Exclusive! Yeh Shaadi Nahi Ho Sakti's Chaitnya Sharma: Theatre is a dying art form that never dies

Actor and rapper Chaitnya Sharma's, aka Slowcheeta, most recent work is the teleplay Yeh Shaadi Nahi Ho Sakti that is directed by Akarsh Khurana. Speaking to OTTplay, he said that theatre as an artform will never die, but teleplays add another beautiful layer to the form of storytelling.

When we asked the actor if teleplays have the potential to become as popular as web series, he said, "Theatre is one a dying art form that never dies. And that is because theatre is rooted in culture. In Maharashtra, Gujarat and other parts of the country, there is a culture of watching a play along with family. Of course, I am of the belief that theatre is best viewed live, with actors performing in front of you, because the energy is palpable; you can feel the energy. But yes, there are limitations as well."

Chaitnya added, "That is perhaps why theatre is not as commercial as a cinema in our country. Also, when it comes to attention span, there is a lot of investment, since we are asking for an hour from every member of the audience to watch the play. That is why teleplays are interesting. It gives a huge platform for theatre artistes to reach a larger audience, with the same magic of a theatrical performance. So, on one hand, it's unfair to compare, but every format of storytelling is special in its own space."

Yeh Shaadi Nahi Ho Sakti is a teleplay based on Shakespeare's classic comedy The Taming of the Shrew. It also stars Prajakta Koli, Shikha Talsania and Adhaar Khurana. It is available to stream on Airtel Theatre, Dish TV and D2H Rangmanch.