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.