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When wealthy filmmaker Anil Wadhwa extends an invitation to his wife’s young lover Mayank Tiwari to have a tête-à-tête, mind games and power play follow.
This forms the premise of the stage thriller Saanp Seedhi, which has been adapted in Hindi by Akarsh Khurana from the Tony Award-winning play Sleuth, originally written by British playwright Anthony Shaffer. The psychological drama, directed by Shubhrajyoti Barat, will premier in Mumbai this weekend at Aadyam Theatre’s seventh season.
Revealing the motivation behind choosing to direct this play, Barat tell mid-day.com, “Sleuth has intrigued theatre practitioners and theatre-goers for a long time. It’s generational, in that sense, and has been adapted for stage and screen in multiple languages including Marathi and Bengali.”
“Additionally, I had two fantastic actors with me to do justice to the play – Kumud and Sumeet,” he says proudly.
Veteran actor Kumud Mishra and actor-writer-director Sumeet Vyas play the roles of Anil Wadhwa and Mayank Tiwari respectively – the only two characters in this theatrical piece, which has been produced by D for Drama.
Doing justice to the characters
Mishra, who has played diverse roles throughout his career on stage and screen, admits that it was slightly challenging to bring his character to life. “This is very new for me. I haven’t worked in a play of this genre before. To place the character accurately, to strike the right balance between the character, performance, and my own personality, was a bit challenging,” he reveals.
What he enjoyed the most was embodying the flamboyance of the character, which he believes is in contrast to his real personality. “It seemed awkward at first, because I am not like that in real life. But I am trying to go out of my comfort zone, so this aspect was very exciting,” he shares.
Vyas walked into the role with a sense of responsibility, given the legacy of the play. “This play has been performed by some revered actors in the West as well as in India. So, we walked into this role with that apprehension and added responsibility,” he reveals.
Sharing the challenges of doing justice to his role, the actor says, “The first difficulty was that I had to pretend I didn’t know my co-actor Kumud, whom I’ve known for over two decades as a friend, and worked very closely with, on stage and in front of the camera.”
“Also, I am acting on stage in a new play after almost 10 years. So, to walk into a new rehearsal with a new character is a different ball game altogether,” he admits.
Talking about the character, Vyas reveals, “There’s a lovely transition of this character that happens between the first and the second half. So, to find a new voice and personality for that changeover was challenging.”
But the transition was also an exciting part of the journey. “Mayank is a very straightforward guy – earnest, innocent, naïve. He meets this other person and it (the conversation) triggers something. He decides to get out of his comfort zone, respond and be the other guy. That’s a lovely transition and the part I like the most,” Vyas expresses.
While the actors went through a unique journey of playing their respective characters, the director’s role wasn’t without its challenges.
“I am not a theatre director primarily. I have mainly acted in theatre. So, it takes time to get into the groove, to get into the director’s chair and be comfortable with it. These are people I share an equation with as fellow actors, apart from the personal equation. Suddenly, to don a director’s hat and ask them to do things a certain way (took time to get used to). I tried to be a person who is a better viewer and has a sense of perspective and can point things out to the actor,” shares Barat.
Additionally, he points out, “We have departed from these kinds of plays in our journey. Theatre is largely focused on realistic dramas (now). So, coming back to it and acclimatising ourselves to this genre was an enjoyable journey.”
Was the fact that there are only two characters in the play an advantage or a challenge?
“It’s not a disadvantage. The bonus is that both of them are accomplished artistes, and their work already has an impression on the audience. That can be used creatively in this kind of play,” Barat responds.
Vyas is of the opinion that a two-character play facilitates focused work, and one can indulge more in building each character. “It is easier in the sense that you have lesser people to manage, but it also comes with more responsibility because there are only two people on stage all the time, leaving less scope to make any mistake. So, it’s a double-edge sword,” he says.
Equation on stage and beyond
Having last worked together in the play Purane Chawal (which was directed by Vyas and starred Barat and Mishra), the trio share a strong equation, both on and off the stage.
“To be able to collaborate with your closest fellow actors, whose work you like and respect, to encounter problems and find solutions together, is a joy,” exclaims Barat.
Mishra shares, “Working with friends is an advantage. But it can also be a disadvantage because you start taking them for granted.”
“Hence, we put our personal equation aside when we step on the stage, because we have to deliver as actors. The advantage of working with Shubhro da (Shubhrajyoti Barat) is that he’s also an actor. So, he identifies very quickly when you are going back to your usual tricks. He knows that this comes easy to you, and tells you that it won’t work. When you work with someone who is in awe of you as an actor, you can perform your gimmicks because it’s new to them. But with someone you have worked with for years, they know who you are and what you are capable of. So, they push you out of your comfort zone,” he expresses.
Sharing more about their equation beyond the stage, Vyas says, “(The equation) is great. With Shubhro, it’s almost semi-paternal. He has known me since 2000-01. He was my senior in the theatre company I had joined. So, he has literally seen me grown up. And I have known Kumud for almost 20 years now. So, this is home ground for me.”
Catch the play ‘Saanp Seedhi’ in Mumbai
When: March 22; 7:30 pm
March 23; 4 pm and 7:30 pm
Where: Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, Bandra West
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