Nothing gives me greater pleasure than bumping into a professional actor, and they remember with great accuracy the workshop exercises they had done with me years ago,” reveals Mahesh Dattani, a celebrated playwright and director. Despite nursing a toothache when this writer reached out to him, the Sahitya Akademi-winner’s sense of joy, and dedication, to nurture artistes is palpable in the way he opens up about The Believable Actor, his ongoing workshop. From Dance Like a Man to Final Solutions, Dattani is the force behind some of the most riveting productions in contemporary Indian theatre. His course is divided into the foundation and intermediate phases. Ahead of the intermediate workshop, the master theatre-maker chats with The Guide.

Mahesh Dattani