Actor Ashoka Thackur tells us how a play he watched in Mumbai changed his life…

How did you get interested in acting?

I had gone to Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai to watch a play. That time, I didn’t know what is a play, or for that matter, the relevance of theatre. Watching a play for the first time was an experience I will never forget. I was amazed to see how people were acting. That was the first time I was attracted towards this art.

You started your acting career with theatre. Please share details.

There was this theatre workshop by Ek Jute Group which was conducted by Nadira Zaheer Babbar. There I met Habib sir. He helped me realise my love for theatre and there was no turning back after that.

Did you take any formal training in acting?

I attended a one-month acting workshop and got selected for a play after two months. The play was called Paramveer Chakra. The role was small, but I got to perform on stage.

What have been your prominent plays and which all theatre groups have you worked with?

I have done Paramveer Chakra and Salaam 1950. Following this, I did workshops with NSD for 8-9 months. I have worked with Chaitanya Solankar sir for one year. After that, I went to Kolkata and worked for a theatre group called Kasba Arghya where I worked with Manish Mitra sir.

You had shot for a short film during the pandemic. How did that happen?

I did this short film called Character in 2020. The concept was mine but it was developed by Ajay Siyaram Tiwari. That time the Covid situation was bad and together we arranged all the costumes and materials that were required for Ram Leela. We went to Ayodhya for this.

How was it playing multiple roles in Character?

Yes, it was a raw shoot and I played multiple characters. I became Shiv, Ram and Hanuman as well. The short film is named Character because one person is playing multiple roles. I enjoyed playing these roles. In fact, we got the best music director award in Pune for this film. It will soon come on OTT.

You would be seen in a music video opposite Donal Bisht. Tell us about that.

The music video has been shot in Igatpuri and the singer is Kunaal Oye. He is a Punjabi singer. It has been directed by Ajay Siyaram Tiwari and the producer is Nisha K Thakur. It’s a sad number and is going to release soon.