Four decades have passed since Sumeet Raghvan first stepped onto a Marathi stage as a child artiste. Since then he has been Faster Fene for a generation of Doordarshan viewers, the affable Sahil Sarabhai, the everyman in Wagle Ki Duniya, a film actor, singer and one of television’s most recognisable faces. At 55, though, he seems happiest back where it all began. His new Marathi play, Hi Dosti Tutayachi Naay, has crossed the 50-show mark and become one of the season’s biggest successes.

Sharing the stage with wife Chinmayee Sumeet after a gap of 12 years, he plays Shashank Saravade, one half of a long-married couple sent to a counsellor in a final attempt to save their relationship. “We had both done plays individually over the years,” he says. “Then this script by Omkar Gokhale came our way. It was multidimensional and had everything that could appeal to an actor.”

The play moves through romance, conflict, humour and heartbreak before taking an unexpected turn. Midway through, Raghvan breaks the fourth wall, bursts into the title song and has the audience singing with him. “I’ve sung live on shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa,” he says. “I thought, why not? I love interacting with the audience and the song is a wonderful way to make that connection.”

Music has always been central to his life. “My first love is music. I always carry a harmonium with me.”

Off stage, the production has become a family affair. Raghvan and Chinmayee have produced the play under their banner, Natyaleela Theatres, while their son, Neerad Sumeet, has composed the music.

“It makes me incredibly proud to sing Neerad’s compositions,” says Raghvan. “Chinmayee and I had tried producing Lekure Udand Jhali many years ago, but it wasn’t a good experience because there was no proper accounting for the money. This time everything is organised and transparent. We’ve collaborated with veteran producer Dilip Jadhav and Ashtavinayak Theatres, whose experience has made all the difference.”

For many, Raghvan will always remain Sahil Sarabhai, the perpetually exasperated elder son in one of TV’s best-loved sitcoms. “So yes,” he laughs, “it’s a cross to bear, but it’s a lovely cross to bear. People still call me Sahil. It’s humbling. Many come to watch the play because they remember Sahil, or my characters from Wagle Ki Duniya or Badi Door Se Aaye Hai.”

That affection has followed him into the theatre. Friends from across the industry have attended performances as the act touches upon elements of friendship that resonate with the relationships they share. His Sarabhai family has already been in the audience and, at the 50th show, MNS chief Raj Thackeray and his wife, Sharmila, even danced during the play when Raghvan broke the fourth wall and invited the audience to join in the act.

“Sharmila’s father, Mohan Wagh, produced the first play Chinmayee and I acted in together. The friendship goes back many years. Having Raj dada join the celebrations made it even more special.” Raghvan hopes to have Madhuri Dixit in the audience for the 100th show in October.

The play also allows Raghvan’s character, a political analyst, to comment on the state of public discourse. “We had statesmen when I was growing up. They carried themselves with decorum and dignity. Today, the language used in public life has become so unparliamentary.”

He believes theatre should bridge generations as much as entertain them. “People my age enjoy the nostalgia of Marathi-medium schools, but there is plenty here for a 15-year-old too.”

Among the play’s standout moments is a lengthy drunken monologue that includes an oddly passionate lesson on the correct way to wipe a kitchen platform. “That whole ota kasaa pusayacha moment comes from my mother,” he says.

“Playing drunk is difficult. My benchmarks were Dr Shriram Lagoo and Vikram Gokhale.” For Raghvan, theatre remains the medium that asks the most of an actor. “It keeps you on your toes.”

Looking back on a career spanning 40 years, he credits his parents above anyone else. “They’re ordinary people with nothing to do with this profession. They gave me a calm, sane home to return to. Whenever I see them, my feet naturally stay on the ground.”

Next comes the OTT series Chumbak with Aatish Kapadia and J D Majethia, along with another project that could see him learn a new language. That’s not the only change he’s ready for. “I’d love to play a negative role,” he says with a grin. “Maybe... a murderer.”