I HAD A MENTAL BLOCK ABOUT THEATRE: GUDDI
At 60, the actor made her stage debut in Delhi; reveals why she stayed away from this medium of art
Alive stage act can be nerve-wracking even for accomplished actors. So, it can be understood when Guddi Maruti says she’s had a mental block about theatre. Popular for her comedy roles in films such as Khiladi (1992), Shola Aur Shabnam (1992), Aashik Aawara (1993), and Dulhe Raja (1998), Guddi says,“I’ve been getting opportunities in theatre for the last 15 years. People were like ki aa jao, aa jao, aa jao, but at that point I was really busy with my films and other projects. Basically, there was a mental block. I felt that I can’t do theatre. I used to think, what if I forget on stage, what will happen? So I used to avoid, saying I’m busy.”
The 60-year-old, who recently made her stage debut in Delhi with the play, Hello Zindagi, says, “This time, I couldn’t say no. As I wasn’t doing any other project, and theatre demands commitment,
I agreed for this one. Once I started rehearsing, I felt great. It gives you a different high. In movies, we get retakes, but here everything should be so perfect; mentally you have to be very alert. And that’s what I like about it, the spark, the perfection. Acting toh wohi hai, but we have to be bang on! Even when your co-artist misses a line, you’ve to be alert and quick to cover up and give them hints. You have to follow their lines and the whole episode.”
But, it wasn’t just the play that brought her to Delhi. The actor shares that she loves to visit the Capital, especially in winter. She says,“My visit to Delhi is majorly work related. This time, it’s for the play and for a film I’m doing for a Delhibased producer. And, I love the food here, especially chhole bhature. Also, I love to shop from places such as Janpath and other flea markets.”
Guddi — whose real name is Tahira Parab — was mostly offered comedy characters in films due to her plus size. But, the actor recalls that she was comfortable essaying such roles. “During that time, it was a fixed pattern. Heroineheroine hai, moti ladki hai to comedian hai, villain hai to villain hai. It was like that... And I felt ‘Oh my god, it’s always the same role for me.’ There was a point I used to think, ‘Ek hi role milta hai hamesha’, but may be I was so comfortable in my zone that I never felt unhappy about it,” she says.
I felt that I can’t do theatre. I used to think, what if I forget on stage, what will happen? So I used to avoid, saying I’m busy.
GUDDI MARUTI ACTOR