Waiting to exhale
English theatre may be the game she's playing with her creative instincts right now; but the sight's stuck on a Hindi play with which she plans to eventually floor Indian and American audiences in Manhattan? Zooming in on theatrical stirrings, with Vandana Sajnani
Good things, they say, come in small packages… and this adage applies to the sparkling and the sprightly Vandana Sajnani. This director-producer-actor, in City on Saturday with Please Divorce Me Darling reveals that she moved to English theatre after seven years of cerebral stuff with none other than thespian Dinesh Thakur. Browse through her point of view(s) on English theatre, celebrity cast and much more… * Comedy isn't my only forte: “Though I do endorse that audiences must get value for their money. I don't follow any set formulae. All my three plays are markedly different. While Please Divorce… is akin to a David Dhawan comedy, the second play Love Hua Once More, a Hinglish version of the original was high on the emotional content. And the most recent Beauty Brains And Personality with an all-woman cast, based on an American play by Emmett Loverde, offers you an experience of the New York Broadway.” English theatre isn't frivolous: “Beats me why people still think of its as a pariah. See, Hindi theatre has its own set of faithful followers, but English theatre has managed to create and rope in new tribe of audiences for theatre. Seriously English theatre has its own space provided by audiences themselves.” English theatre sells: “Well, if you compare it with Gujarati and Marathi, it stands nowhere. Anyways, theatre se kissi ka bhi nahi chalta but still one can find corporate sponsors if the product is good.” Celebrity names enhance selling power: “Let me be honest - it does make a difference. And if stars are good actors, why not? But in theatre, the script is the ultimate hero.” Casting Rati Agnihotri: “When I decided to adapt Cactus Flower, I wanted to create a larger-than-life cinematic impact and knew only a film personality would fit into the part once played by Ingrid Bergman. Presto, I closed my eyes and Rati's face appeared. She agreed and the rest is a true tale of commercial success.” Adaptations in this day and age: “Might sound passé. But tell me where are the original scripts in English? May be many are writing and haven't been discovered. I appeal to them - please let us know, we are desperately looking for Indian English writings.” Juggling different roles: “Isn't all that irksome, for, I compartmentalise. While marketing, I am a producer, during rehearsals, a director and after the third bell on stage, an actor.” Goodbye, Cinema and television: “Yes after being associated with small screen for ten years after acting in movies like Mein Madhuri Dixi Banana Chahati Hoon, I have kind of consciously shifted away. I have my own rangmanch, my own company - Moksh Creations, now to look after.” Adieu Hindi theatre? “No way, my ultimate dream is to make a Hindi play, stage it in Manhattan for Indian and American audiences.” Tall order… well if she could manage houseful audiences closer home, conquering alien soils too wouldn't be so arduous. Sparkling and sprightly, well add spunk to that!
