One of my most enjoyable and fun experiences in theater in Delhi. Wish doing theater and acting could be just like that. I was a young kid(compared to now, then I was just a first year student at Hindu College Delhi) , this is 1991. I was staying with my aunt and uncle at laxmibai nagar across INA market in South Delhi. This was when I was just out of school. I received a call from Ashvin Kumar ( I think )that there is a theater group at IIT doing a play called 'Broadway Bound'. It was a Neil Simon Comedy. I decided to go for the auditions. Though I can speak English but my comfort level with the language is limited. English is a second language for me. Also Neil Simon was not my cultural context at all. The comedy didn't quite make much sense to me. Obviously there were better actors than me for the few roles that were there to be taken. I was asked to assist with production but I had to go back home to Agra where my mother lived as she was unwell. I could not be a part of the team.
The feel of the group was really nice. They were all professionals in different areas. Deepak Gidwani was an IIT trained engineer who was then running his own firm I think called 'Stadia'. Archana Gidwani, his wife and an actor/director was an IIM trained professional working with IMRB. Jimmy was with the forces, Sandeep Varma(bachcha) was still at IIT and was writing his UPSC to be a civil servant, which he did become later. There was Shefali Bhushan who was later with Act One. Satyajeet Sharma had just joined the National School of Drama.( He was someone I continued to keep bugging for a long time, going and meeting him and asking him about acting, drama and the school of drama)
The group was easy. There was seriousness of a professional theater group but gentle ease about the work and camaraderie that is the hallmark of an amateur group. People were quite secure with each other. I think in 'Broadway Bound' there was only one professional actor- Bhaveen who actually charged for acting in the show!!!
A few months later I got a call to be a part of 'Ballabhpur ki Roopkatha'. I remember Sandeep Varma- no, not bachcha, the other Sandeep Varma played 'Bhupati' and the 'ghost'. I played Bhupati's friend( I forget the name of the character). We would rehearse at IIT Delhi Student Activity Center every night for about two months. The Badal Sircar comedy is quite long and then did six shows at Sri Ram Center basement which all went house full. A Bengali play by a good theater group in Delhi would get takers. It was fun. I think we did two more shows at IIT Delhi.
Post this I was part of another show- 'Ek do teen Shakuni', in which I had a minor role. It was directed by Sandeep Varma(Bhupati) and had Oroon, Riya etc in the lead cast. I was happy being a production hand for this production.
Now there were a few others like Jeetu, I think Sunny who would come from karol bagh I think. Ramesh Venkataraman and Sehba Imam in Ballabhpur ki Roopkatha.
One of my first few outings on Delhi stage and a great experience. I don't know if 'Dramatech' is still active. I know that Deepak and Archana are out of the country now, so probably there is not much left to the group as Deepak was the leader of the group. However, I was fortunate to have worked with them.
The feel of the group was really nice. They were all professionals in different areas. Deepak Gidwani was an IIT trained engineer who was then running his own firm I think called 'Stadia'. Archana Gidwani, his wife and an actor/director was an IIM trained professional working with IMRB. Jimmy was with the forces, Sandeep Varma(bachcha) was still at IIT and was writing his UPSC to be a civil servant, which he did become later. There was Shefali Bhushan who was later with Act One. Satyajeet Sharma had just joined the National School of Drama.( He was someone I continued to keep bugging for a long time, going and meeting him and asking him about acting, drama and the school of drama)
The group was easy. There was seriousness of a professional theater group but gentle ease about the work and camaraderie that is the hallmark of an amateur group. People were quite secure with each other. I think in 'Broadway Bound' there was only one professional actor- Bhaveen who actually charged for acting in the show!!!
A few months later I got a call to be a part of 'Ballabhpur ki Roopkatha'. I remember Sandeep Varma- no, not bachcha, the other Sandeep Varma played 'Bhupati' and the 'ghost'. I played Bhupati's friend( I forget the name of the character). We would rehearse at IIT Delhi Student Activity Center every night for about two months. The Badal Sircar comedy is quite long and then did six shows at Sri Ram Center basement which all went house full. A Bengali play by a good theater group in Delhi would get takers. It was fun. I think we did two more shows at IIT Delhi.
Post this I was part of another show- 'Ek do teen Shakuni', in which I had a minor role. It was directed by Sandeep Varma(Bhupati) and had Oroon, Riya etc in the lead cast. I was happy being a production hand for this production.
Now there were a few others like Jeetu, I think Sunny who would come from karol bagh I think. Ramesh Venkataraman and Sehba Imam in Ballabhpur ki Roopkatha.
One of my first few outings on Delhi stage and a great experience. I don't know if 'Dramatech' is still active. I know that Deepak and Archana are out of the country now, so probably there is not much left to the group as Deepak was the leader of the group. However, I was fortunate to have worked with them.
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