Mr.Vishnu Grover, Founder and Director of Natshala Theatre Group
What challenges did you face throughout your time in theatre?
It’s very rightly said that following a passion is never easy and unfortunately in our country where education and a successful career have altogether a different perspective then following your passion becomes even more difficult.
Pursuing theatre is quite difficult as the struggle starts from the family itself where your parents are only uncertain to support you then comes the society which has almost minimal awareness about theatre and growth. The misconception is actors earn, but stage artist doesn’t. And, of course, it’s not their fault, the problem is deep-rooted because artists are given respect but when it comes to paying them, there is mostly a question mark. Therefore, artists are either wealthy or are struggling with basic necessities. We still need to work hard to come to the middle ground. We need a minimum of 10 more years to create the same value for art and culture in our society as education. If a kid tells their parents that he/she wants to become a CA or a doctor, the support will be provided but unfortunately, the same support is not shown or provided when it comes to pursuing theatre or any other art form. I just wish to witness that time when a kid would not be scared to go to their parent and freely express their interest in any career.
As an artist, I feel it’s my responsibility to promote art and culture in my own way. Therefore, we keep performing Nukkad Natak and stage plays wherever possible though the challenge is people don’t easily turn up and aren’t ready to pay due to the lack of awareness. However, our team and I have decided to not stop be it we have to perform in front of two people. I believe the foundation needs to be strongly built though it may take some extra time. As an artist, one beautiful thing that I have attained is patience. My one go-to mantra is “Natak chalte rahenge”, Natak nahi rukenge”!
Another challenge is the financial support that artists don’t receive. This instability of finance has made numerous people pursue what they aren’t even fond of. I feel broken when I see an artist not able to pursue their art due to that constant fear of financial stability. I was blessed enough to get a stable job in the field I like hence, I decided through Natshala, that I will be creating more job opportunities for my artists so, I train them and send them to different workshops. Hence, they could earn and at least pay for their passion. I believe my small act of support can motivate a few people around me and once a few of them will be motivated, my job is half done.
I am certain and waiting to witness a time when both professions including CA and Theatre would be seen with the same respect and prospect.
What prompted you to pursue a career in theatre acting?
Acting started from the days when I use to observe and mimic everyone then in grade 9th when I got an opportunity to perform on stage, I got to know how passionately I love this thing.
In 2014, I joined my college theatre society while pursuing my BBA. During that time, I fell in love with acting and the journey began. Post that, I joined different professional theatre groups to follow my passion, but I never compromised my studies in that process; alongside, I did an MBA in Marketing and eventually I joined a corporate company and pursued it for straight 10 months, but those 10 months was a time of self-realisation when I couldn’t do theatre and realised how it’s killing me from inside. Hence, I decided to leave my job which was paying me well. I decided to pursue theatre though didn’t know the direction. After a period, I got a job as a theatre teacher in a school and then there was no looking back. Now, I am running my own theatre group called Natshala which is doing really well in Ghaziabad, and I am teaching in one of the most reputed schools in the city.
This process has taught me a lot but whenever I look back, I still remember that kid who started his journey in grade 9th without knowing the outcome. I feel blessed that I was able to pull it off because, for an artist, his art is food to his soul and without it, it’s just a body.
What do you have in mind for the Natshala Theatre Group?
Natshala is a place for an artist created by an artist. If one is passionate about any art form, be it dance, music, or theatre, we give them an opportunity to be a part of our group. There is a myth that theatre means only acting but theatre demands knowledge of music, dance, physical fitness, understanding of lights, costumes etc.
We have a core team who believes in working tirelessly as the goal is to expand this group to tier 2 and tier 3 cities as well where there is zero or minimal knowledge and awareness. Soon, we will tap into other parts of the country where awareness is an issue.
Theatre gives you an opportunity to touch base on such topics that are considered taboos, we have been performing stories that have impacted people and left them with numerous questions about right and wrong. We believe it’s so important to raise relevant questions to yourself and others where you need to jolt and ask – Did I do the righteous thing, or did I also become a part of this cruel and sadist society? We just want to raise questions as we believe answers can only be found if the correct questions would be raised.
Some of our plays in the pipeline will touch base on topics such as feminism, masculinity, LGBTQ etc. To begin with, we will be performing these plays in Delhi NCR, and eventually, we aim to take these acts to every nook and corner so an awareness could be raised.
How far do you believe Natshala Theatre Group has come towards achieving its goal?
Natshala has come a long way. A theatre group that was started amid lockdown has been doing tremendously well in a full-fledged physical space. The best thing or the asset that I have is such a supportive team. This handful of people keeps me confident that a day will come when we only work to make our art form stronger and spreading awareness about theatre would not be required. My goal is to have more passionate people who are ready to work incessantly hence, we can turn this Natshala family into a community of theatre artists hence, no artist would sleep without food. I want every artist to stay together, grow together, achieve together, and earn together without pulling each other down.
What advice would you provide to our budding theatre artists in the future?
Patience is the integral and foremost prerequisite for success. People are often mistaken that if they did theatre for a few months, now they are fit to go to Mumbai and the time has come to look for opportunities in the industry. Of course, that can be an old goal for many but it’s always better to not set unrealistic expectations for yourself because learning theatre is a holistic process that asks for more than acting. One needs to learn different skills to be an actor and must grow a strong mindset to survive. I want to use a very cliché statement, yet an effective one – Consistency is the key and if one can’t be consistent and patient then one can’t survive.
What are your opinions about Indian stereotypes regarding theatre art?
A theatre is an art form which is not only about acting but also about exploring your inner self. The process isn’t easy but extremely insightful and delightful. However, we live in a stereotypical society where a lot of myths are associated with every other thing. Similarly, people have some misconceptions about theatre and the major one is it can only be pursued as a hobby because earning bread and butter isn’t possible through it though if want to pursue it full time and attain a degree in it then there are a lot of possibilities like any other profession, only the right approach and intention is required.
Also, theatre is not specifically just Bollywood or acting. It is about enhancing your various skills and it ensures holistic development. It teaches you discipline; it helps you attain self-confidence and gives you a broader perspective on different things. In this process, you learn music, and dance, we work on your body and soul at the same time. Also, a surprise element is you need to study a lot which is the most amusing thing for people as everyone thinks there is nothing like studying or reading in theatre but actually, it makes you a literate, informed and mindful human being.
This article is drafted by Prittle Prattle News in the form of an Interview.
