Theatre veteran Ramesh Talwar opens up on Jaya Bachchan Fans in the US travelled 300 miles to watch play-Exclusive
Theatre veteran Ramesh Talwar opens up on Jaya Bachchan Fans in the US travelled 300 miles to watch play-Exclusive
Theatre veteran Ramesh Talwar speaks about Jaya Bachchan: Fans in the US travelled 300 miles to come see her play – Exclusive
For the unversed Ramesh Talwar is a veteran filmmaker and theatre ariste.
He was responsible to take Jaya Bachchan’s acting talent to the theatre stage. Back in 1999 and 2000, he first roped in Jaya Bachchan for his two highly acclaimed plays – Maa Retire Hoti Hai and Dr Mukta as an actor.
No sooner Jaya Bachchan rang in her 75th Birthday Ramesh Talwar recalled the experience of acting and directing the ‘Abhimaan’ star on stage.
She has done plays with Ramesh on an America tour and looked upon him as a Guru. She would squat with her colleagues at the end of the day like any other theatre artist and never believed in throwing tantrums. He had essayed the role opposite her in both plays as well as directed them. Thereafter the country was struck by Covid-19 Pandemic before we could do the third play. So, had to drop it.
Jaya essayed the role of a doctor and whose daughter has cancer. Her husband has had a heart attack so she can’t tell him about it. There are some problems in her son’s marriage, too. She bears everything herself. The emotion with which Jaya ji used to emote that role, used to worry him that something might happen to her. She is a natural actor, so, he used to tell her, “Don’t take the role personally. Remember that you’re only doing a play.”
She would take it well. But the only thing she wouldn’t do was that she didn’t sign autographs.
People would surround her for autograph. One of Jaya ji’s fans traveled 300 miles to come to watch the play. Jaya ji told him, “Don’t tell me all of this. Talk about the play.” But eventually, she gave her and others an autograph.
It’s a known fact that Theatre artists are usually low on money. Jaya ji would take them to nice restaurants for meals.
We did two tours and both tours were almost two-month long.
Ramesh had made one serial titled Arzoo for her production company. Then she had done one play starring Pooja Bhatt and Bharat Kapoor that toured abroad. Maa Retire Hoti Hai was originally done in Gujarati and Marathi. He requested one of Jaya ji’s staff members to get arrange for a meeting with her. She called him over. .
He made her understand that she would have to rehearse for 40 days for the play and she him that she had never done a play. She shouldn’t flop in the play”, she had said. Ramesh made sure that they will rehearse for 40 days and stage the play in Mumbai before travelling abroad.
When the play was ready, he hosted one rehearsal in Bhaidas Hall, Vile Parle. Amitabh Bachchan along with her well-wishers, friends and family had come to watch the play.
People liked the roles played by both of us. The Marathi play was titled Akhercha Sawal whereas we titled it Dr. Mukta. We hired the same cast members in both plays thinking sometimes we might have to do both plays on the tour. It helped us a lot. Jayaji has okayed the third play, too. He advised her that Dr. Mukta is emotionally heavy for her so we should also take Maa Retire Hoti Hai.
News input KV Raman
