Poorer cousin of cinema?
No, it’s not. The term is wrong. Theatre is an actor’s medium, television is a writer’s medium and film is a director’s medium. In films, collaborative effort counts. As an actor, you may be giving your best shot but the way the cameras are placed, it may not even capture that shot. Or despite you giving a wonderful shot, the film’s editor may decide to cut that scene. But in theatre, the director can give you any number of instructions, but ultimately it’s your instinct on stage that makes it all work. That is why theatre is an actor’s medium.
“There’s no discrimination in Bollywood. All
communities are stereotyped,
including its women, of course.”
| Actress Do you agree that the Punjabi household is the most abused community in Bollywood?
I don’t think it’s abused because Bollywood is entirely impartial when it comes to painting any community as stereotypical. There’s no discrimination in Bollywood. All communities are stereotyped, including its women, of course. I learnt Punjabi for this play. I consider that a part of my job. The brief given to me by the director was that I should never forget the genre of the play. In the second half of the play, I would be extremely emotional. He let me do the tears and the drill, but quietly explained the brief: the audience shouldn’t suddenly feel that from a comedy, it has become a drama. After I got that
Did you lose out on film projects due to theatre?
Last year, I gave up an extremely important international film. I can’t tell you which one, it had a good star cast along with a good director. But I had already committed to a tour of Broken Images with Alyque Padamsee. He had committed to 23 shows over the period of 45 days. Everybody would root for the big film, saying that theatre dates can always be adjusted but I didn’t go down that road. I didn’t even ask Padamsee if we could re- adjust [ dates]. I just said no to the film project and I haven’t regretted it. I look at it as a commitment I made. In this particular case of Happy Birthday Sunita, I began shooting for Black Prince in Heathrow immediately after the play. How do you handle criticism?
I don’t have to wait for anyone to criticise me. I am my worst critic. I take criticism seriously, especially from people whom I respect. I also listen to stray people. But if criticism is hurled at you with a hidden agenda to break you, then it’s a different matter altogether. But all actors become discerning enough along the way. I will never dismiss any criticism. I will process it and work on it, if it needs to be worked upon. With Boman Irani in Honeymoon Travels.