Theatre director and actor Atul Kumar runs ‘The Company Theatre’, an acclaimed Mumbai-based ensemble, which completed two decades of pioneering work this past year. One of the biggest names in the contemporary theatre circuit, Atul is equally well known for his solo performances of ‘Hamlet – The Clown Prince’ and ‘Nothing Like Lear.’ A Shakespeare aficionado, Kumar was invited to stage ‘Piya Behroopiya’ (his take on ‘Twelfth Night’) at London’s Globe Theatre and toured India recently with his latest production, ‘Trivial Disasters.’ Excerpts from an interview:
What is ‘Trivial Disasters’ about?
It is about inverted realities, where life is seen through a funny lens - but on the other side lie nine vignettes, where husbands are sold in electronic stores, serial killers have become celebrities, parents throw their son out of the house because he is homophobic, wives are refusing to pay ransom and pleading with the kidnappers to never return their husbands. It is a world that is comic but with a dark undertone that Ajay Krishnan (playwright) has painted through his writing.
Is it for commercial reasons that your cast comprises film and TV actors such as Kalki Koechlin, Purab Kohli, Riccha Chaddha and Cyrus Sahukar?
Yes. This production and tour will appear as a commercial run. But these are artists with whom one has also interacted earlier in non-commercial work. For a theatre company like ours, which has struggled and survived for more than 20 years without much government or corporate support, a little commercial activity is like a celebration. ‘Hamlet,’ ‘King Lear,’ ‘Twelfth Night,’ your love for Shakespeare endures. What is so tempting about his plays?
Not all his plays, but some for sure. They seem to speak to me as if they were written yesterday and not in the 1600s. Not so much the names, places, kings, queens and larger than life nature but central themes that he so delicately tackles. It seems like he is chronicling my life - my jealousies, insecurities, weaknesses and strengths. All literature that I have read somehow seems to find its way into his world. To me, he feels like the most complete playwright and it is a deeply satisfying experience to read, perform and watch his plays, but my doing Shakespeare is not by design, it just happened.
Are there good playwrights?
Yes of course. There are prolific writers such as Ajay Krishnan, Ramu Ramanathan, Abhishek Majumdar, Manav Kaul, Ram Ganeshan, Swar Thounaojam, Irawati Karnik and many others.
Can theatre alone sustain you?
For us, the time has finally come when we can solely survive on our earnings from theatre. However, we realise that we are fortunate because most theatre companies in our country are not so privileged. We are now showcasing our work across major cities and small towns in India and also in different parts of the world.
About your theatre residency in Kamshet and the vision behind it?
I am still trying to answer that question for myself because presently it is a rehearsal space for us and others, a meeting point for various kinds of artists from around the country and abroad. It is also a place to simply retire, rethink and repair. It’s a dream that started 15 years ago and after a struggle with the Government and private bodies, I finally managed to raise some funds. It is ready now but the struggle to develop it continues and the struggle to sustain it is another story.
