There is a common factor in theatre across the globe—it is difficult to get a break. Sohrab Ardeshir, who has been on “the stage in both India and New York for 35 years,” vouches for that. Talking on the phone from Mumbai, the 55-year-old actor says, “I went to New York to study theatre, it is my passion. While I was there, I was also auditioning and working. ”
Of the difference in theatre in New York and here, Sohrab says with a laugh, “One of the similarities is it is hard to get in. Having said that, theatre in New York is extremely professional and organised where as in India we are basically professional amateurs. I am not talking about the skill of the actor or director. I am talking about the logistics. In New York, you have millions of dollars put into a production which means you could hire a theatre, build a set whereas here we are moving from theatre to theatre. But that makes us more inventive, adaptable and skilled. ”
11bgmpJurors3
Sohrab will be in Bengaluru for a performance of 12 Angry Jurors. He is part of an ensemble cast that includes Deven Khote and Rajit Kapur. The play directed by Nadir Khan is also the opening play of The Hindu Theatre Fest in Chennai on August 11. Explaining what attracted him to the play, Sohrab says, “I have done a lot of theatre with Rage Theatre. We generally tend to do plays together and this was one of them. It is an interesting piece. We have made it relevant to our time and to India. It a concept that needs to be talked about in an era when there is so much discrimination. Even though it is an old script, it has a valid theme.”
The play is about an inner city teen who kills his abusive father, “allegedly kills,” Sohrab interjects. “We have kept the script the same, but we have set it in India and not abroad. Luckily the characters don’t have any names — they are all Juror 1, Juror 2... so we created our own characters with that.”
While the jury system was stopped after the Nanavati Case in 1961, the play does not have a period setting. “We considered putting it back in time. We, however, decided to set it in a never, never land time wise. Assuming that when the jury system was on, this is what would have happened.”
Sohrab plays Juror 11. “My character is the voice of reason, the voice of balance and I would say in many ways he is the observer because he also represents the aspect of ourselves that is often marginalised. The character is an NRI who has returned to India. He is displaced; he returns because he wants to feel and be Indian but he still feels like a fish out of water.”
11bgmpJurors4
Sohrab has also done several BBC radio plays, dubs for commercials and films, and has lent his voice to educational software programs and recorded books. “Theatre gives you the opportunity to tell a story with your voice and body. With the radio, you have to make sure it is not all about the voice. You have to be performing because the audience cannot see you but they have to hear the truth in your voice. You have to give a full performance as if you were on stage but standing in front of a mike. It takes skill to be able to focus on the voice.”
Commenting radio plays are great fun, Sohrab says, “We work with such good BBC teams; they like us to do the play live and not in a studio. It is like a film you cannot see. I remember doing a golfing scene once where we recorded as we were putting on a lawn so you could hear the thwack of the ball. Radio plays are huge internationally. We did Q & A, before it became Slumdog Millionaire. It had a listenership of 4.5 million. l played the lead. We won the Sony Award, which is the Oscars for radio, for the best radio play out of 1000 plays.”
The actor of international projects such as The Letters and In the Spider’s Web and Hindi films including Mangal Panday, Fanaa and Soccha Na Tha worked on the Woody Allen film, Bullets over Broadway in 1994. “Oh yes that was a long time ago (laughs). It was a marvellous, wonderful experience. He was very innovative and dynamic behind the camera and it was very exciting and rewarding to work with John Cusack and Dianne Wiest.”
Rage Productions in association with White Pebble events presents 12 Angry Jurors on August 13, 7 pm at Good Shepherd Auditorium, Residency Road. Tickets are available on bookmyshow.com
At a glance:
Tickets: Click >here to book tickets. Also available at: > BookMyShowTicket
Prices:Rs 750, Rs 500, Rs 250 Helpline: +91-72999-11222 (between 10 a.m. & 5 p.m.) Follow us Facebook: > The Hindu Theatre Fest Twitter: > @thehindutheatre Instagram: >@theatrefest.thehindu
