purpose with no sensitivity towards a character, where the characters don’t have an autonomy. I chose to see it differently, more as a groping to explore an alternative world, or an alternative set of beliefs that are equally valid. That is what attracted me to the play.

INTERVIEW: Kumud Mishra

THEATRE CHAMELEON

Kumud Mishra is currently the finest and most versatile actor on the city’s stage—appearing in plays like Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane, Peele Scooterwala Aadmi, Cotton 56 Polyester 84, Bali Aur Shambhu, Turel, Ilhaam, Aisa Kehte Hain, Flirt in your Dreams, The Owl and the Pussycat and Love on the Brink. Kumud studied at the National School of Drama, did theatre in Bhopal before moving to Mumbai to work in television. However, his association with writer-director Manav Kaul resulted in a rich haul of theatrical work.

INTERVIEW: Manoj Shah

MANOJ PLUS MANOJ

“I think I am rehearsing one raga and trying to learn throughout my life,” says Manoj Shah, who takes pride in the fact that he, a school drop-out has been doing theatre for 30 years, and many of them for educational institutions.

In his long career, he has done plays of all kinds but, has now come to be known for plays on Gujarati poets, saints and spiritual leaders. These plays—like Apurva Avsar, Jal Jal Mar Patang, Siddh Hem, Vastupal Tejpal, and his latest Amar Fal,  run to full houses at Prithvi, but, surprisingly pack in larger auditoria too, for which his explanation is that Gujarati audiences are fond of attending spiritual discourses anyway; if they are in the form of a play, so much the better.

INTERVIEW: Manav Kaul

ACCIDENTAL PLAYWRIGHT

Manav Kaul is today, one of Hindi theatre's most promising playwrights and directors. A Kashmiri from Madhya Pradesh, Manav came to Mumbai ten years ago, and acted in plays—many of them by Satyadev Dubey. He made his movie debut in Jajantaram Mamantaram, and after a couple of films, started concentrating on theatre, setting up his group aRANYA with like-minded friends.

The first play Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane starring his friend Kumud Mishra was greatly appreciated, the second Peele Scooterwala Aadmi won him the best playwright trophy at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards. These were followed by Bali Aur Shambhu, Ilhaam, Aisa Kehte Hain, Park and Red  Sparrow.