Theatre
I love to do acting. I do get nervous all the time. A few deep breaths and back on stage.
Only a few people know, my "first" formal education was a short diploma from the National School of Drama. The fire of acting did not receive much parental oxygen and it stayed there inside. I kept it warm by acting here and there. Sometimes in school, sometimes in university, sometimes as a coping mechanism.
Here is one of my earliest pictures acting as a lead character : "Shomu". I forgot what the story was about. But I know I was a poor farmer, who had to wear a Dhoti. I have lovely memories of my late grandfather helping me tie it and then when he could not, we went to his late friends at 9pm, woke the poor guy up and asked him to teach me how to tie the dhoti. We managed to have something you see in this picture. If you identify me in this picture, I will invite you out for a dinner.
Apart from being a depressing film, Anand, the movie did have some nice jewels of one-liners. Like this one
That is an interpretation of friendly neighbourhood director, Shakespeare's words
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.
Apart from mate Shakespeare, Nāṭya Śāstra / नाट्य शास्त्र, the Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts has been quite inspiring to me. I believe that theatre is 'the' most fundamental way of telling stories and for me is the king (or the highest order) of performing arts.
So, quite recently the embers of acting were blown upon. This time by my ex-roommate, Isabel. I joined an acting class and did a show that interpreted the popular rom-com, Love Actually. I acted as a priest, a BBC reporter, and a writer who falls in love with a Spanish girl (been there done that) and then proposes her (ahem!!).
Here are some pictures from the play
Thanks to all who came.