Actor Rajit Kapur on The Siddhus of Upper Juhu – a play that pokes fun at the woes of modern urban life

The Indian play The Siddhus of Upper Juhu, with Bollywood actors Rajit Kapoor and Shernaz Patel, will make its international debut at the inaugural Dubai Comedy Festival on October 15 and 16.

Rajit Kapur stars with Shernaz Patel in The Siddhus Of Upper Juhu. Courtesy Rage Productions

Bollywood actor Rajit Kapur stars in The Siddhus of Upper Juhu, a stage comedy about a Punjabi family whose lives are turned upside down when their swanky neighbourhood is overtaken by construction.

Written and directed by Rahul da Cunha, the Indian comedy will make its overseas debut as part of Dubai Comedy Festival this weekend. Kapur tells The National why any city-dwelling audience member will be able to relate to his character's plight.

Why do you think The Siddhus of Upper Juhu is a fit for the Dubai Comedy Festival?

The play is very relatable to those who are pressurised by city life. Most of us go through this kind of angst and stress, which is only peculiar to big cities. We give a humorous twist to those anxieties.

What’s your character Balvinder Siddhu, aka Bubbles, like?

Shernaz and I play a middle-aged couple, and my character is on the verge of a nervous breakdown from the stress of city life. His predicament is shown with a laugh-at-ourselves humour as to what city life can do to us.

Your character does not have any patience for the ruckus in his neighbourhood. Does the chaos of city life irk you, as well?

(Laughs) Bubbles has this gregarious Punjabiness about him. But I’m not short-tempered like him.

When did theatre become a career choice for you?

The thought began to germinate in the last year of school. In my three years of college I got seriously involved in the performing arts and the dramatic society. I started meeting and associating with a lot of people who were doing theatre – there was no looking back after that.

Your portrayal of the Bengali television detective Byomkesh Bakshi has become your iconic role. Do you fear that one role eclipsed all your other performances?

I don’t look at it that way. The role gained this kind of unexpected popularity that I hadn’t imagined. People do associate me with that character but that’s never bothered me. But it also thrills me when someone stops me on the road to talk about something they saw me do on stage. It is far more valuable than what a million people have seen.

What are your thoughts on the state of performing arts in India at the moment?

Government support isn’t present like it is in western countries. But audiences in cities are getting attuned to live performances now, and understand the value of such shows.

Are you working on any other theatre productions or movies?

We have just launched One On One Part 2, a collage of modern India made up of playlets of 12 to 14 minutes each. We've done 20 shows so far. I'm also currently shooting for two films – Baar Baar Dekho, directed by Nitya Mehra, and R Balki's Ki and Ka.

• The Siddhus of Upper Juhu will be performed at Ductac on Thursday and Friday at 8pm. Tickets, from Dh100, are available at www.ductac.org