Double Deal, straight talk
NANDINI NAIR
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Sandhya Mridul reveals her theatre sense with “Double Deal”
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For a high Sandhya Mridul says she loves performing.
She doesn’t only take challenges, she chases them and seizes them. Sandhya Mridul was recently seen in Ashvin Gidwani’s play “Double Deal”, with Mahesh Manjrekar, directed by Mahesh Dattani. Having premiered in January, the pl
ay has had around 15 shows in different cities and has even travelled to Dubai.
With only two actors, the one and a half long play is built around an encounter between two strangers. Calling it “a suspense”, Mridul is unwilling to divulge its details. But she is forthcoming, while describing the experience, “It was a memory test. I always aspired to be an actor and not a star.”
The play has been staged in three languages. As Mridul says, “It is not just English and Hindi but it is in Hinglish too.” Admitting this is difficult, she explains, “In Dubai we had an English show followed by a Hindi show. That was very difficult, as it is not just about translating, since the nuances are different too.”
While Mridul has acted only in school and college productions, Manjrekar is a veteran on the Marathi stage. “I am never daunted,” says Mridul, “I am a big absorber.” She uses opportunities to work with veterans like Shabana Azmi (in “Honeymoon Travels”), Shefali Chhaya (in “Banegi Apni Baat”) and Manjrekar as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Mridul’s only previous professional theatre experience has been with Lilette Dubey’s “Zen Katha”. A short role, she recounts, “I was, somehow, not convinced. I don’t work for the sake of it. I do it because I love it.” She agreed to be part of “Double Deal” as she knew of Manjrekar’s histrionic skills and had heard that Dattani was not just a great director but a “fabulous man”.
Theatre provides live critics, and that is its biggest appeal, feels Mridul. She revels in the challenge of making the audience sit up and pay heed. “The minute we feel we are losing the audience, Manjrekar and I treble our efforts. In a film, there is nothing you can do. A film comes and goes. In theatre, you can try and set things right.”
She confesses that she cannot watch herself on screen. Running away from hairdressers and makeup artists, she reveals, “Sometimes I think I have acted ok. But I always think I am looking like…!”
Over the next year, Mridul has four movies releasing, including “Via Darjeeling”, “DVD”, “The Great Indian Butterfly” and “Chowki”. While “The Great Indian Butterfly” is an English movie, “DVD” is a thriller.
With her platter full, she adds, “I love performing. It connects me to various facets of myself. It gives me a high.”
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