‘Theatre really helps an aspiring actor’

Today, as we celebrate World Theatre Day, actors of current generation with theatre background talks to us about the importance of theatre, who’s their favourite theatre personality and the effects of increasing web shows over theatre. 

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Tahir Raj Bhasin

Yes, theatre is the actor’s medium. It allows you to work on physicality, voice and using space. It allows you the time to dissect characters and embody them in linearity, live with no retakes. My favourite theatre personality is Barry John. His summer programmes in Delhi were my first introduction to the basics of acting and his theatre company’s Othello was one of the first professional shows I saw while I was in school in Delhi. No, I don’t think web is any threat to theatre. Digital platforms are a distinct, the format of stories that can be told and the experience of consuming them in both these mediums is different.

Amol Parashar

Theatre is a great learning medium for an actor. It gives you space to work on your body and voice which are important tools in an actor’s armour. The kind of experimentation and freedom that the medium gives to an actor is unmatched by any other medium. From theatre, I am a big fan of Akarsh Khurana. He is not only a multi-talented person—who writes, directs, acts, and produces for stage and film—he is heavily dedicated to theatre. I think theatre will never be threatened by any other medium. Everybody who is involved with theatre at any level is only motivated by the attachment that they feel to the medium.

Maanvi Gagroo

Acting, like most skills, improves with practice. Theatre gives one the opportunity to exercise that. The rehearsal process is riyaaz for the day of the show. You learn things about yourself, about the craft, while rehearsing and performing different characters in different set ups. I think it's hard to pick just one person from something so wide as 'theatre' but still what's fabulous is that there are different microcosms existing within this world. Some of the people I love working with or would like to work with are Quasar Thakur Padamsee, Akarsh Khurana, Jaimini Pathak, K.K. Raina, Naseeruddin Shah, Rage Productions and the entire team of Silly Point Productions. I think theatre has withstood the advent of satellite TV, the grandeur of films and so much more. So, web is not a threat at all.

Manasi Parekh

Theatre is absolutely essential for any performer actor, singer and dancer. It’s like the foundation for performance. It teaches you how to use the space around you, how to use your body within that space, language, diction, posture, how to gauge the audience and so many other soft skills. Theatre is a must. My favourite theatre personalities in Mumbai are Pooja Swaroop and Ranvir Sheorey. I don’t think anything in this world can be a threat to theatre. Theatre is a living representation of life around us and is as alive as we are.

Vatsal Sheth

For an aspiring actor, theatre really helps. Theatre is one of the most difficult mediums. Yes, if one does theatre, rest everything becomes really easy. My favourite theatre personality is Sharman Joshi. I have worked with him and I have seen the way he works and performs. Well, I think it's not about web shows or movies or TV shows. Right now life has become so busy that people really want to have their piece of entertainment whenever they want to be it on the web or on the phone. Taking time out to go watch a movie, watch a play in a theatre that's the threat I feel.