Sumeet Vyas: Great to know audience loves you

File image of Sumeet Vyas. Image sourced from mid-day archives

For actor Sumeet Vyas, the journey of recognition that started with Mikesh Chaudhary of Permanent Roommates web series and continued with the role of Chandan Sharma of TVF Tripling is far from over. But for now he is happy with the audiences' love he has received, calling it the "greatest feeling ever".

"The moment you realise you have an audience and they love you so dearly, that they are really involved in what you did, that it touched them, it is the greatest feeling ever," Vyas told PTI.

The actor, mostly known for his roles in digital space, said that recognition is important for an artiste. "It felt great to get the recognition. I think people would be lying if they say they don't really care about recognition, or adulation. That's why we perform. Every artist needs an audience," he said.

Vyas will be performing in White Rabbit Red Rabbit at the 3rd edition of Delhi Theatre Festival organised by Alchemist Live here at Pearey Lal Bhawan on August 31.

The play, written by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour, can be performed only once by an actor and in the past Mark Watson, Tom Basden, Anurag Kashyap, Ali Fazal, Richa Chhada among others have performed it. The play requires spontaneity and faith in the writer's ability as the actor will be given the script only moments before the performance.

Talking about the absurdist play, Vyas admitted he is nervous as well as curious about not knowing where to begin the play.

"I am actually very nervous, I think I have taken a big challenge. But I was very intrigued by this concept, and I was also feeling a bit left out because of a couple of my friends and people I admire have done it.

"I am glad I didn't go to watch their show, because if you watch it then you can't perform, that's the deal," the 36-year-old actor said.

Having played roles in TV, theatre, and cinema in a career spanning over a decade, Vyas believes the medium doesn't matter as long as you get to play exciting characters.

"If you have an exciting part to play then irrespective of if it's on web or it's a film, or TV or any medium for that matter, it should excite you to approach it." However, the young actor could not keep himself from falling for the limelight of a stage.

"If I have to compare then theatre would be the most gratifying medium, because it is an actor's medium. It is completely driven by actors, also because you are live with the audience.

"On stage you get an instant feedback of your performance that either they are with you or they are not with you. And when they are with you, you get this feeling that cannot be described," he added.

For his future plans, the "Veere Di Wedding" actor wants to take more serious roles, essentially to get away from "doing one kind of roles for too long".

The actor will be seen in an upcoming crime thriller, The Verdict, based on the 1959 case of Naval Commander K M Nanavati. Vyas will be playing the role of prosecution lawyer Ram Jethmalani on the ALTBalaji show.

"When you are generally going through a phase, doing one kind of roles and then you want to do something else. It's generally the emotions that you keep chasing, like I have overdone this emotion and now I want to do something else.

Perhaps something darker, which is what I am gravitating towards these days. Verdict is sort of like that," he said. The actor will also make an appearance in the Rajkummar Rao-starrer Made in China later this year.

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