Few theatre producers in the English theatre scene in India can actually talk budgets the way Ashvin Gidwani does. You have to give it to the man that he is an entrepreneur first and foremost and that he is not shy of saying so. His home company Ashvin Gidwani Productions (AGP) has produced a variety of plays, including musicals of the big canvas type. His recent plays include BLAME IT ON YASHRAJ in collaboration with Bharat Dabholkar, Vir Das' BATTLE OF DA SEXES and Mahesh Dattani's BIG FAT CITY. Productions with varying budgets- from medium to large scale, from formulaic to experimental, from launching TV stars and small-time film personalities as well as working with some of the best of theatre talent in Mumbai, Ashvin has done it all. Now with his new, upcoming play THE SCENT OF A MAN, the producer who demands deliverables at the cash registers, has turned director. In this interview, Ashvin shares with us his current vocation and talks of how he overcame challenges to become a successful theatre producer.
By Deepa Punjani
Deepa Punjani (DP): You have been a producer so far. What made you turn into a director?
Ashvin Gidwani (AG): Directing has always been a passion. I like to entertain people through theatre. Now I have the time to pursue my interest in direction.
DP: What has been the experience like?
AG: Working with a professional cast and crew makes direction enjoyable. Overall it has been an exhilarating experience.
DP: Did you take any help?
AG: No director can succeed without teamwork. A capable writer, assistant director, production and stage manager, set and lights designer, music composer- all are an integral part of this play.
DP: Does this mean you will be directing more plays or is it a one-off production?
AG: I have three interesting works in the pipeline for 2014-2015.
DP: Tell us about your early days in the theatre. How did you get involved?
AG: I was trained by three gurus in theatre- Ronnie Screwwalla, Hosi Vasunia, and Sam Kerawalla. My exposure to theatre from production to direction has led me to become a producer first and a director later. The craft and the skills set got further developed with experience, working across twelve countries and seventeen cities in India.
DP: What did you learn from each of your three gurus?
AG: From Ronnie I learnt about the business; Hosi Vasunia imbibed in me a passion while Sam Kerawalla taught me about content and technology.
DP: Theatre production is your forte. What have been your strengths?
AG: The core of every theatre production is creativity, production values, content, strategy, finance and marketing. These strengths have grown over time with experience and knowledge.
DP: What challenges do you face in terms of putting up a play?
AG: Every play has its hurdles but then again after twenty years in the business we are able to preempt based on experience. But for THE SCENT OF A MAN, it was indeed a challenge as I had to find a balance between running my business and my efforts at direction. It required strong will, discipline, a good team and supportive, professional actors.
DP: How do you decide the productions you want to do?
AG: Content is the backbone of any theatre production. People across all ages want to be entertained and the winning formula is to choose work that is inspirational or that which is a comedy. The script forms the basis of assessment.
DP: Did you ever face a difficult patch in the business of theatre production? How did you deal with it?
AG: I have been bankrupt three times and I resurrected myself by structuring a corporate model to make it viable.
DP: Producing a play is not easy. Making it successful is harder. How do you manage?
AG: After producing a play, packaging good content with the right marketing and business solutions, are the key to success.
DP: Do you have a dream production that is yet to be launched?
AG: Yes... I won't name it now but it's based on a world famous novel. It will be revealed shortly.
Deepa Punjani (DP): You have been a producer so far. What made you turn into a director?
