For many TV and film actors, theatre is the final frontier

It's not unusual for film and TV actors to get their start in theatre, or work simultaneously on stage and on screen. But lately, the reverse has also been true, with many TV and film actors foraying into theatre for the first time. With veteran actress Deepti Naval making her theatre debut in Ek Mulaqaat recently, we take a look at other actors who've explored theatre for the first time.
Last year, TV actress Mahek Chahal debuted in the desi stage adaptation of George Orwell's novella Animal Farm. She says, 'I wanted to first test the waters before I jumped into them. I've tried my hand at a lot of things and theatre was something that I had always wanted to do, but I wasn't getting the time to do it. From now on, I will try to be a part of one production every year. I want to do plays that aren't just fiction, but also send out a strong message.'
Mona Singh made her theatre debut with Unfaithfully Yours this February. She elaborates on the reason, 'Even though I had no training in acting, I was keen to act on stage. I had tried my hand at everything from anchoring to acting, and theatre was the only thing I hadn't tried.'
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Nawab Shah, The 'Don 2' and 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' star made his theatre debut in Delhi with Mukti Prasang, which was based on Rajkamal Chaudhary's poem of the same name. He tells us, 'I never felt the need to do theatre but then, I got this script (for Mukti Prasang), which was so close to my life's philosophy and the only place I could present it was on stage. Having done the show now, I believe theatre makes you a trained actor. It taught me a dimension of acting that I never knew before. One would be a better actor if he/she goes through the training that theatre has to offer.'
Kavita Kaushik performed the tandav in the last part of boyfriend Nawab's theatre production Mukti Prasang, which also marked her stage debut. She says, 'I have been so busy with my work that I have never had the time to do theatre. Nawab (Shah) is a friend and I am doing this (Mukti Prasang) for him.'
Veteran actress Deepti Naval made her debut in Ek Mulaqaat, in which she portrayed poetess Amrita Pritam, last year. Taklking about the performance, she says, 'I always felt I wasn't cut out for theatre, where you need a powerful, loud voice to reach your audience. Thanks to mics these days, however, I don't need that. Also, I thought I had the face for cinema, where the camera could capture the subtle changes in my expression. In theatre, I learned that I could convey those changes by modulating my voice. Earlier, I was scared that I would forget my lines and embarrass everyone, but now, I am super confident as I have turned into a pakka theatrewallah.'
Another veteran film actor who made his theatre debut recently is Kiran Kumar. The actor says, 'I used to get many offers earlier too, but I reckon things happen when they have to. Today, I am in a phase where I can choose the work I want to do and experiment with my craft.'
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So what's causing the film-to-stage reverse flow?
A more satisfying art form: Director Atul Satya Koushik, under whom both Kiran and Maheck made their theatre debut, explains, 'Many contemporary actors are doing films on YouTube. They are entertainers and if someone can convince them to try out a certain medium, they will. We invited Kiran and Maheck to come and feel the nasha of performing in front of a live audience and they agreed and liked the experience a lot. Though theatre is not a lucrative art form, it is very satisfying for the artiste's creativity. Earlier, people used to go from theatre to films and TV, but now, it's wonderful that a reverse flow has also begun.'
Provides meatier roles for veteran actors: 'Aside from stars exploring a new form of art, many senior artistes like Anupam Kher, Pankaj Kapur and Neena Gupta are also returning to theatre because they are not offered major roles in TV and films now. Theatre, however, still offers them meaty roles. As a director, this helps me because, apart from a big name drawing a larger audience, this gives me the chance to work with an actor who has proved his or her mettle. It's a win-win situation for both parties,' Saif Hyder Hasan, the director of Ek Mulaqaat, reasons.
A better medium for character actors: Deepti Naval opines, 'While I worked on some interesting roles recently, once you get into the mould of a character actor, you are offered roles where you'll be part of only a handful of scenes in a film. That's not a very happy feeling.'