Over the years, actor Neil Bhoopalam has cemented his position in the theatre space with noteworthy performances in acclaimed plays like Noises Off, Clogged Arteries, The Merchant Of Venice, Beyond Therapy and Hamlet The Clown Prince. On World Theatre Day, he tells us that theatre has taught him to deal with life. “It has taught me to be human,” he says.

About four years ago, he decided to divide up his time between theatre and films as he feels that the former keeps him fresh as an actor and grounded too. “I realised that I have 365 days in a year, so I can give 175 days to theatre and the other half to films. It makes for a good balance. And I get a bigger kick when someone says that they’ve seen me in a stage production in Delhi, Bengaluru or Bombay (as compared to a film),” he says.

Bhoopalam feels that the lack of a hierarchical structure in theatre is impressive. “When you work in plays, everyone is on the same stage and pay scale. Unlike films, there is no hierarchy. And it’s also very emotional. You will do a play and keep it close to your heart not because of the monetary satisfaction as there isn’t any, but you feel that your life and time has meaning,” he elaborates.

Unlike most of his peers, he wasn’t introduced to theatre as a young boy. Recalling the first time when he performed on stage, Bhoopalam shares, “Atul Kumar (actor-director) introduced me to the world of performance at the National College when I was 19. My friends and I were a part of a play called Voices. It had six monologues and was written by South African writer, Peter Horn. Back then, I had no idea how big an opportunity it was to perform at a Prithvi Theatre or an NCPA.”