Writing, acting, or direction — what came first?
I was born in Kashmir but was brought up in Hoshangabad. My schooling was in a small town. I wanted to leave that behind and see the world. I felt that acting would enable me to realise these plans and so I took up theatre in Bhopal. I acted in my first play between 1993 and ’94, and have been writing poetry and plays since 2000.

When I arrived in Mumbai, I wanted to act in television shows, ads and films. But I realised that I still loved theatre the most. So I stopped everything to focus on theatre, and took up writing plays. I like to entertain myself and keep things complicated. I started my theatre company in 2004. I stopped acting for 12 years in between. I tend to do a lot so that I don’t get bored of the things I love. When I write, I can’t keep writing for long periods of time. I need to take a break to miss the art form. That’s when I act. And when I act for too long, I take a break; then, I miss acting so I can give it my 100 per cent. I wanted a life that included acting, writing, directing, travelling and writing books. Right now, I am living the life I dreamt of.