UA Exclusive| Bharat Dabholkar: Theatre Is Much More Satisfying, Cinema Is All About Box Office Numbers

Bharat Dabholkar, a theatre personality is known for his varied roles in movies like One Two Ka Four, The Xpose, Ta Ra Rum Pum and many more. He is back with a new play Double Deal Reloaded in which he is playing the lead role opposite Manjari Fadnis. The play is not directed by him but Mahesh Dattani.

 

UrbanAsian got a chance to interview Bharat. Here he spoke at length about his dual character in Double Deal Reloaded and about how he finds theatre more satisfying than cinema.

 

 

1. Can you tell us about your character in Double Deal Reloaded?

 

There are two characters in the play. And both are multilayered characters. So the things starts as a friendly happy background. A lot of onion being peeled and then half the time you don’t know whose right and who’s wrong. So the character keeps changing as the play progresses. I don’t have a fixed character. I am a very friendly guy who is flirting and then I get dangerous all of a sudden. It constantly changes.

 

 

2. What was that one thing that made you say to the role?

 

I have written and directed 32 plays till now, in which I have done small roles. I have never ever done a play in my life which is not written or directed by me and had such a big major role. I have never worked with Mahesh Dattani. I had heard a lot about him and seen his plays. My way of directing a play is different than that of Mahesh. So it was a learning experience for me. Manjiri who is a film actress, for the first time she will be performing a play. It was a great experience working with her also.

 

3. How has it been with AGP World?

 

I have started with AGP before it was called AGP. My first play was the first play that was performed in AGP. It was called Circus. My relation with Ashvin Gidwani is for the last 20 years. We have done many plays together. Different kinds of play like Tamasha. We did a children play called Panchatantra. We did the New Bottom Love, Blame It For Yashraj and many more.

 

4. What is your insight about Spotlight?

 

Ashvin over the years has done a lot of plays with different people. These plays have happened at different times in different venues. So in his mind he wanted to showcase all the plays together at one venue. So it was more of showcasing different genre of plays.

 

5. What are you more comfortable doing- Cinema or Theatre?

 

Working in film is 1% of working in theatre. Theatre is much more satisfying. Cinema is all about Box-Office numbers. The best thing about theatre is it is live, so we get the response instantly and can work on that in our next play. Every time you go on stage, you know what the audiences like or not. It is an ever growing, ever-changing field. Theatre gives you the chance to change things if you want to. A film once shot cannot be changed. But it is not so in terms of plays.

 

6. What’s next?

 

People are after me to direct films which I am avoiding. I have written a thing that many want me to direct as a film. So let’s see maybe next year after this.