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.