It was while
watching the premiere of the play 12 Angry Jurors at St Andrew’s Auditorium the
other day, that we realised how much theatre stands to gain when somebody it
has nurtured years ago, returns to it. We are, of course, talking about actor
Deven Khote, who returned to theatre after a hiatus of over 20 years with the
play Scent of a Man three years ago and plays a crucial role in 12 Angry Jurors.
Till the end
of the play, it is Khote who keeps the audience at the edge of their seats,
waiting to see when his resolve would break and he, too, like the others, would
change his stand. His breakdown at the end is so convincing, that I couldn’t
help but be glad that this actor who appeared in numerous stage productions in
the 1980s and 90s, decided to come back to his first love after a successful
career in the media and advertising industry.
Deven Khote, Dipika Roy and Rajit Kapur in 12 Angry Jurors
Like Khote,
there are numerous other actors who have felt the need to come back to their
first love. A couple of years ago, actor, producer and director Neeraj Vora,
too acted in a Gujarati play titled Waah Guru. He was acting on stage after a
gap of two decades. At that time, Vora had told us, “When you start your career
with theatre, the love and affection for the medium, and the thrill of
performing in front of a live audience never fades away. In the last couple of
years, actors such as Om Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Saurabh Shukla have
decided to rekindle their affair with the stage after years of staying away
from it for numerous reasons.
While it can
be argued that for most of the above-mentioned names, the big screen had not
much left to offer and so, they re-found their way to theatre, it is not the
norm. Take Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, for instance. The NSD graduate has acted in some
of the most successful films in recent times and is all set to play a
significant role in the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Raees. But even he was compelled
to take a break from the arclights and face a live audience after a gap of six
years with the play Iss Kambakht Saathe Ka Kya Karein?
Dipti Naval and Shekhar Suman in Ek Mulaqat
For some
veteran actors, the stage is not a comeback, but an exciting discovery. I was
truly surprised to learn that Dipti Naval had never acted on stage before she
made a beautiful and intense debut as Amrita Pritam in the acclaimed play Ek
Mulaqat three years ago.
Director and
actor Terrence Mann once said ‘Movies will make you famous, Television will
make you rich, but theatre will make you good’. And if the audience keeps getting
to watch such talented actors on stage, it will make them happy.
Cheers!
The Art
Addict
PS: After
performing in various cities and even at some international venues and
completing over 100 shows, Bangalore’s Sandbox Collective is bringing down
Koogu, a solo performance by Anish Victor to Mumbai and Pune from June 11
onward. The solo performance comprises a series of vignettes based on real
events, all examined in the light of larger ideas of freedom, culture and
tradition. There will be text and sound, dance and music and naturally, we too will
be there to catch all the action. Be there!
