Interview: BOLLYWOOD STAR MINISSHA LAMBA On Her Theatre Debut

Remember Minissha Lamba? The pretty girl who made her Bollywood debut with a sensitive performance in Yahaan. While Lamba left a lasting impression with Yahaan -- a film set against the troubled backdrop of Kashmir issue, she proved that she can be a versatile actress with her fun, cutesy roles in movies such as Bachna Ae Haseeno and Bheja Fry.

The petite actress is now back to prove her mettle with another debut of sorts -- this time on live theatre. Lamba made her stage debut with a play titled Mirror Mirror earlier this month. In her first stage role, Lamba gets to play a double role. Mirror Mirror, as the name may suggest is a story of sibling rivalry between two identical twins.

BWW spoke to Minissha Lamba on her stage debut and life beyond Bollywood. Excerpts..

Tell us more about Mirror Mirror and your role in the play

Mirror Mirror is a psychological revenge drama. The story of Minal's life, told as a confessional monologue. In the telling of the story. She assumes the roles of all the key characters that played the part in her life reaching where is does. It's a fast-paced thrilling story of sibling rivalry. The idea is to present a 75 min seating on the edge gritty drama along with beautiful set, carefully designed lighting, graphic visuals on the stage, carefully designed sound and music to the audience.

You have been working in Bollywood how do you feel about the transition to stage?

It's been a beautiful and rewarding transition. Never before have I been so viscerally involved as an artist, in the process of creation. It's a new space, one has to conjure the entire world on that rectangular space that you stand on.

You participated in the first ever reality contest in India -- Bigg Boss. Tell us more about it?

Big boss was tough. It takes a huge amount of mental strength to be in a reality show like that. Especially, coz you are cut off from the world. One doesn't know what is being said about you. And the mind games Ernst end up happening in the house are fun and daunting

Why did you think about shifting to theatre?

Theatre is something I always knew I would do. It took a chance meeting with my producer Mr. Ashvin Gidwani of AGP World. And the perfect script, an original screenplay, written and directed by Mr. Saif Hyder Hasan, to make it happen. I feel blessed to have made my theatre debut with such an amazing set of people.

What would you say about the theatre scene in India?

I can't comment on that. I am in the fledgling stage of my introduction to theatre. It's me who has to learn. Not have any sort of opinion yet. If you ask me after one year and I'll have a sensible answer for the question.