An actor's life

ASHUTOSH RANA IS A AS GUNG-HO ABOUT ACTING TODAY AS HE WAS 30 YEARS AGO, SAYS SUMAN SHARMA

-  SUMAN SHARMA

Ashutosh Rana is an actor's actor. He can play a concerned father with the same intensity that he displays playing Ravan on stage. He can hop, skip and jump from OTT to film to stage without breaking sweat. He loves Hindi literature and can recite poetry even in his sleep. Despite all his experience, he still sees himself as a big-eyed child caught in a candy store when it comes to his craft. And he doesn't want to ever lose that curiosity. Ask him a question and he listens to it as if it's the most important thing on earth and answers with due gravitas. His eyes light up when he's talking about his wife Renuka Shahane. He feels she's the perfect partner and waxes eloquent on relationship dos and don'ts. Excerpts from a heart-to-heart talk with the consummate actor.

WHAT'S KEEPING YOU BUSY THESE DAYS?

I am doing a play, Humare Ram, written and directed by Rahul Bhuchar. He is also playing the role of Ram, while I play Ravan. I have been portraying Ravan because he believes it is only through Ravan's eyes that one should look at Lord Ram. Over the last year, we have done 184 shows.

WHICH MEDIUM MAKES YOU MOST CONTENT?

Acting makes me content. These are different mediums, but the difference is that sometimes we connect but are unable to communicate, and at times we communicate but are unable to connect. Theatre gives you the best of both worlds. You are connected and simultaneously able to communicate. I believe theatre trains you. With age, an actor's edge should not get blunt. In order to live one character, you have to let go of the previous one.

Theatre gives you that leverage.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR NSD DAYS.