‘Delhi mein ek-ek jumle pe taaliyan padti hain’
Puneet Back in Delhi with his play, and their Issar loves the city’s audience culture enthusiasm for art and
Whenever I come to Delhi, being a theatre and art lover, I take out time to enjoy cultural programmes that are always happening here. PUNEET ISSAR, Actor-director
His portrayal of Duryodhan in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat made him a household name. And that’s one reason why actordirector Puneet Issar decided to revive the epic on the stage. Having performed the self-written and directed play, Mahabharat , in Delhi before the pandemic, Issar recently returned to the city with the production again. And he couldn’t help talking about Delhi’s rich culture. “It’s a great feeling (to be back)... November 2019 was the last time we performed in Delhi. And now, all four of our shows have been housefull,” he shares. With back-to-back shows, he confesses he won’t be able to go out and enjoy the city as much, this time. “Nine hours of work and three hours of prep doesn’t leave much time for anything. After this, I’ll be flying to Mumbai for a shoot. But whenever I do come to Delhi, being a theatre and art lover, I take out time to enjoy cultural programmes that are always happening here,” says Issar, who is busy juggling plays and films.*
His journey in dramatics started in 2016, and he feels that the theatre culture in Delhi makes the city stand apart from the rest of India. “Yahan pe theatre ka bahut badhiya culture hai. I have seen that Delhi’s theatre lovers enjoy the [Hindi] language. Yahan ki Hindi bhasha, samwad ka jo woh luft uthate hain, ek-ek jumle pe jis tarah taaliyan padti hain, that’s what makes Delhi’s audience mesmerising! It’s like an adrenaline rush for directors and actors when they perform in the Capital,” he elaborates.
His connection with Delhi has been a long one, right from when he started in films. Issar recalls, “Delhi is amazing! Art aur cinema ke prati logon ka bahut rujhan hai. Yahan ke logon ne humesha humein saraha hai. In fact, even during the lockdown, I was here to shoot for a TV show for three-four months, in bio bubbles.”