Updated On: 27 November, 2020 08:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Fiona Fernandez
As Naseeruddin Shah returns to the stage in Einstein, the thespian discusses how theatre makers and his own processes have had to adapt to the new normal

In the play, Shah portrays the genius Albert Einstein who despite being a great thinker and revolutionary scientist, is hampered by failure like everyone else
How does it feel to return to the stage for Einstein after such a long gap?
It's exactly a year since we last performed Einstein (November 29, 2019), and every theatre person has suffered many withdrawal symptoms during this lockdown. But along with the excitement of returning to a beloved performing space there's also some anxiety about whether audiences will venture out. I suppose it will be a while before absolute normalcy returns but through this year I haven't missed shooting half as much as I've missed the stage. In any case, I enjoy the process of theatre so much that I'd do it even if there were no audience.
Did anything change for you because of the lockdown or was it business as usual with your rehearsal process?
Since the lockdown gave us all tons of time, I began initial work on a couple of things which I hope will be staged sooner than later. We actually did several rehearsals online and even performed Act 1 of Waiting for Godot with all of us in our own homes. Nothing compares with the high of being onstage in front of an audience but rehearsing and performing online was not a bad substitute.