His deep baritone and suave look sets him apart from his peers, anyway, but watching Arunoday Singh sink his teeth into his character on the stage, is something else. And unlike movies, where critics have sort of overlooked his acting skills, theatre critics and audience have been more appreciative of his work on stage. The tall actor, who did a bit role in Rage Production’s The Glass Menagerie three years ago, is playing one of the central characters in Imaad Shah’s The Threepenny Opera. And although he has done a couple of Off-Broadway plays in New York, while he was at the Acting Studio there, this is his second official play in Mumbai. Over to the actor about his stint in theatre...
Post doing movies, how did the interest in theatre rekindle?
I’ve always been interested in theatre. For me, theatre and films are different sides of the same coin. I take good work wherever I can find it. Sometimes, theatre is just what you need to polish up your skills and hone your work. Films make you a little lazy with their takes and everything broken into tiny moments. Here, it’s about the way you craft the character and carry it through the performance and do it every day. That’s an amazing feeling.
How has the response been?
It’s been lovely. The audience has been wonderful. Many of them came backstage to tell us they liked the show. There is an immediacy to theatre. They are not seeing your work a year after. They are seeing it now and they are right there. It’s a very visceral connection.
You received good reviews for The Glass Menagerie and now, for this play as well...
Well, yes, I’m a decent actor (laughs). I’m not bad at my job. I keep at it.
But how different is the process of doing films and acting on stage?
The process of creating the character, reading the script and the motivation is all the same. You approach the script the same way. The difference is in the performance. In films, you’re performing for the camera and the crew, so it’s a lot safer. In theatre, you’re out on the edge. You’re trying to swim and the sharks are circling and you’re just trying to keep going. There is no room for error in theatre. In films, there is a huge margin for error.
When it comes to movies, we saw you last in Viceroy’s House. What’s happening on that end?
With the movies, there is a bit of a slowdown. There is not a lot of quality work that I’m being approached for. I’m waiting for the release of Raita, directed by Abhinay Deo, where I play one of the leads. I’ve not found anything else worth doing since. I have been approached for a few parts but they are still in talks. As of now, the schedule is wide open with possibilities. You just have to be at the right place at the right time. It’s a good place to be in.
