Beautiful. Memorable. Painful.

Quotes like these make wonderful titles. Maybe someday an autobiography. Aseem Hattangady has enough anecdotes and opinions to write one fairly soon. Here's a sneak peek.

Let me begin with the tough question, the obvious but tough question. As an actor, theatre or film and why?

Well, that is a very, very, very tough question to answer. Now that I have dabbled in both mediums, I can safely say I don't know because I have found fun and joy in both mediums. I was partial to the theatre. I think I will always be.

But there is so much joy in acting in front of a camera as well, as I am now learning slowly. I've done a lot of dubbing work too. I dub Hindi films or web series into English and if they're in English, I dub them into Hindi or Marathi.  

I guess it's like cricket. You love playing cricket, you can play a test match, you can play one day, you can play a T20, as long as you're playing cricket, it's the same.

I just love acting and whatever the medium... It doesn't matter as long as I'm acting.

And a quick follow up, as a member of the audience, same question. 

Here I'd like to take a stand. I think watching a live performance is really what brings a lot of joy. 

However, you can never watch yourself on stage. So if it's a film you're in, there's a thrill when you're in an auditorium or you're in a screening. And the lights get dim and then this 5.1 Dolby Digital sound comes on and then you have these big images, production houses and your name in the cast. And that's another epic feeling. Not sure I held to my stand, but what the hell.

You're a theatre baby too, like the Khurana brothers. Did you know each other growing up, via your families? What's your first recollection of meeting Akvarious?

Well yes, I am a proud, proud, proud theatre baby. But we actually didn't know each other growing up. We didn't meet each other even in social situations, it's quite sad. I knew of Akash sir, of course because, as an actor, because he was in two of my favourite films, Saaransh and Sarfarosh...

But the first time I actually met Akarsh was quite by chance. I was called in to step in for an actor in Trishla Patel's play called Kum Katha. That's a whole other story. But it was on that show's opening, before the show when Akarsh actually came up to me and said, "I'm going to be watching you". And I was very nervous. But I needn't have been, because that led to Rebecca.

Rebecca (2010-11) with Aahana Kumra, Divyang Thakkar, Pavitra Sarkar & Tahira Nath. Directed by Meera Khurana.

Chaitnya Sharma, Amol Parashar and Aseem heading home after a tour of Spunk

Yes, and after Rebecca, there was Bombed, A Special Bond 3, many others with Verdict being the latest. What makes you say yes every time?

The kind of plays he picks up, you know, Bombed, Rebecca, Spunk, Verdict... As an actor, you get to do such different productions. And I also love the group, the vibe, I love them all. So why would you say no? 

Also if I'm terribly honest, it's Akarsh as well. If you ask anyone, it'll most probably be that. Akarsh is that guy who holds it all together. He makes you feel valued, he'll work around other commitments you have, he's understanding. So when Akarsh asks you, you say yes. 

For example, with Verdict, when the play came about, I was shooting for a series. So I told Akarsh there might not be time. He says, "No, no, we'll work around that. You just, just do the play". And I was like, yeah. And thank God I did it.

Also he feeds you well. 

I remember when you were on tour with Bombed, in Bangalore. You had a bloody encounter with a hockey stick, wielded by the perhaps aptly named Lucky Vakharia. Do you remember it? 

My hockey-head incident at Jagriti. One does not forget when you get your head cracked open on stage.

So. This was the last scene. I play an inspector called Sudarshan Damle and I'm pointing a gun at two characters played by Chaitnya Sharma and Amey Wagh. And while I'm threatening them, Aunty Fiona (played by Lucky Vakharia) is supposed to come and kind of push me and the gun's supposed to slip out of my hand and I'm supposed to fall on the ground, turn and then she comes to hit me again and then I hold her hockey stick and Amey picks up the fallen gun and shoots me. And we go to a blackout. That's how it was planned.

A few scenes before Mr. Hockey Head

What ended up happening was this. Aunty Fiona, that's Lucky, comes and pushes me, the gun falls out of my hand, I fall on the floor and before I could turn to face her she hits me on the head with the stick. I remember there was a distinct sound. The blackout (of the lights) afterwards was the only thing that went as planned.

I get off stage and all of a sudden I feel something wet in my hair and when I touch it, it's blood. Minimal crew, so there's noone backstage. 

So I stumble my way through the green room, I climb up two floors and get into the tech booth where Akarsh is on lights, wait till the end of the play, another 4-5 minutes. Then show Akarsh my hand which is full of blood, we rush to the hospital, we get stitches, bandage, the works.  

And there's a strange sense of pride because I literally bled on the stage, for the stage.

So that was beautiful, memorable, and painful. 

What do you think actors should do when involved in such incidents? I ask this because the term self-care is now high on everyone's list. And there are two distinct camps, provided the injury or incident is relatively minor. Are you in the camp that says the show must go on, or do you think it's okay to take a time out? 

At that time, I managed to continue to do the shows. There was of course some concern because I got hit on the head, what if there's brain injury and stuff. But that was sorted out because my father-in-law is a neurosurgeon so he heard the whole thing and said okay let's just take this medicine and if you feel nausea or if you feel any dizziness just don't go on again but ultimately it was not a very deep cut. So I could go on. 

However, I think I would now be a little more careful now. 

You can stop, it's okay. Your health should come first because if you're in good health the show is going to be a good show and then the audience is going to have fun and you're going to have fun so...

So I guess I'm in the camp that says don't be a fool, don't be a hero. The show must go on, but so must you. 

And speaking of lucky co-actors. Who is your favourite person to have shared the stage with? 

I have shared the stage with so many, so many, so many actors now that the list would be endless, believe me. But however, for me, the one co-actor who I always wanted to be on stage with and I got a chance was Mr. Naseeruddin Shah. That was one of my high moments. 

Basically my favorite co-actor is anyone who's involved in the process. Who is trying his or her best to be in their characters as much as possible. And who likes to duel and explore.

Now let's talk about that solo piece, where you didn't need a co-actor. Quarantine Shakespeare, I think it was called? Where did the idea for it come from? Did you enjoy writing it? 

Yes, it was called Quarantine Shakespeare. Well, the idea came just as the lockdowns began. I remember the Prime Minister had asked us to bang our utensils. Do you remember that? Bang our plates and spoons and... And I remember thinking, it was the 1600s when the Black Plague happened in England. And this banging of utensils was done to drive away ghosts because they thought that the plague was caused by evil spirits.

I mean, 600 years later, we are doing the same thing!??

And from there, I started to find parallels. In those days it was the King who decreed this. And the town criers, who were the newsmen of the day, were giving different reports in different villages as to why the plague had been caused. And here today, on television, 10 different people are saying 10 different things about the virus, and the pandemic and the cures... 

This Black Plague was at a time when Shakespeare was writing. So I thought why don't we just re-imagine if Shakespeare was born in today's day and age, in my circumstances, what would he sound like and what would he say? 

And I absolutely enjoyed writing it. I absolutely enjoyed writing it because I have always loved reading and reciting Shakespeare. I mean, I have most of them by heart. Richard III and Taming of the Shrew and King Lear's speech. And there is a book, a series of books I have called No Fear Shakespeare. Where on one side there's the passage written in how Shakespeare had written it. And on the right-hand side is the English plain language version. So I used that as a sort of guide and had a really, really fun time writing and performing that piece. 

On to The Verdict. What is the play about, for you? 

Well, the play for me is about the story of the underdog: how the underdog battles and how the underdog wins. And I think universally we are primed and programmed to love stories like these.

The Verdict is not just a courtroom drama. It's about standing up for what is right. I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories. I think all of us are.

Rehearsals of The Verdict. L-R: Akash Khurana, Zafar Karachiwala, Bishakha Thapa and Aseem

The Verdict must have done about 15-20 shows by now? Is it easy to sustain as an actor? Do you generally need rehearsal before a run? 

Well, it is easy to sustain because every time we rehearse The Verdict, I find something new that I hadn't thought about before. I actually found many things after five shows and I'll probably find more at this run. So that's how good a play it is.

And do I generally need rehearsals before a run? Absolutely. I love rehearsals. I love rehearsals. And I need rehearsals to remember what I had done earlier. I need rehearsals to figure out something new if it can be done. And as you asked me the first question about screen, even for screen, before a take, I will need to rehearse. I always rehearse.

And now, just for fun, if we were to compare a 2-hour, multi-actor shows like The Verdict and your 10-minute Shakespeare solo, which is easier to do? Again, because the short format seems to have taken over our lives. Whether it's short attention spans or rising costs, everyone wants micro theatre. But I find it much more difficult to create a compelling narrative in 10 minutes, than a full play. You?   

I have two thoughts on this. First, that time is relative. I remember very distinctly watching Abida Parveen, the great Sufi singer. She had come for a concert called Aman ki Asha. It was a three-hour concert and I don't know where that concert went. I was like, oh, is it over? So those three hours just passed in a flash.

Second, I'm a firm believer that finally we serve the audience. What do they want? I know, this is a great debate that could go on forever. 

But they're both valid points. 10 minutes may not be enough time to create a compelling narrative, but your audience might want it. It's your job to find it, without believing one or the other is easier. Or better.

Both are difficult. Both need rehearsals. Verdict and Quarantine Shakespeare both are difficult. I enjoy both of them, but I can't say which is easier to do. Both have their own crap that can go wrong or stuff that can go right. 

Now back to Akvarious for the last couple of questions. 25 years for an Indian theatre company. I know there are several, but they are rare. And rarer now. Given your unique perspective of both Marathi commercial theatre and urban Bombay theatre, what do you think it takes for a company to sustain today? What advice would you give, to someone starting a company in the 2020s, to see the 2040s?

The clearest piece of advice I'd like to share is that groups should understand economics. The economics of the theatre. They need to keep up with the times. I know many groups who have fallen behind because they couldn't adapt to the demands of today's world.

Get the word out there using the tools and technology of today. Constantly attempt to reach a new audience. Create stuff for that newer audience.

And don't forget that just because you need to get a bigger audience doesn't mean you compromise your artistic quality. How do you manage that tightrope? I think the tightrope is going to be what determines whether a group sustains or not.

That's the advice I would give groups starting out now.

And finally, what do you wish for Akvarious over the next 25 years?

I wish to see a grand Akvarious 2050 festival. If they just continue to promote talent the way they have. By creating space, creating new work, with integrity and passion and intelligence, I'm sure that Festival will happen, and it will be a banger. I can't wait to see it. 

The team of Special Bond 3 at Prithvi Theatre

UPCOMING SHOWS

The Verdict

May 18 | 6pm

Rangshila Theatre, Andheri

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About the weekend: Akvarious are celebrating 25 years of theatre. And while the anniversary is in December, we're doing loads of things all year long. One of the ambitious ideas is microfests, which are basically venue takeovers, where we do a whole of theatre and theatre related stuff and create a very packed weekend. The second one is this weekend at Bombay's newest auditorium - Rangshila Theatre. We're doing some theatre games, workshops, free events and discounted student passes as well. Swing by!