After a long and eerie uncertainty that loomed over the premises of Mumbai’s iconic Prithvi theatre, Naseeruddin Shah returned to stage as Einstein, much to the delight of theatre goers. Shah, who continues to be the theatre circuit’s mainstay, to a large extent, feels there are tough times ahead for theatre in a Covid-19 world.
The 70-year-old actor says, “I fear for the existence of the large commercial spaces as well as the very small ones. But there was the plague in Shakespeare’s time, too. Theatres were shut for a year but recovered gradually. I am optimistic that’ll happen here as well. But I love being on the stage and will continue even if no one turns up.”
His return to stage as Einstein is based on a story written by Canadian playwright Gabriel Emmanuel. The actor first stepped into the shoes of the Nobel laureate six years ago. “What emerges is a sort of line drawing of the man which is very precise and beautifully simple and captures all his salient qualities, his wisdom and his sense of humour,” Shah says.