What are you working on these days?

After a long wait of 30 years, my dream of having my own theatre hall came true a couple of years ago, in the shape of Sarwanam theatre. Right now, I’m involved in teaching students about drama and promoting theatre as a space not just for drama, but also for different forms of art. Besides, I’m also a professor at Padma Kanya Campus.

How did you first get into drama?

When I was a kid, I was deeply influenced by traditional dramatic enactments that used to take place during jatras and festivals in my native Dhankuta. However, to my utter disappointment, I was never given a chance to take part in those plays. So I decided to collect other kids of my age group and form my own drama troupe. I also took the responsibility of writing and directing the plays and didn’t miss a chance to act in them as well. That was how I got into drama.

How do you see the current theatre scene in Nepal? Among the current theatre artists, whom do you like the most?

Obviously, theatre has moved in the right direction. The theatre-going public in Kathmandu has become well-informed, and anything below par is rejected by the audience, which is a good sign. You could say that going by the number of theatres in Kathmandu and the kinds of plays they show, no other South Asian city, except, maybe, Kolkata can match us.

And as an answer to your next question, I’d like to say that I like Anup Baral—both as an actor and as a person. I’m impressed by his personality.

You also wrote scripts for feature films and serials. Why did you discontinue that?

I found feature films to be too commercial, which in turn made them too artificial and cosmetic for me to have any faith in them. Although a play is as much a work of fiction as a movie, it has another dimension to it: as a form of art performed live before the audience, drama has the ability to create intimacy between the audience and the art, which is lacking in movies.  In short, I felt I could only relate to my audiences through plays rather than films.

What is your take on films? Any favourite actor/director?

I’m not critical of commercial films and I watch them often. Among the movies that I’ve watched in recent years, I really liked Bhag Milkha Bhag.

What do you like to do whenever you have some time for yourself?

I like reading and writing. Apart from that, I like growing vegetables in pots and vessels in my backyard and on the roof of my home.

What genre do you like to read most? Any favourite writers?

I enjoy reading poetry and stories. When it comes to Nepali literature, I admire Bishweshwor Prasad Koirala, Gopal Prasad Rimal and the up-and-coming writer Amar Neupane.  I also like Indian writer Mohan Rakesh and German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht, whose works are an inspiration to me.

Are you a foodie? What would be your last meal on earth? What about cooking?

I’m a vegetarian and I don’t consider myself a foodie. Tamako tarkari and bhat is what I’m never tired of eating. Yes, I know how to cook these things myself too.

Are you brand-conscious? Where do you shop usually?

No, I’m not too choosy when it comes to brands. I usually shop with my family at Bhatbhateni Supermarket, as shopping there is hassle-free.

Any memorable incident that you’d like to share with us?

Once our team was heading for Jiri in Dolakaha, in a van, as we had a show there. Just near Dhulikhel, our van skidded off the road and fell about 200 feet below. Luckily, we all survived and none of us was seriously injured except for a friend who sustained a broken leg. Remembering that incident still sends a chill down my spine.

If not in this field, what would you be doing?

Farming. I love farming. In fact, we’d also started a farm in Dhading, which unfortunately didn’t pan out because of the ongoing armed conflict during those years.