Pati, Patni Aur Main... in Patna

He last performed the satirical play Pati, Patni Aur Main, directed by Ramesh Talwar — across India and the world in 2001, returning to it last year and now, for the first time, took it to his hometown, Patna. Laughing at the irony, Shatrughan Sinha says, “Can you believe it? But I have to say, it felt good to finally bring my theatrical thunder to my own town.”

Says Shatru, “I had enjoyed performing the play in 2001 and my brief stint on stage. And I had hoped to be back. But somehow, because of  my various political and film commitments, I never got around to it. In 2015, on January 19, a day after my son’s marriage, I returned to stage. I felt it was time for me to re-invent myself.”

The decision to return to the floorboards may have been Sonakshi’s suggestion. And Shotgun admits, “It’s tough. The two mediums of cinema and theatre are very different from one another. But I am up to it.”

He adds, “It felt good to perform my play in Patna. Pati Patni Aur Main has naughty lines, but no dirty humour. It is a wholesome play and we keep it updated. References to the Censor Board and all its controversies have now been added to the play. We hope it will have a longer life than any Indian play staged across the world.”