Ila Arun is back to her first love

Ila Arun

Theatre is Ila Arun's "first love" as it challenges the artiste in her. "I write, direct, act and produce plays. For a creative person, it is an all-encompassing experience. There is unbridled joy to perform in front of a live audience," says the veteran actor-singer.

After leading a relatively sedentary lifestyle with virtual shows and online readings during the pandemic, Arun has finally walked back on stage, along with her theatre troupe for the Surnai Theatre and Folk-Art Foundation's IBSEN (In honour of Norwegian Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen) festival at Prithvi Theatre. "I often wondered if returning to the stage after a gap would take a toll on me? But the moment I stepped on it, I could feel a surge of energy within me. I was raring to go," says Arun, who utilised her time at home by fine-tuning her scripts.

Besides penning the adaptation of Ibsen's Hedda Gabbler to Hardit Kaur Gill and American playwright Tom Dudzick's Miracle on South Division Street to Miracle on Matunga Street, Arun has also written an original, Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke for the festival that runs from November 11 to 14. "Hardit Kaur Gill is a timeless figure searching for the happiness that always eludes her. Miracle on Matunga Street delivers a message on faith and the lack of it," explains the playwright, adding that her original revolves around an elderly couple, who attempt to break free from the isolation of their empty lives brought about by the lockdown.

Also read: Exclusive: 'Working in theatre feels like a fresh start,' says Param Singh