Theatre legend Makarand Deshpande returns after 12 years

After a hiatus of 12 long years, the Capital will once again host legendary theatre veteran Makarand Deshpande. The all-in-one actor, who has also been directing, writing and producing his plays, is coming with one of his most famous plays, ‘Sir Sir Sarla’, as part of the Zee Theatre multi-city tour. In an exclusive interview with DNA’s Heena Khandelwal, Deshpande talks about his journey in to the world of theatre, where reality and make-believe merge to create that mad magic we know of.

What made you write ‘Sir Sir Sarla’? Tell us something about the play.

I wanted to write a play on the subject of love, something that has no boundary. The first time one experiences love outside one’s family is with a teacher. It is one of the most precious and pure relationships, since it is bonded to knowledge. I think everybody has been a student as well as a teacher at some point in their life.  ‘Sir Sir Sarla’ is about a literature professor and his students, the complexity of the relationship, and how you understand it after several years. It is about realisation viz-a-viz the actual experience. This play has been very special, not only for me but for everyone connected with it.

It was first written in 2001, then was turned into a 9-hour play, before being revived in 2012. Which version would reach the Delhiites?

I first wrote the play in 2001. It took me 15-20 days. We performed it at the Prithvi theatre. The response was amazing. People were zapped by its simplicity and poetry. In fact, right after the show, my PR official asked me for the rights of its Gujarati version.  Its second part was written in 2004. In Mumbai, I would perform the two parts back-to-back — first show at 6 pm and second at 9 pm. In Delhi, we would perform the first part on Saturday and the second on Sunday. 

The third part came out in 2006. It was written to clarify some queries. In a way, it was prequel. I was not someone who would revive plays, I wanted to write new plays. Until a doctor in the audience asked me why wouldn’t I revive the play. Finally in 2012, on Kunal Kapoor’s (Prithvi Theatre member) insistence, I revived it. The version that is coming to Delhi is an amalgamation of the first and the second part. It is 135 minutes long.

Your work was often considered incomprehensible until ‘Sir Sir Sarla’ happened. Was it intentional?

Yes, I had decided to write something that nobody could complain of being abstract or incomprehensible. And, the response was overwhelming. The play left an impact on several lives, including those of Ashutosh Gowariker, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani. In fact, all the plays that I have written after 2000 are more understandable in nature.

How do you ensure that your works remain relevant for all the generations, even after decades?

I think every person in the audience should feel the emotion. I can start with a recorded message announcing my play but I prefer talking to the audience for two minutes, which brings them closer to me and the play. This little chat helps me create an environment and achieve that silence needed to begin a show that may belong to a different period.

Tell us about your journey as a playwright. 

The first play I wrote was a children’s play that Sanjana Kapoor was directing for blind students. It was named Kailash Ka Ganpati, and was written in 1990. This was followed by several short plays. After 1993, I started writing full length plays. In 1998, there came a point when I got tired of my own writing. I couldn’t write for almost a year. Then I read Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Chitrangada’ and it inspired me. I started writing poetry afterwards. I didn’t act much till 1998, since I was busy with producing and directing, along with being actively involved in the lighting arrangement.

Did you ever learn acting?

I am a Commerce graduate from the Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics. I didn’t learn acting from anywhere. The only thing I did passionately was theatre. I have been a hardworking person, a dreamer, a sports lover and a traveller, and all these things helped me. I enjoyed being in theatre space so much that it became my own space. I said no to many opportunities in the movies.