ALL SET FOR A NEW ACT Danish Raza

There is a quiet revolution sweeping the hinterlAnd — more And more theAtre enthusiAsts Are Coming together in groups And performing plAys regulArly

Rahul Vajpayi has closeted himself in his tiny room in the theatre hostel building in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh (UP), his home for eight years. The 26-year-old actor is rehearsing the role of Cassio in the upcoming play Othello. He has got his short beard coloured light brown for the part. “I will crack this role in no time. Just watch,” he says. Vajpayi is a member of Coronation Arts Theatre, one of the 12 theatre groups active in Shahjahanpur doing original plays as well as adaptations.

Vajpayi and the battery of around 400 theatre artists in town draw inspiration from film actor-comedian Rajpal Yadav, a Shahjahanpur boy, who made it big in Bollywood. “More than half the actors currently active here come from Rajpal dada’s belt,” says Vajpayi, referring to the urban villages on the outskirts of the town.

Off the national media radar, armies of theatre enthusiasts are multiplying in nondescript cities in Bihar, Punjab, UP, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. They are driven by improved facilities, exposure to theatre and a possible career in films, TV.

“This is a quiet revolution of sorts,” says Mumbai-based theatre director and acting coach Ashok Purang, who has mentored many actors from the hinterland. “Many of them pursued medicine, engineering and management to make their parents happy. But after that, they are willing to give three to five years to theatre.”

Theatre enthusiasts in Bareilly, Shahjahanpur (UP) and Rohtak (Haryana) spoke to HT about their motivations, challenges and ambitions.