Himani Shivpuri: Doon students have taught me how to improvise

To pay a tribute to her writer-poet father, Late HariduttBhattShailesh, actress HimaniShivpuri staged two plays - Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and Akeli - at Thimayya Auditorium in Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun, on Mondayevening.

The first play, written by her father, is a satire on the education system. Himani plays Mrs. Pal, an aimless teacher who goes to school for killing time and is able to stay on because her husband is in the Management Committee. And the second play, written by Manu Bhandari, is about Soma Bua - a lonely, old woman who loses her son as well as her husband, and passes time talking to her neighbours.

THEATRE IS MY WAY OF GIVING BACK TO DOON
Surrounded by fans who wanted to click selfies with her and relatives who had come to congratulate her after the play, Himani told us, "I have acted in over 50 films and 15 daily soaps, but the thrill I feel while performing for my home audience is unparalleled. My maasi keeps hooting, my brother and other relatives clap non-stop, and that gives me a kick and makes me want to continue acting for years to come."

I AM POSITIVE ABOUT THE THEATRE IN DOON
In the play, the actress has worked with student actors from the city. Talking about them, she added, "I enjoy working with Doon's talented, young actors and also get to learn from them. The bachchas I acted with this time are very energetic and innovative. Within a few minutes, they figured out how to improvise the scene and even taught me how to do it. Bollywood mein toh kitne retakes karne padhte hain, ek scene karne ke liye. So, I am positive about the theatre scenario in Doon."

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DOON IS OPEN TO ALL GENRES
Rajiv Mishra, a Delhi-based actor who is also in the play, said, "I have been doing plays since 2012 with Himani ji in Dehradun. I have done plays in Delhi and Mumbai also, but what I like about Doon's audience is that they are open to all kinds of genres."

Anshuman Joshi, another actor who shared the stage with Himani said, "Performing in a small city has its own advantages - the audience here is more relaxed. Bigger cities have people leaving auditoriums or eating food in the middle of the play, but Doon audience is calmer."

IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE A FILM ACTRESS PERFORM WITH DOONITES
Nandini, an attendee, said, "It is always a delight to watch Himani ji perform in Doon. She is one of the finest actors from Doon to join NSD brigade. She comes to Doon to perform every year. And we look forward to it as she always comes with new plays and characters."

Taya, another attendee said, "It is encouraging to watch a Doon-based Bollywood actress act with the students here. We had a lot of fun."

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