Naseerudeen Shah

4th August2006, NCPA, Mumbai, India
I am sitting on the staircase of the experimental theatre inside the National Council of Performing Arts situated on the tip of Narman Point. I have come here to see the show of the English play – ‘DEAR LIAR’
I am not a audience of English theater. I am a hard core fan of the genius actor- Naseeruddin Shah.
I am sitting on the stairs of the experimental theater with my friend Sonal.
Sonal is leaving for Coimbtore next week, leaving Mumbai for some time.
She keeps repeating- ‘but one day I will come back’.
Sea wind is crazy. Mumbai monsoon takes a little break in between. Climate is wet. And we are talking about longevity.
We normally do not expect to live very long. The way we are living our life- we know that- life span is 50 to 60 years of active life. Then we grow old and wait to die.
Out of the context I quote-
‘one of the most remarkable cases of longevity to spill over into the 20th century is that of the Chinese herbalist and Taoist adept LEE CHING-YUEN, who maintained his youthful vigor, sexual potency and perfect health through out long active life. Lee died in 1933, shortly after marrying his 24th wife, and it remains a matter of historical record in china that he was born in 1677, during the early year of Ching Dynasty. That made him 256 years old when he died, for those who wish to count the years. Lee died with all his own teeth and hair, and those who knew him say that he looked about 50 when he was already over 200.’
-‘The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity’ by Daniel Reid (page-348).
As I am talking, I see a car coming closer to the stairs an a lady in late 60’s opens the rear door with a show ticket ready in her hand. I share a glance and -smile with Sonal. I am looking towards the entrance where a black board is hanging behind the glass- ‘HOUSE FULL-THNAK YOU’.
I see a fat man coming near the board and lifts it and hangs it back showing the reverse side of it, which is blank. Now I see him opening one of the glass doors and sitting behind a table. I walk to the man.
Now I have the ticket. Sonal is going back to hostel to concentrate on her studies. And I am heading towards the ever group of the audience.
I am walking to the experimental theater auditorium. This crowd is different.
These are not the people, who share my Mumbai in day-to-day basis. They live in South Bombay, probably never use local trains for commuting.
Ticket rates for the show is flat two hundred rupees.
Everybody wants secure for a better seat. I am glad to grab a seat in the second row. Slowly audience is coming inside and taking whatever seats are available. I notice their sorry figures when they are indicated to seat in the last rows of the auditorium.
I am also seeing the stage without curtains. There is a small table on the center stage with two chairs facing the audience and two separate chairs on the left and right side of the stage slightly behind the line of center stage.
Two huge black and white portraits of a male and female are hanging in the back drop with a large white frame.
As the third bell rings some where outside the auditorium, music of western classical orchestra fills the hall and the darkness creeps all over. Sound grow higher and the light flashes around the two portraits, a beam flashes on all the chairs. Volume is going higher with the interruption of mobile ring tones.
Thank you for switching off your mobile phones- says a voice, we know as
Naseruddin Shah.
I first met Naseer at CCI in 1989.
I reached churchgate station in morning to keep my 5.30am appointment with him. I was to shoot his photographs along with Shekhar Kapoor. They came there for morning exercises. I had the breakfast with them and the photographs published in Sunday Mid-Day.
As a fan I have never missed any of his interview. I always found him a man of substance. He has been consistent in his work. Fully dedicated to the quality you expect from a top grade performer.
I watched him growing with the boom of parallel cinema movement. He was the supper star of those films- ‘Nishant’, ‘Manthan’,‘Bhoomika’, ‘Akrosh’.
He won a national award for ‘Sparsh’ playing the blind teacher.
I am ready to witness the play
‘DEAR LIAR’.
directed by Naseer himself.
He is also playing the lead role with the leading lady of his life, wife and actress Ratna Pathak Shah.
Naseer walks on the stage with Ratna.

‘I am Naseeruddin Shah.
I am Ratana Pathak Shah.

This play is based on the letters of Geroge Benard Shaw written to Stalla an actress in England. The period is early ninth century.’

And now on, I will not be able write the details of the play.
I am sitting mesmerized by the performance of the two. I am overbold with the British English boiling out from both. There nuances, and the in between expressions give the a very high level of their acting ability
Naseer starts the character with age of 56 and takes it to age of 80. He changes the body language to change the age and I am thrilled. The play is more than two hours.
Its for my love for this dedicated actor that I am writing these line.
In age of sms, mobile, mms and internet, when the success is measured by the numbers and market,
I wish to salute the couple-
for their dedication to what they enjoy-acting.

Now I am going to watch-
Yun Hota to Kya Hota