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PHOTO: BHAGYA PRAKASH K.

Cut ’n’ driedNayantara Roy: ‘I like saying as little as possible’

When writer-actor Nayantara Roy wrote scripts in school, the plays “had nuns and were full of Biblical themes”. Says the Mumbai-based Roy who left Bangalore five years ago: “As a young convent-school-going girl, your social issues and structures are limited and contained.” Then, like many script-writers with a script, but a dearth of actors, Roy took on roles and felt that she could act as well.

Having interned as a journalist at NDTV in the city, Roy moved from TV journalism to feature-writing, dabbling alongside in commercials. “I love writing food and film reviews as a hobby”, she says. Moving to Mumbai was when Roy decided she wanted to make a full-time career out of acting. “Like many actors, I’ve done a variety of plays — from classical to original productions.” As an actor in Bangalore, I found myself in a comfort-zone – comfort is death.” For her, the move to Mumbai was a move “to the harshest realities where you fight for everything, from stage-space to resources, something that is comparatively easier to get in Bangalore.” She asserts, “You have to be hungry, you have to have that edge”, she says, maintaining that “Mumbai is a place of opportunities”.

In Bangalore to conduct the Ranga Shankara children’s summer theatre workshop “Summer Express” with actor Jaimini Pathak, she feels that it’s better engaging with children. “Children come without any baggage – they are not bound by the complexities and principles of theatrical traditions and always ask questions!” she laughs.

Roy maintains that the 10-day workshop was not meant to teach children how to act. “We provided the setting and techniques so that the children could explore acting as a craft and take it on from there.” She says that it was an exhausting but joyful experience where they introduced “some of the greats including Beckett to Chekhov”.

From acting in the English screen-writer Patrick Marber’s “Closer” and Chandrasekhar Kambara’s colourful “Tukra’s Dream” to Jaimini Pathak’s social “Once upon a Tiger”, Roy enjoys the entire process of acting.

“I love reading the script, rehearsing, pushing my acting abilities to the physical limits, playing dual roles and performing the plays again and again — plays never die for me.” Roy also likes the economy of precise passages. “I like saying as little as possible – rather than lengthy passages.” She also has fond memories of Bangalore theatre. “I find that Kannada theatre like any regional theatre is passionate as one can connect to it strongly. One knows what one wants to do.”

With five years of professional acting in her kitty, Roy has no regrets. “There is so much to learn from everyone — even box-office failures.” Given a choice, she would go back and do them again. “The roles for women are no longer just ornamental – it is a great time to be an actor”, she smiles.

AYESHA MATTHAN

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