All Prithvi’s A Stage

When Prithvi Theatres turned 17 in 1995, we had an International Festival celebrating 50 years of Prithviraj Kapoor’s original repertory company. We presented productions from across India and France, Japan, Belgium and Germany, along with a music performance by Ustad Zakir Hussain. It was fabulous. This was probably the first major festival Sanjna put together for us.

I guess Papaji (Prithviraj Kapoor) would have been happy. Dad (Shashi Kapoor) was really the ‘idea man’—it was his dream to fulfil his father’s dream, but typically he left all the daily handling to my mother (Jennifer Kendall). After my mother died in 1984, the responsibility fell on me, but after  some years I gradually got Sanjna to take on more and more responsibility.

Sanjna and Kunal Kapoor

The thrust stage (for which Prithvi is known) is not new—it is actually ancient. There is something so right about the space and energy at Prithvi which makes performing and watching shows here so special. I guess the magic of the space and the intimacy with the audience is irreplaceable and a wonderful experience for actors. Makarand Deshpande played a major role in making Prithvi’s characteristic platform performances a huge hit in the 1990s—those were the mad, mad years. What I remember distinctly was having boundless energy. We would write, rehearse and perform non-stop. And all for such little money!

As told to Prachi Pinglay-Plumber