Actor Saurabh Shukla to be seen in a thriller play

Bollywood director, screenwriter and actor Saurabh Shukla will be staging his play ‘Barff’ this weekend.

‘Barff’, written, directed and performed by Saurabh, is a thriller set in Kashmir which spans over one night. We caught up with the actor and here is what he had to say.

How did you go about ‘Barff’?

I was writing for a film based on the same subject. An opportunity came my way to write a play for a theatre festival where seventy countries were participating. I thought why not? I gave it a shot and wrote the same story for a different medium. I chose the thriller genre because it is not done much in theatre; I thought it is a good idea to do a thriller on a stage.

What are the other genres that you want to tap?

Every genre. I have written comedy and thriller so far.

Theatre or cinema?

As a medium, I love cinema. But I would not want to settle with one thing. So, I choose both.

Actor, writer, director - which role do you prefer the most?

They are all part of the same art. I also don’t like to do things with similarity. Writing helps me understand a script of the film and directing makes me understand what actors go through.
So, for me, it is one art.

What’s your view on the theatre scene in India?

All kinds of theatre are happening; it is very much there. I have had a positive experience; all of my shows had a full house.

What’s in the pipeline?

I just finished shooting for the web-series ‘Verdict’. I am shooting Hansal Mehta’s ‘Turram Khan’ and Anees Bazmee’s ‘Pagalpanti’. I will soon start shooting for Yash Raj Films’ ‘Shamshera’.

*Show details: 'Barff’will be staged on January 13 at 7.30 pm at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Malleswaram. The play is a fundraising event organised by Friends of Tribal Society (FTS), Bengaluru Mahila Chapter.