‘Theatre is a craft, must be pursued with passion’

Nagpur: Just like any other profession, theatre too has its own ups and downs and not all days are the same. But passion, hard work and perseverance can beat the blues and push you each day in becoming the best you are, said noted art director Sunil Hamdapure on Wednesday.
“It’s been 38 years in the industry and I still enjoy each day with zeal. Practice, patience and hard work have been my constant companions in this journey,” he added.

Hamdapure gave the credit of his success to his failures and his teachers and advised the youth to work with available resources.

“My career has been positively shaped by my early life experiences. I firmly believe that no work is small and one must not get picky. Work with whatever little you can and make your way through it. These early experiences will help a lot later on in your career,” he said.

He and theatre actress Rupali More were felicitated by Ranjan Kala Mandir to mark World Theatre Day at Abhyankar Smarak Samiti, Dhantoli. Also present were president of the academy Sanjay Pendse and artist Kirti Manegaonkar.

Speaking about industry and its related myths, More said, “Theatre in the city is quite accepting of women if they can play their parts with finesse. Drama culture here is quite welcoming of women and there is no immediate need to shift base to metropolitan cities. Naturally, if one is hardworking, there are good opportunities. Struggles also are no different than that faced by men. One should only be persistent with their work.”

Manegaonkar, who is also part of mega drama ‘Swami Vivekananda’, mirrored More’s sentiments and said, “Theatre is city has cradled my career to an extent that we are now travelling worldwide. I believe that young people must be passionate enough to get in this field and do all the roles. This will help in shaping career to a great extent.”

Apart from professionals, hobbyist actors and artists were also present. A government employee by profession, one such theatre lover present was Anjaykar. According to him, one must always remember their roots and early teachers.

“When I started to act way back in 1990, we didn’t undertake workshops and our mistakes and teachers were our guides. Those teachers till this date are my idols and are the reason behind my passion for theatre,” he said.

Pendse said, “Theatre is a craft that stays with you forever and is not just a stepping stone for your big Bollywood career.”