Theatre calling! Actor Saurabh Shukla makes a comeback on stage after 18 years, with a Hinglish comedy

Theatre calling!

Actor Saurabh Shukla makes a comeback on stage after 18 years, with a Hinglish comedy

After an 18-year-long hiatus, actor Saurabh Shukla has returned to stage with a comedy play titled Two to Tango, Three to Jive. Directed by Saurabh himself, the play also stars actors Nigaar Khan, Mona Wasu and Preiti Mamgain, with him, and is a humorous spin on midlife crisis. While the Hinglish lines provide entertainment, the play has a meaningful theme. It has Saurabh playing Parminder Sethi, a restaurant owner in Delhi, who leads a monotonous life and considers turning things around. The play chronicles his journey with practical, comic, confusing and at times passionate moments. “He lives a mundane life where money is not a problem. And the fact that there’s no problem in his life gets him worrying and creates a crisis,” explains the actor, adding, “So the play talks about the midlife crisis – of a man with three women – Shomali (Nigaar), Rinky (Mona) and Savita (Preiti). He is desperately trying to get into a legitimate relationship. Though the play is outright funny and has mass appeal, I’d say that it dishes out a real life picture.” So what kept Saurabh away from theatre for so long? “I started with theatre, and I did it extensively in New Delhi. But then I came to Mumbai and films occupied most of my time. There was no space left for theatre,” he says. “So it almost took me 18 years to come back. But in these many years, I have been craving to come back and perform. In between, I did a translation for the play Bombay Black.” And considering that Two to Tango... was Saurabh’s comeback, the actor-director asserts that he made sure he did it with a “meaningful play”. He says, “I’ve always been interested in real things. I didn’t want to do a shallow play. Even if it’s a comedy, I prefer to create a real world over a fantasy one.”