Theatre is an actor’s medium: Permanent Roommates-fame Sumeet Vyas

For actor Sumeet Vyas of Tripling and Permanent Roommates-fame, straddling the worlds of theatre and cinema is not a challenge. He’s currently performing in the play Saanp Seedhi as part of Aadyam Theatre’s Season 7, besides shooting for a Netflix project. Simultaneously, he’s also writing and developing a script for something, which he hopes to direct this year. 

Vyas is excited about his character in Saanp Seedhi, which is based on a play called Sleuth by British playwright Anthony Shaffer, adapted in Hindi by Akarsh Khurana. He plays Mayank Tiwari in the play, an architect who has fallen in love with a married woman. 

“Since her marriage is crumbling, she wants a way out. He falls in love with her and they often spend time together. In my head, he’s an earnest person,” Vyas tells YS Life. 

“The only radical thing he has done is pursue the relationship knowing that the woman is married to someone else. He’s hoping to turn things around and sort this as amicably as possible,” he adds. 

Commenting on what drew him to the character, Vyas says Mayank may be a good person but he’s got some triggers. “That’s what I relate with the most. You must not mistake the character’s good behaviour for his weakness. That’s what happens in the story—it’s about how a trigger makes him do things that are unbecoming of him.”

While he enjoyed getting into the skin of the character, Vyas admits the changeover from the first half to the second half of the play demanded quite a bit from him. 

“We wanted to have a different look, a different voice, a different body, and that is challenging. I still feel I am halfway there, and the exploration is still on. I hope I end up being convincing,” he says. 

For Vyas, it’s always fun to be in a two-actor play, for it involves an intimate setup.

Teaming up with colleagues-turned-friends

Saanp Seedhi witnesses the trio—Vyas, veteran actor Kumud Mishra, and actor-director Shubhrajyoti Barat—return to the stage after Purane Chawal in 2023. 

“I have known Kumud for close to 20 years now. I’ve worked with him at various levels as part of theatre. He’s been a part of shows I have written. He’s my senior, and I wholeheartedly love, admire and respect him.  Every time I think I've seen all of him, he surprises me a little more,” he laughs, adding, “It’s always a theatre masterclass whenever you are working with him.”

Similarly, Vyas’ relationship with Barat goes back a long way, from the time he joined theatre.

“We have done some work together and he has seen me grow as a human being, as an actor. He says he’s proud of what he sees; I hope he’s not lying to me,” Vyas smiles. 

Barat considers himself more of an actor than a director. Only when a subject interests him, he takes up direction. “Sleuth is one such play which, when you read, intrigues you. On the face of it, it’s a very simple realistic play but when you go deeper into the text, you realise the inherent layers in the play,” says Barat, the director of Saanp Seedhi. 

Theatre vs cinema 

Vyas has directed and acted in several plays, including Purane Chawal, One on One Dhamaal and Park. He’s also been a part of popular shows and films including Permanent Roommates, English Vinglish, Veere Di Wedding, and Parched. 

But he believes his upbringing as an artist and human being is courtesy theatre, since he was initiated into the medium at the age of 17. 

“It holds a very different place for me; it’s more of a habit. It’s my passion, my home. It’s an actor’s medium,” he elaborates. 

As far as the audience is concerned, Vyas is of the view that theatre attracts new people every time. However, he doesn’t think it is fair to compare it with cinema. 

“Cinema is a different kind of medium and operates on a very different scale. Theatre is a live art form and requires as much participation from the audience as from the actors,” he remarks. 

Barat agrees, “I think theatre mostly attracts discerning people who love watching live performances. Theatre can’t be as massy as movies because of its technological limitations.”

In the past few years, especially post-pandemic, there has been an increased demand for live art forms, be it music concerts, theatre, or other performances. 

“People have caught on to it and it’s only getting better. It’s going to reach new heights,” says Vyas.