As a school-going child, Madhur Rawat directed two to three plays. Who knew that he would go on to direct 13 more. All this happened when the Jaipur-based youngster decided to move to Hyderabad to pursue his BFA in Filmmaking from Annapurna International School of Film and Media (AISFM). He was also elected as the President of Rangmanch, the theatre club of AISFM and has been its president for the past four years and in the process, he has made the club the only one in the college that runs in profits. Certainly, this 21-year-old has come very far from wanting to be a filmmaker to directing more than 13 plays. Now that college is almost done and so is his tenure as president, we walk down memory lane with this youngster and find out how he discovered the love for theatre.
It all started with his mother, who pushed Madhur to take up theatre in class V. "It helped me realise that I want to continue exploring this medium and explore filmmaking as well," Madhur explains. And when Hyderabad happened, he took up the opportunity of studying in AISFM with gusto. But before he took on the reins as President of Rangmanch, he did his homework. He worked with other theatre groups in Hyderabad, like Rangeen Sapne, and made up for all the areas he was inexperienced in like script-writing.
But as the President of Rangmanch, the stakes were higher. While Madhur had experience directing plays where there were three cast members, here he had to take on the challenge of directing as many as 10 and sometimes, he would act in these plays too. The very first play he took up was the one he had performed with Rangeen Sapne already called Ek Anaar Sau Bimaar. "My aim was that Rangmanch should be equal to other theatre groups in Hyderabad," says the youngster. We hear it is his way of patiently explaining things to the cast and crew and putting his commanding authority to good use that has made him a successful theatre director.
But since Madhur's ultimate goal is filmmaking, we wonder how theatre is helping him inch closer towards that goal. "Theatre has made me understand filmmaking at a different level. Especially aspects like managing people and problem-solving," says Madhur. From dealing with lost props to a last-minute change in venue for a play that Amala Akkineni, Director of AISFM had agreed to attend — this director has surely learnt a lot from his rollercoaster ride. Currently, Madhur is busy working on his graduation project and he is also working on a script too, which he wants to make into a movie. He will remain in Hyderabad to try his luck and make it as a filmmaker.
Two plays he has directed:
Evam Indrajit
The story of Evam Indrajit focuses on a writer who narrates stories without ever being given a firm identity of his own. He finally finds inspiration in a woman named Manasi
You Can't Take It With You
This is the story of a dysfunctional family in which every member does what he/she loves to do.
