Suchitra Krishnamoorthi is all set to wow Delhiites with her fictional memoir play Drama Queen. She tells SHAlINI SAKSENA why it took her almost a year to put it on stage
The play was first staged early this year in other cities. Why has it taken so long to come to DelhiIJ
There were plans to come to Delhi sometime end of February early March. But there were some issues that needed to be sorted out at the producer’s end. But we are now all set to come to Delhi and showcase Drama Queen on October 6, 2017. I am looking forward to performing in the capital.
What is the play all aboutIJ
It is a based on my book by the same name which is a fictional memoir. I adapted it to the stage and there are some elements in the play that are not there in the book. This has been done because the stage has certain restrictions and we needed to confine ourselves to the format and the time. But these are very small introductions. But most of it is the same as the book.
Why did it take you a year to put it on stageIJ
The writing took a very long time for me to put it out. It is a vast book and had to write many drafts. I went through five or six drafts. Then the final draft was given to the producer who then had to schedule it for the coming year. It is about creativity and these things take time.
You don many hats — painter, singer, actor and poet. How do you excel in allIJ
I don’t know if I excel at all of them. I just enjoy doing what I do. I don’t wait for applause or a feedback. This enables me to do my next project. I go by what I feel rather than be very career-oriented or what is expected of me. This is not a practical way of doing things but this is how I have chosen to live my life.
How challenging was it to put the play out on the stageIJ
like I said, it took time to get the final draft since the book is very vast. The other was to keep it racy and entertaining. To confine it, to keep it light, to be topical and not digress from the sub-plot and take away from the protagonist’s core journey. So a series of events have been used to bring out the emotional content into those events since there is time and space limit in theatre. I have tried to have fun with the material.
How relatable is Drama Queen for other womenIJ
What surprised and made me happy was the feedback that I have received so far is that so many women have come up to me and said that their mother is like this or a particular incident in the play was something that they went through. In India, we shy away from talking about embarrassing situations. That has struck a chord with most women. The struggle is something that most single mothers face — struggle to stay afloat.
What does success mean to youIJ
Success is a very personal thing. For me, it means to have the freedom to do things as and when I want without any external pressures or constraints.
Why don’t we see you in Hindi moviesIJ
To be very honest I have not been offered any good roles.
You have been away from the limelight. What was keeping you busyIJ
Earlier, my daughter was young and I was at home most of the time. I concentrate on my art and writing. I had a candle company but shut it down now. I have been busy doing things. It is not like if one is not doing movies, one is dead. There is life beyond films.
What nextIJ
For now, the journey of Drama Queen has just started and elated about it. There are a couple of other things that I am doing and will talk about it at the right time. I want to do things that I enjoy and are pleasant experiences.