 Shwetha
is a budding young actress who shows a lot of promise.
With an impressive repertoire of skills, she has
played lead roles in many stage and television productions.
She is also the sub editor of a Kannada theatre
magazine. Get to know more about this rising
star on the horizon....
How long have you been professionally
involved with Kannada theatre?
Though theatre has always been an integral part
of my life right from childhood due to my father's
involvement in it, I have been professionally
involved with theatre since eight years
now. I started of with school competitions and
was part of Prema Karanth's children's
dramatic workshop. My very first public performance
was in ' Ispeet Raja' later I acted in
'Apkari Kathe' by Iqbal. Currently
I am associated with the troupe 'Geetanjali'.
Kannada theatre is going through
a slightly lean phase. What do you think could
be done to revive it and generate more interest?
Though there is a lot of talk of the Kannada theatre
going through a bad patch, a lot of it is not
justified. We continue to have a loyal fan following,
but it is true that more help from the government,
both monetary and otherwise, would be vastly appreciated.
Regional theatre should be promoted on a larger
scale, and theatre being such an integral part
of a rich culture, should be preserved. Greater
participation by the youth, inflow of funds by
corporates and more coverage in the media are
some of the steps which could revive theatre to
a great extent.
What are the various ingredients
that go into making a production a success?
Plays of any genre are all about teamwork; each
and every p roduction
translates into a lot of involvement backstage
and perfect coordination of various talents. Lighting,
make up, stage settings; costumes, music, acting
and direction are all various aspects, which go
into making a successful dramatic venture.
What kind of response do your
stage plays generate?
Well, theatre offers people a refreshing change
from the mindless entertainment we are exposed
to, and usually we have quite encouraging responses
from discerning audiences. Till date, I have been
largely involved in productions where there is
a youthful presence, and thus our superiors are
constantly looking to motivate us into doing better
work, giving us positive feedback
Would you tell us something about
the most challenging and memorable roles you have
come across till date?
I have done roles spanning a lot of different
categories ranging from social, mythological to
historical. In my most recent role, I was called
upon to perform a Yakshagana in 'Bhagavadajjukiya'.
This was really challenging because of the heavy
costumes, intricate steps and dialogues involved.
I won the overall best actress award at the state
level for this. Other memorable roles were that
of the female lead in ' Bhamati', which
again helped me bag the overall best actress award
at the state level. Gnanabharathi, which
conducts an intercollegiate fest every year, constitutes
this award.
You have also been involved in
quite a few telefilms and serials. How has this
experience contributed to your growth as an actress?
My first brush with television took place when
I acted in a teleplay directed by Geeta Ramanand,
it was ' Nijagalina Rani'. Later I played
the part of a village belle in a telefilm 'Kamala'.
Initially, it took me some time to make the transition
from stage to television because they are vastly
different mediums; I was also part of T N Sitaram's
long running serial 'Jwalamukhi'. I have
also acted in quite a few TV serials by film director
Nanjudegowda. Well, the whole TV experience
has helped me expand my repertoire of skills.
Could you tell us more about
the literary aspects of your association with
theatre? How does your magazine help in keeping
the spirit of theatre alive?
My father L Krishnappa is the editor of
one of the few Kannada theatre magazines,'
E masa nataka'. We felt a magazine was indispensable
because it helps broaden our horizons. We are
able to reach out to more people and create more
awareness about our Kannada theatre culture. Noted
artists such as Hasakru, Srinivas Raju, T N
Sitaram, Prassana contribute to our publication.
Our publication is reasonably priced at a yearly
subscription of
Rs 50.
Who are the greats of Kannada
theatre who come to mind immediately, and have
influenced you on a personal level?
The major influences have been all the experienced
people I have had the good fortune of interacting
with, but notably my father L Krishnappa,
and Geeta Ramanujam have been guiding influences.
What are the future productions
you plan on staging in the days to come?
As far as future projects are concerned, Geeta
Ramanujam's 'Dasa Purandara' is being performed
in Udupi in the near future. I
look forward to continue acting and entertaining
people in the days to come.
As told to Preeti Prakash
For further details concerning subscription to
the magazine,
' E masa nataka' do contact:
Shwetha Krishnappa
690/Q,12 th cross, 14th main,
J.P.Nagar 2nd phase, Bangalore-560078
Phone: 2659 0851
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