( World Theatre Day 2024 special)
With her roots from Kashmir,
Vedika Kaul Vyas is an emerging artist , actress and theatre professional full of talent and intellect.
In an exclusive interview on the eve of World Theatre Day 2024, she talks to Rameez Makhdoomi.
Pertinently, World Theatre Day is celebrated every year on 27 March.
How do you see theatre role in society ?
Theater has been alive for centuries and is one of the first few art forms to be created in the world. It not only entertains but also brings about a social change, in the way we think and feel. I believe theater holds an energy to create an intimate space for the artists and the audience, it allows artists to express on impulse and with spontaneity, and allows the audience to react authentically and in the moment. For me it is the oldest and the most genuine form of storytelling.
Your acting journey?
I first started my training with a workshop at Darpana Academy at Natrani Theater by Mallika Sarabhai in Ahmedabad in 2015.
In 2016, I acted in a short film called ‘Rang To Chhe Ne’ by Bhavna Parmar that also went to Cannes International Film Festival in France.
I started my acting journey on stage in 2017 with a play called ‘Meri Favorite Shirt’. It’s an adaptation of a short story called ‘Trasdi’ by actor, director and writer Manav Kaul. -Between 2017 to 2018. I did various plays like ‘Meri Favorite Shirt’ directed by Ankit Gor, ‘Dhaad’ by Aditi Desai, ‘Patli Pin Ka Charger’ an adaptation of Harold Pinter’s Revue sketches directed by Harshil Bhatt. – In 2019, I enrolled in The Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute in Los Angeles (U.S.A.) it specializes in Method Acting which is similar to Stanislavsky’s school of thought. –
In 2020, I moved to New York and continued studying acting there, where I mainly worked on my craft on stage. – I moved back to India in mid 2020 due to covid and did an Online play with Kommune India run by Roshan Abbas and Tess Joseph. The Play was a part of Kommune Dramatic Readings guided by Sheena Khalid.
I moved to Mumbai in 2022. I have been featured in a song called ‘Maahaul’ by Raj Pandit under Salim Suleiman (Merchant Records) label.
I have recently worked in a play called ‘The Shape Of Things’ by playwright Neil LaBute, directed by Rohan Trivedi. We opened the play with two days of House Full shows at The Jeff Goldberg Studio in Khar on 23rd & 24th March 2024, and have performances lined up at other venues.
Your message on world Theatre Day 2024?
Theatre gave me the opportunity to discover that I wanted to be an actor. I feel it is an art form that will never fade away. Being on stage is an innate instinct for an artist where you also discover a lot about yourself.
Your goals ?
My goal as an actor is to be a part of stories that have not been told or discovered yet and to eventually also tell some of my own.
I also want to be a part of stories that come from the Valley of Kashmir, which are beautiful and impactful such as the story of Habba Khatoon and Lal Daed. Stories that are far from the violence and close to what our beautiful Kashmir stands for.
What are your current projects?
I”m currently working on my play ‘The Shape Of Things’ which is very fresh. I’m looking for forward to projects on OTT and Films. I’ve also done a few Ads on the digital Platform.
Your role models?
My role models on stage are Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak, Mita Vashisht and Vinay Pathak. I have seen a few plays by them. Their dedication and love towards their craft is always evident in their performance. They inspire young artists like myself and I hope to keep working with the same kind of intensity and freshness.
