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Eminent Hindi theatre personality Om Katare speaks to Paromita Chatterjee about his thirty-year journey in theatre; of the various ups and downs he has faced and of his continuing efforts to promote Hindi theatre through the 30th anniversary of his theatre group Yatri. This is a special year for Yatri. Its festival, which begins on 3rd January 2009 will be held at Prithvi Theatre and at other venues in Mumbai throughout the New Year. For detailed information about Yatri and its festival please visit http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/yatrirangmahotsav/the_festival.htm
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MTG editorial
When you started 30 years ago theatre was not a very well-paying profession, even more so than now. What prompted you to go for it and stick to it for so many years? Did you foresee the kind of success you have now attained?
It was Prithvi theatre that inspired me. The first play I saw at Prithvi was Sulbha and Arvind Deshpande’s ‘Raktbeej’. It was a turning point in my life – an awakening of sorts. I had this gut feeling that one day Prithvi could become a word-class theatre house; a Mecca of sorts for theatre lovers. So I stopped struggling for films and set off to establish my theatre group Yatri. The first hit play that we had, that made people sit up and take notice of our group, was ‘Ek Thha Gadha’ in 1979. This was followed by a slew of successful plays – ‘Jungli Kabootar’, ‘Purush’, ‘Sakharam Binder’. In 1992 we staged ‘Abhi Toh Main Jawaan Hoon’, which met with resounding success and after this play there was no looking back. In 1997 we released what is now our most successful play ‘Hadh Kardi Aapne’. It broke all sorts of records in the Hindi theatre circuit by having a continuous run of 50-60 house-full shows.
‘Hadh Kar Di Aapne’ solidified my position as a theatre personality in the Hindi theatre circuit in Mumbai. This gave me the courage to perform in bigger theatres like the Tata theatre, Rang Sharda and St. Andrews. It took me nearly 20 years of struggle to reach this position. Frankly, it is very difficult in the field of Performing Arts to have any tangible measure for success. But definitely I never dreamt that I would reach such heights.
How much would you say your Satisfaction Quotient has been in this 30 year journey so far?
We have a strong presence in Prithvi Theatre. Audiences there love our performances. The love of my audience, the confidence of my actors in my beliefs and capabilities – all these give me immense satisfaction.
You have explored a lot of genres. What is that unique touch you try to put in while doing different types of plays?
The script has to be powerful and it has to reach the audience. For example, ‘Rani Ki Kahani’, which we did around six years ago had a very hatke script, different from our usual drawing room comedies. Similarly, ‘Khuda Bachaye’ was an unusually stylized farcical and slapstick play, which went down well with audiences. Another example is ‘Dilli Uncha Sunti Hai’, which was a serious play but structurally weak. So we tweaked it by adding a strong narrative, which the audience could follow.
What is the difference between the struggle now and 30 years ago?
The struggle is still there but it is for different reasons. 30 years ago I was struggling to establish myself, to make an imprint, to break into the mainstream. Now, the struggle is to live up to the expectations and my reputation. Ab naak bachana zaroori hai.
What do you think is the present generation’s attitude towards theatre?
I guess only those who have the passion continue doing theatre and adjust their other commitments to accommodate their love for the stage. Others treat it as a place of learning and then move on to TV or films.
What are the reasons behind this landmark 30th anniversary festival?
We want to reach out to more people. We want to shout from the rooftops that Hindi theatre is still alive and kicking. Hindi theatre has a lot of competition by way of television and films. So naturally the ‘entertainment value’ in theatre is considered low. We want to change that and increase awareness amongst the general public. We plan to have a lot of activities other than just plays, which will involve and encourage people to participate.
Lastly, a message to aspiring theatre actors?
One must read hundred plays, see a hundred shows, and then come to do theatre. Not because you have nothing else to do, but because you want to.
*The interviewer is a veteran actress and a core team member of Yatri. She has been associated with the theatre group for over ten years now. Besides Acting, she is also closely involved with the administration and management of Yatri.
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