16 November,2017 09:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Gaurav Sarkar
Karan Pandit, whose new theatre company will stage its maiden production, talks about being writer, director, and actor in a play centred around nine monologues
For 27-year-old Karan Pandit, 2017 has been a fruitful year; one that has seen him seamlessly sail through roles on and off the big screen, bringing him closer to taking the next big step of starting his own theatre company. Dionysiac was formed barely a few months ago, with the actor at the helm. Their maiden play Single, an ensemble of nine monologues that revolve around some connotation of the word 'single', will debut at Khar's Jeff Goldberg Studio, where Pandit dons multiple hats, of writer, director and actor.
"I had an idea and I wanted to stage it, but to do that, I needed to set up a company," says the Oshiwara resident, who has been part of over 15 productions with some of India's leading theatre groups. "I have been acting since I was 19. So, forming my own company was a natural progression." For Pandit, wearing many hats is second nature. "I've been for plays where a majority of the audience came to watch it simply because of its title," he recalls, adding that simplistic titles are responsible for a good turnout of those who watch the play uninhibited and without preformed notions. "I thought of this word, 'single', which has a broad spectrum of meanings - and felt I could write a few monologues around it. I wrote a piece and read it out to my sister, who liked it. When I was done writing the last piece, I started with casting and came up with a name for the company."
Karan Pandit (centre and above, right) rehearses with the cast at the Jeff Goldberg Studio in Bandra. Pics/Atul Kamble
Describing Single as a collection of stories rather than one broad-based larger story, he says: "It's a bit like jazz - the monologues aren't connected. The sole link is that each story is an interpretation of the word 'single'. The nine stories are based on different characters, and settings. The play's idea is to entertain, and while doing that, stimulate your emotions. Most of the monologues start out funny, and then take a dramatic turn. But overall, the show is more funny than dramatic." What about the nerves, we ask. The youngest-ever recipient of the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) says, "I am nervous. But I have a good team."
On November 17 to December 2
At The Jeff Goldberg Studio, Bandra West.
Log on to bookmyshow.com for timings
Entry Rs.250
