Art & Culture
“Make Theater Cool, the Younger Generation will get into it” Randeep Hooda
By dhanushag
Published: February 20 2010
After the first successful stints in the city, the reenactment of Samuel Becket’s play ‘Waiting for Godot’, Naseerudin Shah, Benjamin Gilani, Akash Khurana and Randeep Hooda bring ‘Godot’ back to town.
From L- R: Benjamin Gilani, Akash Khurana and Randeep HoodaCast and crew of ‘Waiting for Godot‘, including Benjamin Gilani, Akash Khurana and Randeep Hooda caught up with members of the media saying that they all await a better future for theater in the country. Waiting for Godot” is Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece which is considered to be the most significant play written in the 20th century. “Nothing happens, twice” and time stands still in the act of waiting for someone who never appears. ‘Waiting for Godot’ will be enacted at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, on Saturday 20th February.
Though Shah was missing on the panel due to a personal problems, Gilani said that, “Theater is one of the oldest forms of performing arts, and has managed to survive because people like us are hopeful that things will improve”. Gilani also added that the disparity between theater and commercial cinema has always existed, and there is plenty to be done in India in terms of theater. He said that there weren’t enough venues for theater as compared to the number of multiplexes. “You can’t run theater on love and fresh air. You get you’re results when you’re play opens to the public, and a lot of theaters close down because they are gasping for breath. Though I am not very sure of the situation in the South, it’s pretty prevalent up North” added Gilani.
What does Godot mean? “It’s being optimistic. We know that out Godot, by which we mean the audience, will come and make things better for everyone associated with this art” said Gilani.
The actors felt that the there is not enough money in theater, and that’s why it was in such a bad state. “And another problem with Indian theater is that it is not endemic. You have brilliant Gujarati, Marathi and plays of the vernacular language. How do you travel with one state to the other with that?” said Gilani. The actors said that encouraging the younger generation can be of great help to the development of theater. “Encouraging the younger generation by giving theater a cool edge can really encourage theater in the country. I do movies for money but if you ask me, I think theater satisfies me more as an actor” said Hooda.
Cast of Waiting for Godot along with Arundhati Ghosh- Deputy Director of India Foundation of the ArtsOne of the main subjects that the cast discussed about was the encouragement of drama in schools and universities. Khurana thinks that drama needs to be encouraged in grass root levels to change situations. “Let’s involve our kids here. I got pulled into drama when I was in school, and now my son is doing the same. People have to show some interest” added Khurana. “It’s not just the kids in schools and universities, even the government should step in” added Hooda.
