Finally, finally, finally.

I never knew what love outside relationships is until theatre and stage came into my life. And now, after so many years of so much effort, I have realised that love for some phenomenon, hobby or art form is a pursuit. It never ends. It can never end. It always is in your system.

This post relates to the first post for the regular readers of my blog. For those who have not followed me since the beginning, the first post of mine on this blog was about how passionate I am about theatre. Well, thus the connect.

This affair started in 2005 when I joined Neeraj Kabi's Mask and Gestures workshop at Prithvi and did a quick second Acting and Directing workshop with him in a matter of 15 days. I got to act as Hamlet on the pristine stage of Prithvi Theatre for only a 10 minute presentation. Though I got to direct it also! But that was it. I had done it. My presentation was the last one and Shashi Kapoor walked towards me and shook my hand. Everybody stood up and clapped. It was glory time.

He asked me a few questions about my direction and I answered them rather confidently. I saw a proud smile on Neeraj sir's face. Two days before the presentation, in the workshop, he called me aside and asked me if I wanted to work for his play. I had entered heaven. No, actually a place better than that, it was called Pravah Theatre Laboratory for Performance, Training and Research.

Under Neeraj Sir, I learnt theatre, management, patience, adaptability, street sense and what not! My association with Pravah went on till May 2006. It stands tall and strong till today but I couldn't contribute or be in service of Pravah since then. This was because I had my 12th grade to give in 2007 and then I got admission in Symbiosis, Pune.

For sometime I was adamant and attached to Pravah to such an extent after going to Pune that I refused to work or create any new possibilities for theatre related growth in Pune because Pravah was operational only in Mumbai. I stagnated for a good long year. And then, I realised that this was not a fling. I was in love with this for life. I participated for the first time in a drama event in January 2008. It was called Dramaturgia. It was a monologue event. And I won second place.

My search for support for progress was over. It was inside me that I had to look. That is why I gave a boost to English Drama Club in my college with the joint efforts of Aditi Shanbag and got a good 65 members supporting events in the club. That is when the first project of the English Drama Club materialized in Jan 2009 with "Oh God!" at Ananya, the college cultural fest. It was a 30 minute long semi-musical with an Indo-Greek story line, written by Shashvat Shukla and Shezah Salam and directed by Shashvat and me jointly.It was received well and EDC became quite popular, at least more than before.

Sitting at my place we three figured that when going to other colleges, English Drama Club wouldn't really sound impressive. Yes, the three of us were Shezah, Shashvat and I. So then something called "Along the Lines" took birth, which has now become far more than a baby to me.

Auditions in the first semester, no play, no workshop and a lot of swine flu! The second sem has what ATL was always waiting for. Dramaturgia,(my breakthrough event remember?) but this time bigger than ever! Going inter college with 8 institutes participating and Quasar Thakore Padamsee gracing the event on 4th February 2010 to not only judge it but also have an interaction with the audience, it is more than a drama come true! :)

And of course who can forget the ATL workshop happening with Mr. PRadeep Vaiddya! All this at the end of graduation is only overwhelming. Infact, all this just gets me back to the same point. Its only been a pursuit of doing better,growing in theatre and getting stage experience. And the pursuit only came from the place of love.

Until then
Keep pursuing your dream!


PS: This blog is a dedication to the lovely Dramaturgia team and all its supporters, Along the Lines, the faculty who have supported the club, Mr. Neeraj Kabi, Mr. Quasar Thakore Padamsee, members of the former English Drama Club, Shashi Kapoor for the unforgettable handshake, Prithvi Theatre and to the love of drama which rests inside of me.