Soumya Vajpayee (BOMBAY TIMES; May 22, 2019)

He has spent 25 years doing theatre, but Ashwath Bhatt’s love for the medium increases by the day. “My life revolves around theatre. It’s like oxygen to me. Today, when I look back, theatre was actually a therapy for me, because it helped me overcome the trauma of losing my home in Kashmir. It’s a passion, and it’s given me a reason to live,” says the actor, who is looking forward to the first staging of his play, Ek Mulaqat Manto Se, in Mumbai.

The actor, who conceived the play apart from acting in it, is highly influenced by Saadat Hasan Manto’s life and his works. Talking about his love for the legendary writer, Ashwath says, “I started reading Manto in 1997, and that’s when I decided that I wanted to do a play on Manto. When I did Thanda Gosht (a story by Manto), many senior artistes from the industry said, ‘Why Manto? Kuch aur karo na.’ But I was adamant. The more I read Manto, the more I related with his writing and wanted to talk about those aspects of his personality that people were not aware of. Many plays were made on his stories, but nobody did something on his life. For me, working on the subject (Manto) is a life-long mission. If people watch my play, Ek Mulaqat Manto Se, and go out and read about Manto, then the purpose of doing the play is fulfilled.”

Besides theatre, Ashwath has also been part of Hindi films like Raazi (2018) and Kesari (2019), among others. Ask him if he noticed any positive change in his career trajectory after Raazi, and the actor says, “Though I’ve done theatre for over two decades, people didn’t know me. Raazi brought me a lot of recognition as an actor. Having said that, I’m certain that even if I do more films, I won’t do the same kind of roles, because I like to try out different things.”

When asked which medium he enjoys more as an actor, Ashwath seems to find it tough to choose one over the other. “I enjoy both (cinema as well as theatre), because each of these mediums have their own challenges. In theatre, you need concentration for a longer period of time and you are seen in totality. But cinema is more of a technical medium, where you need to understand the grammar of the camera. Many theatre artistes find it difficult to get adjusted to the camera and the repetition of the scenes, etc. Theatre is like a lab; it keeps you fresh. Honestly, films pay for my theatre work. Main Manto ka shagird hoon isliye sab kuch saaf-saaf bol deta hoon (laughs!),” he says.