Meenal Kapoor has a P.G.Diploma (Design & Direction) from the National School of Drama (NSD). She has acted in several plays and in some commercials, television shows, as well as in a couple of films too. She has taught, and has worked on voice modulation and voice culture. Here Meenal speaks about LET'S UNPACK!, which she has directed, and which she says, is unlike anything she has done before. Click here for the Preview of LET'S UNPACK
Deepa Punjani
What has been your most rewarding experience as the director of LET'S UNPACK?
My most rewarding experience as the director of this production is yet to happen. It will be when my actors will emerge with their realizations and share them with me. But as a director who is also an individual, I have already benefitted a lot from this play. This play is about re-evaluating one's life and re-discovering one's self. I have been introspecting and though I have not been able to come up with a solution as yet, I feel that at least I have asked the right questions. At the end of this process I think that I have a little more clarity about myself and the world around me.
How is this production different from what you have done earlier?
None of my earlier plays have dealt with an actor's personal journey. I have done productions where actors and their acting skills have been important, but the focus was always on making sure that the actors did a good job as the characters they were supposed to play. In this play, actors, their journeys and their realizations have been my prime focus. Also this time, it is my own theatre group Saarang which is presenting LET'S UNPACK! The entire process of bringing together actors for a process that demands months of exploration has been both exhausting & interesting. Especially in a city like Mumbai! My past work although challenging is unlike what I have set to do with LET'S UNPACK! The play was just a concept; an idea to begin with. And I insisted we take it to the stage without a definite script. I know that scenes have been improvised on stage, but to have no script at all is something else. The production process was very challenging, not only in terms of time management but in also ensuring that the content and the characters are understood by the audience.
What kind of theatre appeals to you?
These days, under the guise of the word 'Experimental', anything and everything is shown on stage, which might not even make sense. But on the other hand, if the design of the play in totality is apt (which does not only encompass set or stage design), and if the production speaks volume about the thought process behind it, then such a theatre would appeal to me.
Who have your influences been?
My own efforts during my days at Delhi University, the spirit and the competence of college theatre there, being exposed to a gamut of national and international theatre during and after NSD , having not one but various teachers and directors whom I could assist during that time and mainly my own scene works and experimentation during my design & direction specilaisation at the NSD - all of these count.
You are also an actor. Has that experience helped you as a director?
Yes. Being an actor and director together has always been helpful; rather many a times in the past the passive actor has become very active and the director went into hibernation. I will just say that we as a team have thoroughly enjoyed making this play. Well, well, well...ek actor khud ek character ko janm dey raha hai, shuru se lay kar ant tak kuch bhi taya aur likhit nahin hai, aur kya chahiye, bahut maza aa raha hai...
What has been your most rewarding experience as the director of LET'S UNPACK?
