Joining the university theatre group was the scariest moment for Imran Rasheed, the co-founder of Rangbaaz group.
“I remember my friends teasing me that the class Don does not have the courage to speak on stage. I somehow managed to do the role and that was the start of this wonderful journey,” says the writer director who was in town to stage two plays — Jungle Book and Bade Miyan Deewane .
Imran worked with Nadira Babbar for six years, doing odd jobs including serving tea and cleaning the stage.
“Then came a moment that changed my life. Nadira ma’am asked me to write a play. I had never written anything; indeed I didn’t even know if I could write. Writing Roshni Ka Safar featuring writers such as Kabir made me believe that theatre was an inseparable part of my life.
Imran’s tea making prowess and his cooking is an integral part of his theatre experience. Rasheed has directed plays such as Namak Mirch, Papa, Jungle Book, Giant and Ek Beast, Ek Poora Din and has been a part of Bombay Theatre for the last 12 years.
He worked as an assistant director of Shaitan , additional screenplay writer of Bejoy Nambiar’s movie David and has recently acted in Nambiar’s Fattak.
Imran describes Shaukat Thanvi as the Moliere of the sub-continent thanks to his using humour to talk about serious issues.
Imran gives credit to his environment for his development of characters in writing.
Of the future of theatre in India, Imran says: “I believe it has a very bright future. People now understand theatre. Earlier the audience for theatre was negligible. Now shows are going house full, raising hopes that things will get better in the theatre scene.”
