Film, television and theatre director Raman Kumar has best words to describe his visits to Hyderabad. “I have come to Hyderabad many times and gone back satisfied with our performances.
The way audience reacts to our shows and their feedback fills us with warmth,” he shares. The play Hello Zindagi staged as part of Qadir Ali Baig Foundation brought him to the city. Written by Smita Bansal and directed by Raman, Hello ... presented by Felicity Theatre Delhi, is a toast to woman empowerment.
Five protagonists Minissha Lamba, Delnaz Irani, Kishwer Merchant and Guddi Maruti originate from different backgrounds and have contrasting personalities.
Raman Kumar
“The play deals with complex issues in a subtle way; It shows how a person can lead the best life by not living in the past or worrying about future. These five women have their own stories and stay together.” Raman’s forte has been to deal with serious narratives in a subtle way. His recent play Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye with Sudha Chandran, Paintal and Avatar Gill focussed on relationships and friction between a mother and daughter. “I look for freshness in characters and I was fascinated by Smita’s writing for Hello . As a woman, she could understand, talk and create such characters. They are women of today and much needed in society. ”
Raman effortlessly shifts between three mediums and considers them as speaking different languages; They help him to express, reflect and also entertain. He was a student with theatre collective Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) in the ’70s and feels exhilarated with his journey. “Stage has come a long way,” he points out. “The performing arts has taken a turn and is exciting to see new theatre coming up and surviving on its own.”
He calls himself a student observing and learning everyday — It could be features of a smartphone or creative ideas from theatre students. “I make it a point to watch theatre productions featured in inter-collegiate competitions. It is tough but I adjust my time to see all plays as it is exciting to watch budding actors and their thought process.”
With movie streaming apps, smartphones give an easy access to watch movies. While some filmmakers complain of losing audience, Raman has an other view: “Movie tickets are high and people do not want to watch every movie, so it is convenient to watch it on their phones. Similarly, smartphones have helped boost theatre’s reach too.” he says and explains:
“Many watch small videos of plays through social media and do not mind travelling long distances to watch these live shows. In Delhi and Mumbai, people travel to watch our shows. Also, we never give passes to our shows; we invite all but they have to buy tickets to watch them.” In a happy space, Raman Kumar hopes to continue writing. “I love to embrace the change and want to be part of the change.”
