Naseer is my friend first!

Shernaz Patel who is acting with Randeep Hooda, Elena Kazan and Naseeruddin Shah in soon to release Hindi film, ‘John Day’, says, ‘Naseer is a friend first’

Askari Jaffer

Theatre actor Shernaz Patel got applause as an actress with films like ‘Black’ (2005) and ‘Guzaarish’ (2010). Despite a meaty role in the upcoming flick, ‘John Day’, she considers theatre as her first preference. “I have been into theatre for a long time. I have been born into it. I belong to a theatre family. It is like a second nature to me. It’s my comfort zone, like my home, and I am happy with it.”

Moreover, she does not find much difference between acting in films and theatre. “I would only say the craft is different, the rest of the things are pretty same. In both (movies and theatre), how you arrive at a character is the same; you bring out the character with the same passion. And the only different is the craft and second is performing is different. The discipline between the two mediums isn’t that different.”

So what does she look for in a role? She says, “I don’t have any particular role that is very close to my heart or I want to play. I choose the movie on the basis of team. I think it’s a package that has to appeal to me; who is directing the movie, who else is acting in it, what kind of production is in it etc., And obviously the role and the size of the picture is important.”

‘Janam’ was the first telefilm on national television in which Shernaz acted. “It was a great time when I worked with DD; it was the only channel for the whole country, unlike now when we have so many channels. The quality of work which we had in past was of a much higher caliber. There was a lot of effort put in to turn out an episode. We used to take four days to shoot one episode and it was a different world. It is terrible and shameful sense of quality is completely gone now,” she relates.

She, however, is happy with the growth of theatre. “The status of theatre has changed. People want all kinds of entertainment. It is not just the theatre, people want standup comedy; they watch a movie online, instead of going to a multiplex. What an audience is looking for is quite different today. I think people enjoy live performances and younger audiences are great, they come and watch theater.”

In 1992, for the first time she played the lead in the English play, ‘Love Letters, along with Rajit Kapoor, under the direction of Rahul da Cunha. The play continues to be performed till date. “‘Love Letter’ is a play of AR Gurney about two people who write letters to each other over a period of fifty years. They are childhood friends who share a lifetime of experiences.

Poignant, romantic and frequently funny, their correspondence follows a bittersweet path of boarding schools, marriage, children, divorce and missed opportunities. It’s the life journey of two soul mates - enacted through words both written and unsaid - who share the greatest gift of all: the gift of love. We have been doing the play since almost over 20 years. It is dear to our heart and very challenging for both of us, (Rajit and I) as performers,” adds Shernaz.

On her role in the film, ‘John Day’ directed by Ahishor Solomon, she says, “The movie blurs the line between good and evil. It’s a thriller film about a man called John Day who is caught in a difficult situation in his life and how he comes out of it. I am playing the role of Naseeruddin Shah’s wife. Naseer is an old friend of mine and it is a wonderful experience to work with him. He is a great actor, but for me he is a friend first.”

Ram Gopal Varma ‏@RGVzoomin

Classics like Zanjeer and Sholay should be allowed to RIP ..if u disturb they will come to haunt us and bite us in the neck like Dracula

taslima nasreen@taslimanasreen

My best teacher:my dad,taught me2 believe in science & not in relign.Was a prof of my medical collge,literelly my teacher.Happy Teachers Day

Javed Akhtar@Javedakhtarjadu

Is it not pathetic that the major decisions of a major political parrrty are instead of the parrrty taken by a "social organisation "