MUMBAI: Curtains up, lights on, and action, but the roots of cinema lie on the stage. At a lively session on “The Power of Theatre in Cinema’s DNA,” celebrated actors and creators revealed how the world of theatre continues to shape the Indian screen.
Moderated by National School of Drama director Chittaranjan Tripathy, the panel featured Swanand Kirkire, Raghubir Yadav, Rajpal Yadav, and Mita Vashisht. The discussion explored how theatrical training provides actors with depth, discipline, and authenticity that resonate on screen.
Swanand Kirkire, a multi-talented lyricist, actor, and singer, called cinema an extension of theatre. “Drama happens in one space and one time on stage. Cinema takes the same drama and expands it across spaces and moments,” he said. He highlighted that every great film begins with understanding drama, the conflict between forces, and the forward motion of storytelling.
Raghubir Yadav stressed theatre’s irreplaceable role in building a performer. “You can do a play without cinema, but you cannot do a film without a play. Theatre gives you everything: emotion, nuance, life. Cinema may teach dialogue memorisation, but theatre teaches you living on stage,” he explained.
Rajpal Yadav reflected on theatre as a teacher of life itself. “The collaborative essence of stagecraft and how understanding every role, from actors to carpenters, enriches cinema. Theatre teaches zero, cinema teaches hero. When theatre and cinema come together, every element of performance becomes alive,” he said.
Mita Vashisht discussed the technical interplay between theatre and film. While theatre delivers a live connection with audiences, cinema requires technology to capture and convey the same energy. She also pointed out that concepts like framing, positioning of actors, and set design in cinema are borrowed directly from theatre, referencing techniques like Mise en Scène.
The session celebrated theatre as the backbone of cinema, emphasising that even with all the technology in modern filmmaking, the foundational lessons of stagecraft: discipline, collaboration, and emotional truth, remain essential. As Kirkire summarised, “Theatre gives cinema its DNA. Without it, the soul of performance is incomplete.”
From the intricacies of acting to the careful orchestration of a set, the discussion made it clear, the spotlight may have shifted from stage to screen, but the heart of storytelling continues to beat in the theatre.
