Except theatre, there is no medium which can satisfy good artistes in India.
I performed in plays like 'Ashwatthama' and 'Andha Yug.' It was hardcore theatre.
Theatrical experience will always be the norm in India. In fact, as a producer and as an actor, I always hope that the magnum opus theatrical experience should always continue.
I first watched 'Adhe Adhure' in college. I loved it, and it stayed with me ever since. I decided that I would some day direct this play - not in English, but in Hindi.
Many people say that theatre has no money, but it has been the stepping stone for the best film actors of our times like Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Paresh Rawal, etc.
It was in India that I started my acting career, courtesy of my parents, long before I set foot on stage in England. They headed a company of travelling players performing Shakespeare up and down the land.
In England, entertainment by and for Indians is huge.
I learnt acting in Delhi from Barry John, who also taught Shah Rukh Khan.
Mumbai and Gujarat are the two places that can be termed as the capital of theatre.
I think Hyderabadis have the best sense of humour in the entire country and I still remember the famous plays of 'Adrak Ke Panje' by Babban Khan and 'Dhed Matwale.'
I don't see a future for Broadway-style theatre in India. We already have Hindi cinema, but small, intimate theatre will survive as long as people feel the need to talk to each other.
Most of the theatre work that you see in India is very verbose and the visual is whatever you can create on stage.
