'Theatre is like meditation for me, and I absolutely love it,' says Aahana S. Kumra

Aahana S. Kumra plays the titular role in Zee Theatre's play Sir Sir Sarla. In an exclusive chat with The Free Press Journal, she talks about her experience while performing on stage, director Makarand Deshpande, and more. Excerpts:

Do you feel theatre is the toughest medium to perform?

I won't say it's the toughest medium to perform, but it is the one that demands the most dedication. It demands your entire focus, and you cannot be distracted by phone calls or social media while rehearsing. When you are performing for over three hours on stage, your attention cannot waver. So theatre is like meditation for me, and I absolutely love it. But what you get in return is immeasurably precious. For Sir Sir Sarla, a family comes all the way from Patna and takes the front row every single time. We always have a houseful show at least four to five days in advance, with people scrambling for tickets.

How has theatre helped you evolve as an actor?

Theatre is a lot like life. There are no retakes. And as in life, so in theatre, "The show must go on." We have to continue acting and living by these words. In both, you have to own up to your mistakes and move on. It really does help you to focus despite so many distractions. I always encourage young kids to do theatre because it has helped me not just as an actor but in so many different ways. I am a better actor and person today also because of the mentors and actors I have worked with. Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Makarand sir, and Akarsh Khurana are some of the most fantastic actors that I could learn from.

How was it working with Makarand? Is he a demanding director?

He is a very loving and giving director and somebody who loves to teach. And you know, it is because of the love that he gives you that you gain so much energy. He wants you to grow, to be better every day and with every show. He wants to experience every performance, every word, every line that you say. He knows the kind of actors he wants to work with. Yet he experiments with each one of them, and in his madness lies a profound sense of calm.

Tell us something about your character in the play Sir Sir Sarla...

It took me a long time and multiple shows to understand Sir Sir Sarla. Every time I step on stage and say the same lines, they take on different meanings. Makarand sir always says, "Natak ghatate ghatate hi ghatata hai..." (A play slowly plays itself out). It takes a long time to understand the intricacies of any character. And Sarla is a very complex character, so the more I performed her, the more I became her.

Go on...

A lot of her lines come alive for me when I'm sitting alone, having a conversation, or even doing interviews sometimes. The play, in the end, is simply about love. The play conveys, "Prem likhne mein sankshipt hai par bhulne me arsa lag jata hai". Love is such a short word, but it takes forever to forget. Sarla is lost once she gets married, and she tries to hold onto her past until she meets the past again and then realises that she has to move forward. I feel this massive ownership towards Sarla and the play, and it has been an absolute joy to perform both.

What is happening on the film front and web series?

I have a series called Avrodh (season two) which I shot for in December. And there's a film by Madhur Bhandarkar, India Lockdown, which I worked on last year, and it should be out later this year. Then there's another film Salaam Venky directed by Revathy, which I am currently working on where Kajol is playing the lead. I have an interesting part in it.