As actors we only follow the director: Satish and Pushkar

Actor-director Satish Rajwade and actor Pushkar Shrotri on working together in a Marathi play and of knowing each other for years

The bond shared by artistes Pushkar Shrotri and Satish Rajwade is evident through their rapport on and off stage. The duo’s connection goes way back to their intercollegiate days. Satish and Pushkar are now seen together in Vijay Kenkre’s, A Perfect Murder. The play is an adaptation of Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s, Dial M for Murder. The duo speak to us in a candid chat on working together and more.

Satish Rajwade is seen in Vijay Kenkre’s A Perfect Murder along with Pushkar Shrotri(Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)

Excerpts

Your onstage rapport and chemistry has been widely appreciated. Tell us about your connection?

Satish: Pushkar and I have known each other for donkey years. We were in different colleges but stayed in the same area and participated in many intercollegiate theatre sessions. Our respective drama teachers were also friends. So, the rapport we built then has continued, and we keep exploring it time and again. When working together it is never about competition among us, it is always about delivery a play that is brilliant and exceptional. It has always been about working towards one goal or product.

Pushkar Shrotri

Being a murder mystery, does it get difficult to maintain the intrigue with the same zeal over and over again.

Pushkar: We will be honest. It is a difficult task, but the uniqueness of this play is that the audience is aware of the murderer right in the beginning. We show who the plot hatcher is. What gets exciting is the process and the unravelling after that. So, this element is what keeps us going.

Having directed too, do you get fidgety to interfere in this play’s direction process?

Satish: We belong to college theatre and we follow the principles learned there, here too. We never go beyond what our director has told us. As a director myself, I would expect the same from my actors. We come from that school of thought. When I am an actor, I am completely a director’s actor. We never cross the line.

Pushkar: I completely agree with Satish. We do suggest things to each other in rehearsals but ultimately we go by what the director has to say. We do help each other out during rehearsals, like, if either of received a great response for a scene or line, we remind the other about it before the next play.

What according to you are Pushkar’s strengths?

Satish: He is a brilliant and versatile actor. He does television, theatre, acts in films and has directed a film too. There is no limit to his talent. I believe, he is one of the most versatile actors we have. Also, despite his image and success for the work he has done, with this play he has gone all out and broken his mould. He plays a dark/grey character and people have appreciated that too. His strength lies in the fact that he knows what not to do.

What according to you are Satish’s strengths?

Pushkar: He has returned to theatre acting after 19 years and we could not have been happy. I have seen him act since college, and acted in his directorial. While explaining a scene, he would enact it. And, every time, we would be surprised by his acting abilities. I really admire his style and grandeur. I wish I could carry it off like him.

Satish, you had just eight days to rehearse and join the team. How did you manage?

I am grateful and thankful to Vijay sir and Pushkar for waiting for me. They started rehearsing without me, as I was busy with my film, Mumbai Pune Mumbai 3. They got on with their parts and just eight days before we starting performing, they got me prepared. It has been one of the most generous gestures by any team.

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter