Theatre as a medium is alive and kicking: Vinay Pathak

He doesn’t mince words when he speaks. Articulate, he is a journalist’s delight, giving insights into the art that is so much a part of his persona. Vinay Pathak, recently in Delhi to play a clown in Rajat Kapoor’s play — I don’t like it, As you like it — to packed audiences for two consecutive days, is an actor with many shades. In a candid interview, he talks about William Shakespeare’s plays having a universal appeal, his fascination for one-man performances, and his love for travelling. [caption id=“attachment_2816292” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Vinay Pathak[/caption] Rajat Kapoor’s contemporary take on Shakespeare’s plays adds a whole new dimension to them. You’ve taken these plays abroad. How different or similar is the audience response to these in the West as compared to India? The audience response is almost similar. In India people are theatre patriots, especially in metros. They come to watch popular names on stage – Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Kalki Koechlin. The youngsters are aware of the names of actors and want to get a feel of watching them perform. And when they find the play worthwhile, it’s an add-on. We meet a lot of first time theatre audience in India. Abroad people are more evolved where theatre is concerned. Many Indian expats come for names and watch a play and appreciate it. In places like Israel, we got a stunning response. In South Africa and Singapore too. I believe it has to do with the way we interpret Shakespeare. The fact that apart from theatre, the Bard makes his presence felt strongly in films too is but surprising. What do you think makes his stories so acceptable even today? We’ve been making Romeo and Juliet since ages, borrowing the story and interpreting it several times with slight variations. It’s an everyday thing. Shakespeare, in his times, connected well with people and their everyday emotions. He dealt with love, friendship, trust, family, in a way that is part of everyone’s life. His understanding of relationships is astounding and he touches upon various shades and dimensions of treachery, jealousy, intrigue, passion, brotherhood and the human foibles. In Nothing Like Lear, you single-handedly hold the stage throughout the duration of the play. There are, obviously, no retakes here. How difficult is it for you as an actor who’s done films as well, to be able to handle this feat? When you do theatre you know there are no retakes. So you constantly rehearse. And there is a connect with the audience. And even if I falter, I have no choice but to continue despite glitches. That’s what makes theatre exciting. The medium is alive and kicking. It’s there and then. Moreover, I’ve always been fascinated by a one-man performance. The bigger challenge here is how well you engage with the audience. If you lose the audience even for 30 seconds, it’s a casualty. But you have to pick up from there and move on. The transition of the story must be seamless as must be the task of engaging the audience. The experience of studying drama definitely gives a better understanding of the discipline of theatre. It helps you understand who you are as a person, helps to focus and approach your job as an actor in a certain way. Comedy is one of the most difficult genres in the school of acting. You have excelled in this. Is there a method to it? When you do a job like this, create an art, yes, the spontaneity of the craft is very refreshing. But at the same time, the artiste finds a way to express himself. That process or technique is what defines him. How to approach a given scene? It can be done in several ways. The method is about how you start it. It is then that you begin to see how you’d shape your character. You lent your voice to a song in Bheja Fry 2. You learnt the art of weaving for Gour Hari Dastaan. How much more is there to Vinay Pathak that we don’t know about? What are your other interests apart from acting? I must clarify here that I did not learn the art of weaving; I merely worked on the machine for a particular scene and so practised a bit before the final shot. Otherwise, apart from acting, I am big on travel. I love the mountains, the ocean, the plains and the desert. I love meeting new people. Travel calms me down. It gives me peace and makes me believe that there still is wonderment in the world. I get restless if I don’t get time to travel. I also love to read. I’m a movie buff. I can watch a movie all by myself anywhere in the world. The very idea of sitting in a theatre and connecting with all the strange people around you is intriguing. A film from the yesteryears you would have loved to be a part of? Who among the older generation of actors are among your favourites? All of them – Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, Bimal Roy’s films, Guru Dutt’s – so many more. That’s the beauty of art. It makes you sit up and think. Likewise, my favourites are so many – Balraj Sahni, Dilip Kumar, Motilal, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Waheeda Rehman, Meena Kumari. Biopics have recently taken the Hindi film industry by storm. Do we no longer have fresh stories to tell? This debate is rather huge. I guess it’s more of a trend these days. As for me, as an actor, I get driven by a story. If the story is engaging and well-written, your character cannot be weak. A lot of talent in India goes unnoticed especially in the field of theatre and traditional and folk dance forms. National awards fail to recognise brilliant artistes most of the time. Your views. When it comes to art, the commerce of it becomes the most important thing to look at. Government agencies have to come in to promote art. Also, we need to create more literate audiences.