24 March,2009 08:54 AM IST | | Sumana B Jayanth
Actor, theatre person and executive director of IFA Anmol Vellani says after an epic play like Woyzeck he will be working on the dramatic monologues of Robert Browning Intense: Anmol Vellani
Why did you choose a play like Woyzeck?
Woyzeck is the first play in western drama, which politicised tragedy, where the common man is the victim. The play explores lust, infidelity, brutality, depravity and murder with a radical vision and compact intensity unequalled in the history of drama. I believe in doing plays that give me some sense of satisfaction. Tragedy is usually portrayed as an external force. But in Woyzeck, a man's actions create a complex web around him that traps him. The play, set in 19th century Prussia, is about oppression, its causes and consequences.
You've been in theatre for 35 years. How would you describe these long years?
I count myself lucky to be born into a family of artistes. My father, Zul Vellani, has been actor, director and writer. As a toddler, my parents would carry me to rehearsals. My earliest memories are of the green room! When I made Slawomir Mrozek's Tango, I was over the moon because I directed my father in this play for the lead role. I also did Aur Raja Margaya. I directed a Tamil play in England with a troupe called Koothu Patharai. I had four productions in Cambridge, where I did my PhD.u00a0
How was the experience of working with your father? Were you nervous?
Dad was a complete professional on stage. Our relationship did not matter on stage. He was the actor and I, the director.u00a0
After Woyzeck, what next?
I am planning to work on the dramatic monologues of Robert Browning. Woyzeck was an epic play. I have worked with many actors for this one play. In contrast, the dramatic monologues will have three solos. And after that I want to work on Franz Kafka's Trial. It will take me six months to write the new version of the script. It is about a legal case, where the protagonist doesn't know why is he on trial.
Does every play need to have a social message?
I like to work on meaningful stories. There have been times when I have not worked on any play for years because nothing would interest me. I need to come up with projects that stoke the fire within me. It has nothing to do with the social messages. There are some plays that don't carry any social message but they are deeply meaningful to me as an individual.
