The Hindu : New Delhi News : Films yes, but she roots for theatre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 05, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Films yes, but she roots for theatre

OLD HAND: "Government should come forward and sponsor plays otherwise theatre will die out." — Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

Bitten by the acting bug early in life and now after numerous plays and films, accomplished artiste Sushma Seth feels concerned over the state of affairs in the world of theatre. She talks to Madhur Tankha...

As a child she loved watching the plays of the legendary Prithviraj Kapoor. Small wonder then that Sushma Seth was bitten by the acting bug early in life and grew up to become a versatile and accomplished artiste, creating magic on stage, television and films with her skills.

Sharing her childhood memories, Sushma says in the late 1940s she watched three plays produced by Prithviraj Kapoor. "As a child Prithvi Theatres had such an impact on my mind that I decided to do theatre. I still remember Prithvirajji with a `jhola' collecting funds for refugees outside Regal theatre in Delhi. There was magic on stage and it moved me."

However, Sushma did not use theatre as a stepping-stone to Bollywood. "I did plays in Hindi, English and Urdu and worked with theatre personalities like Sai Paranjpye. Those days people taught or did other work in the morning and did theatre in the evening. Everyone was dedicated and devoted to the medium. In the late 1970s I formed the Children's Creative Theatre." Stating that not getting paid properly for theatre was the only non-professional thing, Sushma says playwrights did not have a financial incentive then. "Even now there is no financial backing for theatre. I feel the government should come forward and sponsor plays otherwise theatre will die out. The corporate sector should also come forward in a big way to support theatre." Acclaimed filmmaker Shyam Benegal was casting actors for his film "Junoon" and Sushma seemed the right choice. "The nicest thing was to be seen by such a large number of people. Before the film's release, I had done plays for 20 years. Barring Delhiites, hardly anyone came for the plays. But the reach of films is tremendous. As a performing artiste the biggest draw is that you want people to see your work."

Sushma came alive on the small screen with "Hum Log". She says acting in the first soap opera on Doordarshan with other actors was like a family experience. "We would go through our scripts, rehearse the lines and hang around as the shooting used to continue till about 3 a.m. I feel that ABCL's `Dekh Bhai Dekh' was closest to what I am. My character did social work and saw to it that she was fair to both her child and daughter-in-law. She wanted to keep the whole family including her two sons -- played by Naveen Nischal and Shekhar Suman -- together."

Dharma Production's hit film "Kal Ho Na Ho" saw her playing an orthodox granny who had an axe to grind with her daughter-in-law (played by Jaya Bachchan) as she held her responsible for her son's death. Admitting that her character was "besuri" (unmusical) not only while singing but also in her whole attitude, Sushma says it was great fun playing a "little unreasonable person". Though she has played various genres of roles on stage, Sushma has been typecast as a mother or grandmother in Hindi films.

Sushma is now preoccupied with her work with Arpana, a non-government organisation working with people evicted from resettlement colonies in South Delhi and now settled on Mathura Road. Sushma says she is teaching the children drama and music to make them better persons.

"We are also raising awareness about AIDS, family planning and teaching skills to teenagers so that they can stand on their own feet. We want to change the children's mindset and give them direction. It is a very satisfying experience."

Sushma acted alongside Shah Rukh Khan in "Deewana" and "Kal Ho Na Ho". But she knew him since his theatre days when he was working with Barry John in Delhi. "Shah Rukh Khan has tremendous energy and vitality," says the actress.

The lack of financial incentive in theatre worries Sushma as she wants it to become more popular. "Unfortunately nobody pays royalties. We have playwrights like Vijay Tendulkar and Girish Karnad whose plays have been translated into regional languages. But not many plays are being written. The struggle in the theatre world is continuing, but quality continues to be excellent. I hope the new generation goes to theatre and promotes it."

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