Quit smoking to do better on stage

By his own admission, he was a junkie when he came to

Nandikar

. He was lean, weighed 45 kilos and would be out of breath while delivering his lines. Saptarshi Maulik, one of the most talked-about heroes on the Bengali stage today, understood that smoking was the cause of his miseries. In 2015, he quit the stick and has since been inspiring a generation of actors to follow suit. The theatre group has now introduced no-smoking in their admission policy and urges students to stay away from cigarettes.

“In college, I got into drugs; I wanted to explore my creative side and was not finding academics interesting. I became a rebel without a cause. After joining Nandikar, I realised I was meant for acting and slowly got rid of all my addictions; however, I continued smoking cigarettes. In 2015, when we started rehearsing for Panchajanya, I realised cigarettes were coming in the way of my physical training. The play was physically demanding and I was finding it hard to cope. That’s when I quit smoking and soon, those around me started noticing the change. My colleagues wanted to follow the lifestyle changes that I made. Around this time, Sohini (Sengupta) made a rule that no one could smoke in the rehearsal pad and some were forced to give up,” said Saptarshi. The actor now weighs 71 kilos, can improvise at free will and do action of all kinds when a role so demands.

Anindita Chakraborty

, an actor with Nandikar who has given up smoking, said, “Panchajanya needed us to exercise for hours in the peak of May. We were not allowed to switch the fans on and that took a toll on me. I realised I had to quit smoking. Now, all of us exercise for hours on end, eat well, carry our own food and water, and even undergo a detoxifying diet from time to time.” Most actors now follow the no-smoking policy.

Arghadeep Das

, 22, who is part of the current batch, said, “Smoking is not forcibly introduced here. In the first class itself, we were asked about our addictions. Sohinidi made us understand how smoking leaves an impact on the energy levels and becomes a hurdle for performers. Those who gave up smoking, like Saptarshida, also took our classes and it was enlightening to listen to them. We were given a reality check. I don’t get to see students smoking in hidden corners anymore.”

Sohini Sengupta, a well-known theatre personality explained that the new batch is urged to give up smoking before admission. “We check on them from time to time. Also, theatre is a lot of hard work and dedication. Sometimes, students realise on their own what they should be doing to stay fit. My father,

Rudraprasad Sengupta

, who was a chain smoker, too has quit smoking in solidarity,” she said.