Clearly passion over pay or fame: Rajat Kapoor on why actors do theatre

New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) Neither wealth nor fame -- and on the top of it immense hard work and stress -- actor-director Rajat Kapoor doffs his hat to all theatre actors, whether seasoned performers or newcomers, for their relentless dedication to the stage.

As he awaits the Delhi premiere of his play "Karamjale Brothers", a Hindi adaptation of Russian literary giant Fyodor Dostoevsky’s final novel "The Brothers Karamazov" -- here at OP Jindal Auditorium during the upcoming sixth edition of the Delhi Theatre Festival (DTF) on Saturday, Kapoor reflects on what drives actors to toil so passionately for theatre.

"It’s very hard work, as opposed to acting in films. So, why are you doing it? It’s not for money, not for fame. It’s really for the love of the craft, or for the thrill of being on stage for those 90 minutes. There’s a certain purity to that profession.

"And it is very hard work in terms of rehearsals and discovery -- because you’re discovering something every day in rehearsal. Either it’s the text, or, if you’re working with me, you don’t even know what the text is -- so you’re discovering it from scratch. I know it’s very stressful for actors. And yet they do it, which is truly phenomenal. My hat’s off to them," explained Kapoor, who has successfully dabbled as writer, director and actor -- both in movies and theatre.

Describing himself as a "theatre addict", the 64-year-old said it has "some nasha" and he keeps falling for it.

"It gives me great joy. You want to keep doing it. And say, yeah, 'God, I hate it'. But I want to do it again. Yeah, I love it," he told PTI in an interview.

Kapoor often collaborates with a familiar circle of actors. Among his absolute favourites are Vinay Pathak --- who portrays the patriarch in "Karamjale Brothers" -- and Ranvir Shorey, who shared the stage with Pathak in Kapoor’s Macbeth-inspired production "What’s Done Is Done" at the previous edition of DLF.

As for why these two remain his constants, whether in films or plays? Kapoor said, “They are phenomenal actors".

“Ranvir can be just anybody on film. I think he’s terrific. And Vinay can be just anything on stage -- he’s magic. More than that, it’s the kind of will they have, especially Vinay, when it comes to plays. He has been a constant for the last 25 years in everything I’ve done. He has incredible dedication -- he keeps rehearsing and rehearsing, constantly honing his craft.

"And finally, the reason is that they’re both willing to work with me, which makes me very happy and very grateful. I take full advantage of that,” he said, smiling.

Before deciding to adapt Dostoevsky’s novel into a play, which he read on a trip to Moscow with his troupe two years ago and instantly knew he wanted to stage , Kapoor had already built a reputation for reimagining classics.

His work spans several Shakespeare plays and original interpretations, often using clowning as a central theatrical device in productions like "C for Clown", "Hamlet: The Clown Prince", "Nothing Like Lear", "What’s Done Is Done", and "I Don’t Like It As You Like It".

But for Kapoor, whether creating a new play or reworking an existing one, the final production rarely mirrors the original text.

“It’s not really Macbeth or Hamlet that we end up with. It’s really a whole new play," he said.

In fact, he prefers to think of his work not as adaptation, but as "rewriting" -- exploring what the play means today rather than just relocating it from Scotland to Mumbai or updating the language.

So, while staging Macbeth, Kapoor examines ambition, greed, political power, and guilt -- emotions that remain as elemental today as they were centuries ago.

“Human beings have not really evolved all that much in 400 years. We have evolved technologically and industrially, but emotionally, we haven’t. We are still the same animals that we were," he noted.

Kapoor, the three-time National Award-winning director and actor, has a busy year ahead, juggling multiple projects both on stage and on screen.

He is set to present two new plays and will also be directing a film.

"I'm hoping to start my new film next year, which is the most exciting news for me. If all goes well, we'll be shooting in April or May, and it should be ready by the end of the year. As for acting, there’s a lot happening -- lots of things you’ll know very soon," he concluded.

Organised by Alchemist Live, the three-day festival, will showcase seven plays at four different venues across Delhi-NCR -- Siri Fort Auditorium, NCUI Auditorium, OP Jindal Auditorium, and Aurum Conventions in Gurugram.

The lineup includes "Einstein", a solo play performed and directed by veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah; "Dreamz", directed by stalwart Pankaj Kapur and starring Kapur alongside his wife, actor Supriya Pathak; "Autobiography", directed by theatre veteran Lillete Dubey; and several other notable productions. PTI MG MAH MAH