Theatre personalities Rajit Kapur and Faezeh Jalali on what performing on stage means to them, multitasking in the medium, and their shared love for health food
Rajit Kapur and Faezeh Jalali enjoy a meal at Lemon Leaf in Andheri West. Pics/Sneha Kharabe
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On a busy Monday packed with a look test for his upcoming film and other appointments, and rehearsals for the staging of her play later this week, senior theatre persons Rajit Kapur and Faezeh Jalali squeeze in some time for a conversation over lunch at Lemon Leaf in Andheri West.
The two have worked together in several plays, such as Djinns of eidgah and One on One, as actors, directors and writers, and it's easy to tell that theatre is more than a vocation for the duo. Through the conversation, their eyes light up as they explain what a live performance entails, and why Mumbai is a thriving city for theatre.
Faezeh: I am so happy to be doing this with you.
Rajit: Whatever kind of association we have had together, there's always been an honesty about it. And that still continues. So, it doesn't matter that I am meeting Faezeh after six months, because we pick up right where we left off. She walks in with such good energy; it really helps make the other person comfortable.
Faezeh: Well said (chuckles). And thank you. Whenever you go into a rehearsal room with Rajju, you feel at home. He has a really playful quality about him. Also, he is a multitasker. So, just after a scene, I see him packing up things we won't need later, and the next moment, he is back on the stage, all serious and in character.
Rajit: Actually, this is one thing we share in common. And we probably function that way. We complain about having too much on our plate, but that's how we like it.
(Spicy Salmon Sushi Roll with Pickles, Wasabi Prawns with Mango Salsa and Vietnamese Pho arrive)
Rajit: (biting into the sushi) Oh, this is really good. I am going to come back for this.
Snigdha: So, do you have any food mantras before a performance?
Faezeh: I have a toilet mantra (laughs)! But, in all seriousness, I try not to eat right before a show.
Rajit: I like to eat something at least an hour before a show.
Faezeh: We are both health food junkies. So, Rajit brings lots of roasted nuts and sprouts, and we munch on them.
Rajit: What I carry can't just be called a lunchbox; it's paraphernalia.
Snigdha: How has theatre in Mumbai evolved over the years?
Rajit: Until a few years ago, plays were for middle-aged audiences. Now, you'll not only spot 20-year-olds enjoying a play as spectators, but also on stage. That's why you have so many younger groups that have blossomed and grown in the city. Today, Mumbai is far more active in theatre than any other city in India.
Faezeh: The theatre community itself is very giving, whether it comes to the exchange of resources, or suggesting replacements. We have crowd-funded projects, too, now. There's also the fact that people are now using alternative spaces and smaller venues to stage plays. Because Mumbai is starved for space, the focus has shifted to creating new venues instead of waiting to hire existing ones. Whether you are starting out or have been around, there is a venue for everybody.
Rajit: Cafes, pubs, even restaurants are opening up to not just stand-up comedians, but also for music and poetry sessions, story readings and supper theatre.
Snigdha: Both of you have worked across theatre, films and television. Would it be difficult to pick one as a favourite medium?
Faezeh: I pick theatre.
Rajit: Oh, there's no question about it. It's very difficult for film people to understand somebody who is addicted to theatre; that there's a professional attitude, ethics and a level of commitment that work in theatre. There are times when many of us have let good monetary offers in films go because we've had a show.
Faezeh: Absolutely.
Rajit: What you see is the final product, but the journey of rehearsing, exploring, discovering and then presenting is the real high.
Faezeh: Also, theatre is so hands-on. You are involved in so many things at the same time. When you get on a film set, you just have to sit...
Rajit: And wait.
Faezeh: In films, your part in its creation is very isolated.
Rajit: The integration of things in theatre is very organic; we are involved in it at so many levels. Therefore, I consider theatre to be a meditative high.
Faezeh: Yes, it is! And theatre is not easy, with regard to money and getting actors' dates to match. But, you enjoy that struggle too.
Rajit: All of us wish it would pay us enough to survive, so we won't have to do anything else.
Faezeh: It's just our need to stay connected in a live form. There's so much satisfaction in it that you put aside the money. If an actor could only work in theatre productions and earn enough from it, that would be something.
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