May 18, 2017
National Film Award winning actor
Saurabh Shukla has done numerous shows on stage, but says it's wrong to
think that people who have done theatre are better actors.
In 2012, the "Jolly LLB" actor returned to the stage after 18 years
with the comedy-drama play "2 To Tango, 3 To Jive". His other play,
"Barff" , has also entertained audiences in different parts of the
country.
Asked if actors with a theatre background are better than those who
have never done plays, Saurabh told IANS over phone from Mumbai: "It's
a very delicate question and the answer has to be understood rightly.
It's not true that if you've done theatre... you will be a better actor.
"Even without theatre, you can be a good actor. Acting is all about
your world view and how you express it."
He feels like everything in life, people need to practice their craft
and theatre provides more opportunities for this.
"When you go to a film's shoot, your responsibility is to deliver on
Day One because people start shooting from that day itself. You can't
try and figure out what's going on and how to make it better on the
set. Whereas theatre... what it does is... before D-day, which is the
show day, you practice for months. That gives you ample time to figure
out.
"People who have done theatre, they get to practice a lot in their
craft. So when they come to movies, it is slightly easier for them to
apply whereas if you have not done theatre and you are absolutely
fresh, then on a film's set you will try and figure out," he said.
The 54-year-old's voyage in acting began in the 1980s with stage shows.
How much has the industry changed over the years?
"It's the same. In Gujarat and some parts of Maharashtra like Mumbai,
theatre has always been a commercial activity. So people earn their
livelihood through theatre. But in the rest of the country, including
Delhi, Kolkata, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, it's not a big
economic activity.
"It's run on passion. The bottom line of theatre is if you love it
enough, then you do it and you do it right when you love it. That has
not changed over a period of time."
As of now, he is riding high on the success of "2 To Tango, 3 To Jive",
which will celebrate its 100th show on Saturday in Mumbai.
"The moment is very special because it is a very special play for me.
With this play, I came back to theatre after 18 years. It's really
heart-warming to see that it has reached the 100th show," he said.
"We opened it in Delhi, where I started my career, and for the 100th
show, we will perform in Mumbai which is my work place... My
'Karmabhoomi'," said the Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College alumnus.
The play is a humorous take on a man hit by midlife crisis and how he
tries to make himself feel young.
While that is a fictional story, what's his real-life story?
"I consider myself very lucky that I entered a field where friendship
and human contact happen due to work. Whenever I am not performing or
working on a project, I take workshops at times, I meet a lot of young
people. So, the company per se of young people and meeting young minds
keep you alive and young," said the actor, known for films like
"Barfi!" and "Satya".