(Siddharth Menon is an actor from Pune who works in Marathi theatre and cinema. His work in the film ‘Peddlers’, produced by Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga, took him to Cannes in 2012)
Which is the last best play you saw?
The musical PETER PAN, directed by Luc Petit and performed this March in Dubai, was mind-blowing. The sets, lighting and the technology used (making Peter Pan and the kids fly in the air without any harness to hold them up) was out of this world. They had dancers, magicians, gymnasts and the entire ensemble was so good that it’s by far an unmatchable experience.
Your favourite adda to see a play
Prithvi Theatre, undoubtedly. In addition to staging performances in the cafeteria which are quite enjoyable for an actor, Prithvi is an architectural wonder. You can feel the pulse of the audience right from the stage, breathing in the same rhythm.
Your favourite playwright
It would have to be Dharmakirti Sumant. He is a young writer but can do magic with words. I’ve watched all his plays and I have been fortunate to work with him in one of them.
Your favourite play-character
When I think of it, I can only recollect a character that I played in JUNGLENAMA, a story about animals who struggle to survive in areas of human encroachment. It’s a play based on a story by Gulzar and I played the role of a cheetah. That experience still lives with me and by far it’s my favourite character too.
A play you would like to see filmed. Why?
That would most definitely be PIYA BEHRUPIYA. If the play shows such great potential on stage, then I can only imagine how far it can go when made into a film. The story too makes for a fantastic ‘filmi-experience’.
A novel/short story you would like to see on stage? Why?
In the movie ‘Das Kahaniyaan’, which as the name suggests, comprises of ten short stories, there’s one story called ‘Rice Plate’ in which a staunch Tamil-Brahmin widow (played by Shabana Azmi) has a fateful encounter with a Muslim man (Naseeruddin Shah) which eventually alters her biased attitude towards the Islamic sect. If these two power-house performers come on stage and perform the act in a short 20 minute story, I think it would be one of the most engrossing performances of all times.
The most hilarious play you have seen
I think it would be Rage production’s ONE ON ONE. I had a chance to watch it at Comedy Central in Phoenix and I couldn’t stop laughing even after the play ended.
A play, which is over-hyped
I don’t think any play is over-hyped. People feel differently and react to stories differently. And more importantly, not just every play, but every show of the play is a wholly different experience. Theatre is such a live medium that no two shows are alike. It all depends on how it goes that day. There have been instances when I’ve come out of a play thinking it was mind-blowing while my friends thought it was just ‘okay’. Theatre is not like a film. Each time it’s a different experience.
An important play (but ignored)
Not just a single play. I think the entire medium of theatre is ignored. We have a few pockets-areas in the country where theatre is picking up but the rest of India is largely unaware of even the Indian classics that have been staged. It’s sad that many deserving plays don’t reach out to the masses at large when they are so worthy of the attention we can give them.
A play character you would like to ''dialogue'' with
In a Marathi play called TU, directed by Mohit Takalkar and based on the poems by the Sufi saint Jalaluddin Rumi, there’s a character called the Fakir played by Nachiket Purnapatre. That character has stayed with me and I’d love to chat with him someday. Everyone else in the play is so philosophical and analytical whereas the Fakir is just bindaas! I would like to talk to someone like that; no matter what the sadness or misery around, they always find a reason to stay happy.
A passage from an important play that you can recite
I’ll have to go with the play, GELI EKVIS VARSHA written by Dharmakirti Sumant. There’s a passage titled, “History ko delete karna chahiye” which was performed by Ameya Wagh. It’s my all-time favourite. I don’t necessarily agree with it but the passage keeps coming back to me. We’d all be so much more different if we could wipe away certain bits of our history and shed off its burden.
A classical play that you should have read
Even though I’m a theatre artist, I must confess, I haven’t read a single Shakespearean play. I’ve watched several adaptations and read bits and pieces but I haven’t read one from start to finish. So I guess that’s what I should be reading.
A play that changed your perception about the theatre
While I was at college in Pune, a group of students performed a play called PARKHA, which didn’t win any accolades or recognition. But up until I watched this play, I had a stereotypical idea of how a play must be performed. PARKHA broke all my notions of how a play must be staged. The play’s story was of a small village at which a camel arrives one day and that changes everything in the village. The students mimed the camel and it was done so beautifully that I could picture every movement of it. And that’s when I thought – this is theatre. This is what I’d like to be a part of.
How do you regard the Mumbai theatre scene?
To answer this, I will compare Pune and Mumbai theatre scenes. I feel Pune plays have more content while plays at Mumbai are more commercially attuned. And I understand why. It’s much harder to put together a production in Mumbai, considering the space, venues and time-slots available. So in Mumbai, they have more audience and entertainment focused plays whereas in Pune, there are excellent topics spoken of and experimented with but then there’s no audience. There has to be a middle ground in both the cities.
If you have ever been a part of a theatre production/s, can you recall an event that was insightful, significant or simply humorous?
GELI EKVIS VARSHA was a play that we had a chance to perform at the Opera House in Italy. The language is primarily Marathi but there are bits of Hindi and English as well. While we were in Italy, we realised that the people didn’t speak English too well either. But to our surprise, after the play was over, we had so many members from the audience come to us with tears in their eyes appreciating our work. And that’s when I realised that theatre has no barrier in terms of language or geography. It’s a play of emotions that touches every man, whatever his background. I always look back on that moment with great happiness.
Can you think of a foreign production that you found remarkable? Why?
While I was at the theatre festival in Prague, I had a chance to view a production by the famous ‘Black Theatre’ known throughout the Czech Republic. And they deserve every bit of the attention they get. In their plays, some of the characters are animated and they make use of neon and ultra-violet lights. There was a play in which there was just one human character on stage and the rest were all animated. It’s larger than life, like watching Walt Disney shows on stage. I think that’s where we are headed; it’s the next step in the evolution of what theatre can bring to its audience.
Your favourite director/actor/music or set designer
Director would be Nipun Dharmadhikari. There are many more legends with tonnes of experience and with some I’ve had a chance to work with. Bu Nipun knows his craft. He knows how to mould his artists and he knows how to shape his plays for his audience. He treats a commercial play completely differently and when he knows there’s a possibility to experiment, he does that. And he tries his hand at everything, and participates in every opportunity for young directors to show their craft.
For music I’d say Gandhaar Sangoram. He’s a young artist too but has worked in English, Hindi and Marathi plays and gives his music for films and for theatre. All of his pieces are original. In fact, most of Lillete Dubey’s plays over the last year have acquired their music from him.
A significant Indian production that you may have witnessed
I’ll have to go back to GELI EKVIS VARSHA. Not only was it a beautiful play but it’s one of those timeless pieces that if it’s picked up fifty years from now, the youth will be able to relate with it. I only wish that the youth continue to support theatre. This play has a chance to survive then.
List Your Play
Siddharth Menon
(Siddharth Menon is an actor from Pune who works in Marathi theatre and cinema. His work in the film ‘Peddlers’, produced by Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga, took him to Cannes in 2012)
