Having started your career as a teacher, how did you become an actor?

After coming to Kathmandu from Chitwan, I took up teaching as a profession. But one day, when a friend of mine told me about the acting classes at Rastriya Naach Ghar, I decided to fill the forms and give it a try. Soon, I realised that this was what I liked doing, and my journey in the world of acting began.

Tell us about your acting journey so far?

After my training was over, I started working at various theatre houses in Kathmandu, including Mandala, Shilpee and Gurukul, among others. I also got involved in various organisations working to create social awareness through theatre. And apart from theatre, I have also tried my hand in movies, Kohinoor being the latest, where I have played the role of a journalist.

What is your take on present-day Nepali theatre?

Nepali theatre has come a long way since the days of Ashesh Malla and Harihar Sharma. Before, dramas were more about realism and hyperbole; whereas now, theatre actors and directors are working more  with experimental plays. Similarly, back then, when theatre was still in its infancy, these actors had to work with a small budget and limited manpower. But now, our budgets have expanded, the number of people involved has increased and new technology (particularly projectors, light and sound equipments) is finding its way into our theatres.      

Do you agree that the quality of acting has improved as well?

It’s very hard to answer this question. Yes, there are very few actors who can match the calibre of senior thespians like Harihar Sharma. Just thinking about his performance in Basudev, for example, sends chill down my spine. But then the current crop of actors does not want to limit itself to doing realistic plays only. They want to experiment and they crave newness. So, while the current crop of actors lags behind its seniors in terms of experience and depth of acting, they are ahead of their mentors when it comes to experimentation and variety.

You were involved in The Laramie Project. Tell us about your experience of working in the play?

I feel honoured to have gotten the chance to perform four different roles in the play. Before working in the play, I had a limited knowledge about sexual minorities and the problems they encounter. But my understanding about the group has expanded after working in the play. The play, which is based on the story of the murder of a gay man in the US, sheds light on one of the most neglected issues of our times: the problems facing sexual minorities. It tries to convey the message that no matter what your gender and sexuality might be, you, as a human being, have the right to live the way you want to.

You have also acted in a few movies. Is acting in a movie different from working in a theatre?

I played the lead role in the movie World Cup in Nepal and played the role of a journalist in the movie Kohinoor. I can say that working in movies is a tight-rope walk. Whereas theatre performances are carried out after weeks of rehearsals, which provide actors ample time to master the dialogues, get under the skin of the characters and understand them better, movies follow a tight, often hectic, schedule which does not allow for character analysis and rehearsals. So, while working in movies, one has to give his best in a narrow timeframe.

What do you do in your free time?

I and my friends run a farm in Nuwakot. So, whenever I am free, I go to the farm and take care of things there. Also, since I do not like watching TV, I spend my leisure time listening to Nepali and Hindi classical songs and reading books.

If not an actor, what would you have become?

I would have become a full-time social worker, for sure. In fact, I am still involved with some organisations that use street-plays and skits as a medium of raising awareness about various social issues.

What are your plans for 2015?

I don’t have a detailed plan of what I will be doing  throughout the year, but I am quite sure that this year I will be doing more movies than plays.

Any hobbies?

I like travelling. I love places endowed with forests, mountains and rivers.