Mumbai, August 30: Actress Shruti Deshpande recently shared her experiences and lessons learned while working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his daughter, Shora Siddiqui, in the play ‘Nakaab.’ She emphasized the importance of ‘presence of mind’—the ability to make quick decisions and maintain composure in unexpected situations.
In an exclusive interview, Shruti stated, “The biggest lesson I learned from working with Nawazuddin was the significance of presence of mind. In theater, things don’t always go as planned. Any issue can arise on stage, and an actor must find a solution without panicking.”
Recalling an incident from a show in Chicago, Shruti mentioned, “That day, there were about a thousand people in the theater. During the performance, Nawazuddin’s microphone suddenly malfunctioned, and the audience couldn’t hear him, leading to a commotion. Such situations are quite challenging for an artist on a live stage. At that moment, Nawazuddin had to project his voice louder. However, there’s a limit to how loud an actor can speak. The other performers also adjusted their volume to support him.”
Shruti added, “Since it was Nawazuddin’s first theater experience and I have been in theater for many years, I knew I had to take responsibility. I improvised to some extent, and we managed the technical issue and the brief pause. After that, we resumed the performance.”
She pointed out the key difference between theater and film work. “In films, if a scene doesn’t go well, it can be reshot. But on stage, there’s no such option. Actors must face every situation in front of the audience and resolve it on the spot.”
During the play, Shruti also developed a strong bond with Nawazuddin’s daughter, Shora. She remarked, “Gradually, Shora became like a younger sister to me. I closely observed her growth. She was raised in Dubai and initially worked on understanding and speaking Hindi. Later, she performed a complete monologue on stage.”
Regarding Shora’s talent, Shruti expressed her admiration, saying, “Just like Nawazuddin brings something new and unique to every character, I see that same potential in Shora.”
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