Theatre requires more finesse in acting: Actress Gulki Joshi

New Delhi: Indian television actress Gulki Joshi, who started out her acting career with theatre, believes that on stage, “you have to be a lot more alert, keep practicing, and get more finesse to your acting.”

The ‘Phir Subah Hogi’ actress appears in Zee Theatre’s ‘Purush’, a play about breaking stereotypes and standing up against the powerful who are arm twisting the powerless using any means possible. The teleplay is a social commentary on universal issues of gender politics, patriarchy, and caste discrimination. ‘Purush’ features veteran actor Ashutosh Rana as the diabolical politician Gulab Singh and Gulki Joshi as the resilient social activist Ambika Bhagawat.

Set in Meerut, UP, in a middle-class Brahmin home, the teleplay creates a layered narrative as the plot explores a number of glaring ideologies that plague men as well as women in Indian society. In a regressive and unyielding scenario, Ambika not only fights for herself but also stands up for other women who are subjected to injustice or oppression.

Speaking in an interview, Gulki shared: “I started my acting with theatre. I remember, I started doing theatre while I was studying at Mithibai College, Mumbai. There I got a chance to be part of many plays and later I entered TV. Both are absolutely different forms. On TV, you get the chance to improve and take as many retakes you can but in theatre, once the play is live you have no room for retakes.”

Asked about her experience working with the acting veteran Ashutosh Rana, she recalls: “In personal life, he is a very sweet and humble being. He made me feel so comfortable from day one especially during those physical abuse scenes, in which any girl can feel uncomfortable. But he made sure that everything happens according to me and I feel comfortable at all times. It was an absolute pleasure working with him.”