E-Paper
Dr Shriram Lagoo dies at 92: Gave me acting lessons for life, says Rohini Hattangadi
The first time I saw Dr Shriram Lagoo was way back in school. I did not interact with him. It was only after I completed my training at the National School of Drama
The first time I saw Dr Shriram Lagoo was way back in school. I did not interact with him. It was only after I completed my training at the National School of Drama in Delhi and came back to Pune that we had our first exchange. I participated in a play, and he sent me a message to call him.
When we spoke he said, “You are a good actor and now people will offer you good roles in commercial theatre. Be careful and choose wisely.”
My father and he had worked together in a Sanstha, so he knew me as a colleague’s daughter. That was my first interaction with him.
In 1976, he approached me for my first commercial play (Kasturimrig). I was the protagonist and he had four characters in it, which he played himself. That’s when our association began, which led to many other plays and a few films too.
We met through my guru Satyadev Dubey before that, but I first worked with him on this play which was Vasant Kanetkar’s original. He was a wonderful co-actor, disciplined, complete no-nonsense.
I learned a lot from him, how to be presentable on stage, how to carry yourself, how to behave with co-actors.
A simple thing like if we completed 50 shows and the next show was after a month, he would still read the entire script thoroughly. Even as a senior director he never took anything for granted. I remember one episode, where he had asked me to wear a plain white saree and a black blouse for a scene. After a show, I went home in costume and decided to get it back the next day. I forgot to get the blouse back. I wore a spare one from the props trunk. After the show, he yelled at me. He asked me what happened. When I confessed, he asked why did I not inform him earlier? To which, I said I was scared.
He then said, “Well, now you are being yelled at twice. If you would have told me earlier, you would be yelled at just once!” These are his lessons that have stayed with me.
I will also always remember how nothing affected him when he performed. Be it the audience disturbance, sound or just about anything. I once asked him how he concentrated and he replied, ‘It’s the audience’s loss, it doesn not affect me. I will continue to do what I do on stage.”
As told to Anjali Shetty
