Makarand Deshpande: I started writing plays because I was trying to find answers to my problems

His eccentric persona gives people the perception that his peculiar style of theatre is a result of his wild artistic musings. But those who know Makarand Deshpande know that there is a method in his madness. And that’s why even after three decades, his excitement for theatre is unmatched. At this year’s Prithvi Theatre Festival presented by Bombay Times, the writer-actor is helming not just one, but three plays, including a carnival! After directing

Nadira Zaheer Babbar

in '

Meri Maa Ke Haath

', he is now gearing up for his new Marathi play, '

Shakespearecha Mhatara

', in which he is also acting. Excerpts…

Everyone was surprised when you decided to direct Nadiraji…I think she’s a mesmerising actress. Thanks to our collaboration, I learnt so much from her, especially as an actor. I see her in the same league as Naseeruddin Shah. Her experience, tehzeeb…it’s all so wonderful. She has words for every experience. We share a special bond and our different styles of working didn’t hamper the project. At one point, baaji (Nadira) and I were surprised that the play was ready!

Does it hurt when people say they don’t understand your plays?I think that was a perception years ago. My plays are layered and I can’t help that. A member from the audience once told me, ‘We don’t come to watch your plays for their stories. Each of them has one common element — madness.’ That’s what they like. Today, the audience is also evolving. People have also understood that they can’t stop me. I’m not just a playwright; I’m a director, actor and producer, too. But I have never showed off my body of work. I once even wrote a play on Vijay Tendulkar’s Sakharam Binder. That man didn’t allow anyone to change the brackets in his script! But he told me, ‘You are mad, I can’t stop you’.

Why did you decide to do an adaptation of a Shakespearean play? I must confess that I was very angry because people have already done so much on his work. But I love the Marathi adaptation of 'King Lear'. I feel that it’s his most human drama in which I could find theatricality. I have taken one scene from the original play and gone back 400 years in time. And from there, I come back to present day. So, it’s complete madness! I have been with

William Shakespeare

in his thought process. I have followed the pattern of in-between soliloquies and poetry and played with the format.

You’ve been consistently doing theatre for more than three decades. Does the monotony get to you?Yes, but I keep reinventing myself. Right now, I have written a play in Marathi and am working with a completely new set of actors. Nadiraji too gave me an opportunity to direct her. I have even started a children’s drama wing. I think I have survived in theatre for so long because I brought art very close to my life. I started writing plays while trying to find answers to my problems. As the days pass by, I have started enjoying rehearsals even more. I don’t talk about my achievements, so that’s why I am not overwhelmed. That’s the reason why I can do three plays at a time. And I am not afraid of failure.