City youngsters opt for experimental theatre

Druma Mehta: Many aspire to become actors and what better way than theatres. Also the market and audiences alike are warming and opening up to new age plays which allows new youngsters to gain experience before they go on to bigger platform in metro cities. And experimental theatres are surely finding its way among youngsters which is a good sign.

Chinmay Parmar: One of the biggest pay-offs of opting this genre in theatre is that the audiences have warmed up and spreading positive feedback which helps in putting up more shows. Secondly with Gujarati movie also opting the urban route and churning out stories that a Gujarati youngster can relate to has also indirectly helped us in getting more audience. And importantly with various theatre festivals being organized across India it gives us a chance to take up these plays to national levels.

Apsara Iyengar: Earlier there was a fixed formula for commercial plays with a fixed number of artists, but with experimental plays you have the luxury of opting for minimum people and making the maximum use of theatre and its properties. For experimental plays there aren’t enough producers and investors in the market so social media and media bytes automatically comes super handy. Also if you are an artist and want to get noticed then these social media handles gives you that opportunity too, by posting your videos and shots from the play.

Abhinay Banker: “The main reason why young theatre artists are opting for experimental plays is because somewhere the line between commercial, mainstream and arty plays have blurred which makes it easier for a new idea to click. There isn't any fixed formula for a successful play as it used to be earlier. So a lot of young directors are coming up with subjects that are intriguing and never told before. Also a lot of quirky topics that's explored on the stage are now being turned into movies with well-known Bollywood actors.”

Ankit Gor: The main reason why this genre has worked here is because the mainstream industry here is still somewhere not ready to come out and try newer and relevant subjects which one can see in several metro cities. Whilst the younger clan is keener in telling anew story no matter how risky it is.