Pritesh Sodha is a Mumbai-based theatre director, actor and writer who quit his well-paying job at the age of 26 to pursue his passion for theatre. He began by performing street plays in the bylanes of Malad before establishing himself on the professional Gujarati stage. Some of his known productions are KORAT, NANIMAA, MADE IN AMERICA and MANCHHA, also adapted in Marathi as TEE. During the hour-long conversation, he reveals why Marathi audience is more appreciative than Gujarati theatregoers and talks about the theatre he likes and his future project.
By Nishtha Juneja
Nishtha Juneja (NJ): You have made an impression in Gujarati theatre by directing plays that are not run-of-the-mill. What is the feedback you have been receiving from your audience?
Pritesh Sodha (PS): The first play that I was part of was about euthanasia, and it was called KORAT. We won several city-based competitions, and got a standing ovation at the NCPA. After this, I chose to take it to grander auditoriums such as Bhaidas, Mysore Auditorium and the like. My experience in terms of audience response varied. Gujarati audience who frequents such big auditoriums have a reason to come and watch theatre. And, that is to be entertained. Since most Gujarati families have a trading business, their thought process is such. They value entertainment more than experimental work. Hence, when you go to bigger theatres to perform, the audience changes, and so does its response.
NJ: How did your theatre journey begin?
PS: Even in school, I recall thinking about pursuing theatre. Even then I knew that I would have to be prudent and save money. I completed college and went on to get a degree in MBA majoring in Marketing. I was working with HSBC, and was very well settled in my job. But somewhere at the back of my mind, I knew that I want to do theatre. I quit my job at the age of 26, and with the little savings I had, I started doing theatre full-time. I used to live in Malad during this time, and our locality was appreciative of theatre. It was then that I was exposed to street theatre where we picked up topics such as water problems, saving electricity, importance of using condoms and the like, and performed on buildings' rooftops. This helped me build communication skills, and increased by confidence and body language.
I worked with theatre director Manoj Shah for a long time in the beginning. Then in 2006, I directed an adaptation of Vijay Tendulkar's BABY, which won the Thespo annual competition organised by QTP. After that, I never looked back. I would like to highlight that I am a self-taught artist. Direction is one thing, but in terms of lighting and sound as well, I have seen and learnt. Once, I saw Arghya Lahiri setting up lights for a play. I went up to him and started asking him questions.
NJ: MANCHHA has been adapted in Marathi as TEE. The play has been spoken about. You have directed the Gujarati as well as the Marathi productions. What has been your experience?
PS: Both the plays have been adapted in isolation. I picked up a horror concept because I am afraid of ghosts or any kind of paranormal activity. I believe horror to be the purest form of theatre. Directing these plays was a kind of exorcism for me. Both plays - MANCHHA and TEE have been adapted from English author Susan Hill's novel 'The Woman in Black'. Though the storyline is the same, I have juxtaposed it with Marathi/Gujarati folklore. A lot of research went into writing both the plays, and the actors had to prepare for hours to get into the mood of the production.
Furthermore, the Marathi audience appreciated it a lot more than the Gujarati audience. This is because the Marathi audience has been exposed to Literature from a young age, and watching theatre has become part of their lifestyle. If you read Marathi newspapers, you will find amazing plays on varied subjects.
NJ: The play sounds eerie. Is it really scary or is there more to Manchha/Tee?
PS: The play is scary and very eerie. Apart from the horror factor, the play uses Marathi and Gujarati folklore to tell the story. We all remember tales which our grandparents, and later on friends used to tell us about haunted buildings and living spirits. I have incorporated those tales in the play.
NJ: It's not as easy to build up an atmosphere of suspense on stage as it is possible on screen. How do you do it? What keeps your audience hooked?
PS: Most of the credit goes to light and sound. I believe my light and sound operator is as important to me as my actor. While performing a horror play, I realised that I have to think ahead of the audience. Since we perform at multiple venues, I adapt the play accordingly. I remember when we performed TEE at the Horniman Garden at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival this year, I had to use my imagination as we were performing in an open space. I noticed a tree as high as the height of the screen (that was used as the background for the stage), and decided to place a ladder there. I asked my actress to climb up the ladder and appear again. When she re-appeared, the audience gasped and were truly scared.
NJ: What kind of theatre appeals to you? What are your plans moving ahead?
PS: Character-driven stories and plays appeals to me. I have read and liked all of Vijay Tendulkar's work. Furthermore, even in my plays such as TEE and MAANCHAA, the characters gain prominence. Take for example William Shakespeare and his work such as HAMLET. These stories have human emotions that are bare and naked. I like such theatre.
Moving ahead, I am in the process of researching about Usha Mehta, who played an important part in the non-cooperative movement in the pre-Independence era. I would like to do a play on her life. Another concept that I am interested in is the way people are investing in the market these days. What if it leads to a major scam?
*Nishtha Juneja likes to act and write about theatre. Nishtha Juneja is passionate about dance and food and has completed a post-graduate diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute for Communication (XIC).
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