Theatre is challenging, but exciting, says Shekhar Suman

Shekhar Suman plays the role of Manto in his latest play ‘Ek Haan’

Shekhar Suman made his television debut in 1984 with the series ‘Wah Janaab’. The same year, he made his Bollywood debut with Girish Karnad’s ‘Utsav’, in which he played the role of a poor Brahmin man. He has also hosted several shows such as ‘Movers & Shakers’, ‘Simply Shekhar’ and ‘The Great Indian Comedy Show’. He also appeared as a judge on television shows such as ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ and ‘Comedy Circus’.

He was in town for the showcase of his play ‘Ek Haan’ in Bengaluru. Written and directed by Randhir Ranjan Roy, the play explores the life and writings of Manto through the eyes of Wazira, a Kashmiri journalist who follows him to Pakistan to interview him.

In a quick chat with Metrolife, the throws light on his love for theatre and his experience working with Randhir Roy.

You have been an actor, director, producer, host and even a singer. Which of these roles have you personally enjoyed the most?

None of these things are separate from acting. When you host a show, an actor just takes on that role, and I try to play it to perfection. Singing is just a different way for me to express myself and show off my creativity. Directing and producing allows me the opportunity to tell the stories that others don’t want to.

To me, all of these are within the gambits of acting.

Do you prefer cinema or theatre?

In films, you have the luxury of retakes and it is much more of a collaborative effort. You have an editor and director to make those choices regarding the best shot.

Acting for television is more relaxed. The focus is on connecting with every household. It is a drawing-room performance, where you are just sitting there and talking to them. On stage, however, you have to be there in your entirety. There is nobody to tell ‘cut’ or that it was a bad shot. It is very exciting and challenging because it is do-or-die.

It is a platform that gives you the opportunity to experiment and explore yourself as an artiste.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the play?

I researched for almost three months, which helped a lot. The actor’s imagination is important, where he interprets the character in a certain way, without taking away from the character’s essence. It could be in terms of how he walked and talked, or carried himself. To even figure that out, you need to be able to get inside the characters head. Research helps with that.

The rehearsals also help you assimilate the character, which is really important. Theatre allows you the opportunity to keep fine-tuning your performances, and over time, you just dissolve into it.

How was it working with Randhir Roy and Suchitra Krishnamoorthi?

Suchitra is a great co-star. I admire her for the effort she put into this play. She is not a Hindi-speaking woman, and she has to speak Hindi as well as, Urdu. Randhir is a very understanding director. He is very flexible and allows you the space to interpret things your way, and that makes the work enjoyable.

What other projects are you working on?

I have some exciting projects lined up. At this stage in my career, I plan to be more choosy with what I do and pick projects that actually excite me. I am going to be producing a TV show and directing a movie. I am still making music, and performing them.