I don’t differentiate between theatre and cinema: Swagata Naik
Shruti Khairnar
Set in plush South Bombay, the play, Charades revolves around the lives of seven friends and the secrets that their cellphones bring with them. This psychological drama packs in a powerful message of how we have become prisoners to our cellphones, and the allpervasive virtual world that now surrounds us. In conversation with the play’s director, Swagata Naik, she speaks about how she plans to change people’s perceptions and break stereotypes, one story at a time.
aspect of your play. What made you incorporate that?
This is your second play...
Yes, this is the second play that I have directed, and the first play that I have written. I worked on it for about four months. The first play I directed was titled Barefoot in the Park. I have also directed short films.
Do you intend to adapt this play into a film someday?
Actually, I don’t differentiate between theatre and cinema, and this is true for all the cast members. We just like to tell stories. So, while this can be made into a great film as well, it so happened that we decided to make a play first. And we thought it would be challenging to do the play first, with this script, than doing a film and that’s just about it. Otherwise, we love the stage, we love cinema.
You have played all the major roles in this play — you’ve acted, written, produced as well as directed it. How did you manage to juggle all of these roles simultaneously?
That is because I have a great team. The cast made it easier to write this show. In fact, initially the script was a 30pager, and we it turned into a 60-page script, thanks to the cast. We kept improvising and the monologues were our latest additions, with all the monologues being written by the cast members themselves.
Mobile phones are the central
I had a fight with someone over the phone, and then I realised how much I use my phone. How we write long messages to people, and how cellphones have taken over our lives. So yes, that was the inspiration for this play.
Have your characters been inspired by people in real life ?
So, just like my character Naina Kapoor, I am a lawyer in real life too. And all the cast members put in efforts to get into their characters. So, to see what a restaurateur is like, Kashyap (Shangari) went out and met people and shaped his character accordingly. Same goes for Saloni (Khanna), who is in fact, a model, and plays a model-turned-housewife in the play. The reason I can say all my dialogues as a lawyer so convincingly, is because I am one, and I know what it is like to work 16 hours a day.
While setting up this play, what has been the biggest challenge for you?
Production-wise, it was getting the resources. But play-wise, it was to ensure that it feels real and also that a cast and crew of eight to nine members do not fight.