Still a struggle to get audiences for English plays: Shernaz

Shernaz Patel on her passion for theatre, working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and more.
Be it playing stellar roles in films like Black and Guzaarish, mesmerizing audiences for over two decades in plays like Love Letters or doing memorable roles on the small screen, Shernaz Patel has done it all. And along with Rahul da Cunha and Rajit Kapur, she has been doing her bit for promoting theatre in the country and giving a platform to young talent.
However, Shernaz, in Vadodara to judge a short film competition, feels, “Things haven’t changed too much for English theatre and it’s still a struggle to get audiences for English plays. Even today, more people spend money to watch a Bollywood film instead of an English play. They believe a play is ‘very deep and for intellectuals’, which they won’t understand! Of course, their perception changes when they watch one but getting them to come for the first time remains a difficult task. The big positive is that we now have our own plays in English.”
Daughter of Gujarati stage veterans Ruby and Burjor Patel, Shernaz says, “I’ve watched some non-commercial Gujarati plays in Mumbai but haven’t been able to follow the commercial Gujarati plays.”
Not surprisingly, she has a soft corner for theatre, “Doing plays gives a different kind of high and performing them for years creates a different kind of bonding between actors, which isn’t the case in films. It feels like family. Thankfully, most of our plays have been successful commercially as well and managed in touching people’s hearts, which is quite natural for a live medium.”
Asked about her stint in films, she says, “I think Black opened up a lot of film work for me. When typical potboilers as well as intelligent films do well, you know it’s a good time for the industry.”
However, she doesn’t sound as enthusiastic about television, “I think we had far better shows in the 80’s and there is a lot of regressive content now. We are sticking to saas-bahu soaps and reality shows because they succeed. As an actor, I am open to good work irrespective of the medium.” She sounds disappointed about Onir’s I Am (she was a part of the film) being denied a screening on Doordarshan, “Certainly, our policies need to change.”
Before the conversation draws to a close, she has words of encouragement for young theatre enthusiasts. “I know it doesn’t pay much, and things will not change at least in my lifetime! That’s why we lose a lot of young talent to films and TV. But still, young people should jump into theatre without any hesitation because it’s their best training ground. For paying your bills and running a family, you can always move on later!”