Theatre keeps a person alive

Strange are the ways of destiny. All set to become a microbiologist and study genetic engineering, Dilip Shankar, a well-known name in the theatre circuit, realised that his ''true'' calling was acting and hence bid adieu to science to embrace the art of acting, which he claims, "was like the proverbial germ always ticking inside me."
Having worked with the likes of BV Karanth, Lilette Dubey and Barry John, Delhi-based Dilip has also created a new profession in India that of a casting director.He served as one for Mira Nair''s Monsoon Wedding and thus gave us the immensely talented Vijay Raaz aka P K Dubey.
In town to conduct theatre workshops at the Durga Das Foundation, Dilip told us how it all began. "I was very lucky to start theatre with BV Karanth with whom I did three plays. At that time I had an offer from an American university to study Microbiology but I refused because I wanted to act." A decision he doesn''t regret since he has worked in some of the best theatre productions including Royston Abel''s award winning Othello- A study in black and white wherein he plays the role of Casio. Interestingly, a film on the theatrical production is all set to premiere in London in July where Dilip would be acting opposite Barry John.
Describing theatre as "an enriching experience which keeps a person alive", Dilip says, "Like the Israelis send their children to military camps, parents should send their children to at least one theater workshop." Disagreeing that the two mediums of cinema and theatre are different, Dilip states, "The differences, if they exist, are interesting and not the kinds that cannot be abridged. The only distinction is that while theatre allows the actor a chance to get into the skin of the character, cinema is more about playing in the moment since the camera doesn''t miss anything."
As to his list of favourite actors- Irfan Khan, Om Puri, Neha Dubey, Tabu and Vijay Raaz. The latter incidentally Dilip calls as his feather in the cap, "Mira Nair wanted to cast a well-known Mumbai actor for the role of Dubey ji. When that didn''t work out, she gave me a call and I recommended Vijay who had given a brilliant audition. So unknowingly, I became a casting director while Vijay got a good break." Credit to him that Tilottama Shome also bagged the role of Alice in the same film while Prashant Narayan will be acting in the Oscar winning director Florian Gallenberger''s film Shadows of Time.
Lest you think that''s all to the talented guy, he''s also produced a docu feature called Ayurveda- the art of being and a feature film Samsara which "almost made it to the Oscars but since Devdas had to go, it couldn''t." Oscar''s loss, entirely!