Actor Kiran Kumar with director Kawal Sharma at the play rehearsal. Pic/Sneha Kharabe

Each time Kiran Kumar would watch a theatre performance, he'd feel both amazed and envious of the adulation that actors would receive from the audience. "I always felt that this was the only thing you miss when you do movies —the opportunity to face a live audience. Whether it's praise or brickbats, the reaction is there for you to see," says Kumar.