Televising theatre is necessary to evolve the theatre as a medium: Vikram Kochhar

MUMBAI: Tata Sky Theatre has been showcasing the cinematic experience of the best plays & performances from the finest theatre groups. One such play is Pagla Ghoda, An adaptation of Badal Sarkar's classic Bengali play. Pagla Ghoda revolves around four men from different walks of life, and their conversation at the funeral of an unknown woman. As they sit at the crematorium ground, discussing the mystery of the young woman’s death, secrets from their own past gradually come to the fore. Actor Vikram Kochhar who plays the character of Shashi in the play talks about his experience. 

Tell us about your journey as an actor

Also read: Vikram Kochhar roped in for ALTBalaji's Dr. Donn

After the National School of Drama, I started looking for work in Mumbai, and things were difficult in this city of dreams. As a NSD student, we were always performing plays, and that’s how I started my career as an actor. Surviving in Mumbai was a struggle since I was from a different city, and that’s when I received an opportunity to be part of India’s Broadway-style play, Zangoora - The Gypsy Prince in Delhi. This play made me financially stable and helped me survive in Mumbai. Like every actor, I struggled too, and when I started getting roles, people started recognizing my work. I started working in a TV series and films along with theatre.   

How is it different while shooting a cine play and performing live in front of an audience?

There is a lot of difference between a cine play and a theatre play. When you perform live, you go in a flow till the end, while in a cine play, we take a break and focus on details required while shooting. Considering you don’t get responses from the audience for your performance, actors and directors balance it out with other effects. Performing and shooting both require equal insight. What makes a cine play unique is that we can touch upon various aspects that the writer wants to showcase. Both the mediums have their perks.  

Pagla Ghoda is a classic play that was performed by many theatre groups. How do you think this play is different from others?

I have seen a lot of groups performing on Pagla Ghoda before, but I can guarantee that this is the best performance on Pagla Ghoda. Televising a play means giving importance to the smallest of the details.  We had the liberty to change a few nuances when we were shooting this. 

How was your experience working with your Co-stars?

I was working with these artists for the first time. However, as we worked together, we became friends. Even though Chitrangada Chakraborty was the only female cast in the play, she brought in different energy on the set. Because she came from a different background, we got to learn from her too. It was fun shooting. 

Is televising helping or taking away the theatre as a medium.

Art allows you to explore. Televising theatre is necessary to evolve the theatre as a medium. Even though we don’t get reactions from a Live audience, it has helped us to reach out to a newer set of audience. However, we also need to keep in mind that the essence of theatre is not lost. The audience can imagine things in live play, but when you televise it, the audience expects more, and that’s what is getting lost in this medium. There is a lot of restriction currently, and we need a platform to keep the theatre alive.

Also read: Tridha Choudhury and Vikram Kochhar in Prakash Jha’s next on MX Player