Aparna Gopinath is back on stage

Aparna Gopinath is back to the realm that clearly defines her — theatre. A professional theatre artiste with many plays to her credit, the actress returns to the stage after featuring in a couple of Malayalam films. Aparna says theatre is something she can’t let go of. “After two and a half years, I am back to where it all started. In fact, I am a bit nervous to be on stage, as theatre is something we can’t take for granted.But my passion and love lies here. It was my experience in theatre that made me what I am,” says Aparna.
The actress who is part of Under The Mangosteen Tree, a play based on the stories of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, says that the response she got from the audience during its staging in Bangalore recently was overwhelming. Apparently, the team has done a lot of research on the characters and their costumes.
“I play multiple characters from his novels. Jameela Bibi, the timeless character from his epic novel Poovanpazham, especially bowled me over. Interestingly, Anees Basheer, the son of the celebrated writer, had come to see our play,” says Aparna, who was part of Koothupattarai, an avant-garde theatre movement based in Chennai.
So, how different is theatre from movies? “I would say everything. In fact, a theatre artiste has to shoulder a lot more responsibilities. In movies, the treatment is different; we can’t compare one with the other. But whether it is stage or cinema, there is no difference in the preparation for the character,” says Aparna, adding that she has no plans to juggle both.
“I don’t want to juggle theatre and films as I always prefer to concentrate on one at a time. I cannot choose one over the other. When it comes to movies, I am listening to scripts, but haven’t signed anything yet,” she signs off.