Midlife Drama

In spite of an impressive filmography,Shukla sounds elated at the prospect of returning to theatre after 18 years with Two to Tango,Three to Jive. He has directed this production where he also plays the central character. “Unlike films where you are bound by the camera,here you are unchained as an actor,” he says adding that “Movies are economic options,but theatre’s rewards are are priceless. I’ve been craving to return to the stage,” he adds.

Two to Tango,Three to Jive is an adaptation of American playwright Neil Simon’s Last of the Red Hot Lovers — with the characters and language drawn from the milieu Shukla grew up in. “I didn’t want to make a shallow,humorous production; the connotations and culture of my Delhi surroundings helped me infuse realism into it,” he says.

Shukla plays the protagonist,Parminder Sethi — a man trapped in midlife crisis who has hilarious encounters with three women,and attempts to strike illegitimate affairs with them. The production opened on Sunday at the Tata Theatre of National Centre for Performing Arts,Mumbai. It will travel to Chennai,Bengaluru,Delhi and Kolkata.