Naseer in town with motley' of plays

GUWAHATI: He could be your next door neighbour. Salt and pepper hair, a stubble on the cheeks, deep brooding eyes. It's only when he talks that his rich timbre makes you wonder if there's more behind that casual demeanour.
He's Naseeruddin Shah, one of the country's finest actors, who has essayed a variety of roles, from the serious to the comic and baddie. For over three decades, his versatility and intensity have held audiences spellbound.
He is in town for the Natasurjya Theatre Festival and said it's his mission to take some remarkable pieces of Indian literature to the masses through theatre.Motley, his theatre group, will be presenting plays based on works of renowned Indian authors like Munshi Premchand.
"The objective is to take this rich literary heritage to the young generation," said Shah, adding, "A film or a play depends on the story. And so we thought we would go back to the classics."
On the various roles he has portrayed, the thespian said an actor is most often a product of the story, script and director. "Once you understand the script, it's not difficult to slip into the role. Acting is a way of taking forward the author's message to the audience."
So from the clownish romantic Tirchi Topiwale in Tridev, the caring yet guilty father and husband in Masoom, the fearful villain in Mohra, the simple blind man in Sparsh, the foolish photographer in Jane Bhi Do Yaroon and the angry man in A Wednesday, Shah has carried off the cameos with a hundred applauses.
He said it's difficult for him to choose one best role from the lot. "They are all close to my heart. They are like children. Can you differentiate among them?" he asked.
Speaking about the new generation of actors, he said, "I am very optimistic about new actors and filmmakers. I believe they are much more passionate and well informed than we were at our time. In the coming years India will produce some of the best actors." He said he has never had the good opportunity of reading literature from the Northeast because he does not know the language.
"Unless you are familiar with the language, you cannot go beyond the lines. But I would definitely like to explore the possibility of adopting some of the works for our plays," he said.