A: I came back to theatre through Red Hot after almost 18 years. All these years I've been busy with films in Mumbai.

I wanted to stage a play essentially in which I could act. So I chose Neil Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers.

He's one of my favourite writers along with Arthur Miller. These two have talked a lot about society.

Miller wrote about the socio-cultural changes in the society, the politics of America and the rest of the world also. Simon too offers the same sensibilities though he's more tilted towards modern Broadway.

The play is about a man in his late 40s. Having fulfilled all his duties as a husband, son and father, he is now bored with life.

He feels he's losing the meaning of life, that there's something missing. So he decides to have an affair.

Q: You've been involved with both films and theatre for over two decades. Which art form is more appealing to you? A: It's like oranges and apples.

Both are fruits but of different kinds. So it depends on which one you're chewing.

I'm very comfortable with both mediums but yes movies are monetarily more rewarding. Also theatre in India does not have a commercial culture like the Broadway of US - where you can buy a house, have a car and live happily.

In India, theatre does not provide that cushion. Q: Which of the two art forms do you find more relevant? A: On one level cinema is more relevant because it's watched by, and reaches more people.

On the other there are certain things that can only be done in theatre and not cinema. So both have equal relevance and will continue to thrive.

Q: What changes have you seen in Indian theatre from the times you started? A: My reach is mostly in Mumbai. From what I've seen, I feel that technically theatre is changing - audio video, fusion etc.

All this is an after-shot of the way our lives are changing with technology. Despite people using ipads and iphones, I find that human lives are still the same.

As the society changes, the problems, conflict and demands of human life changes, and art per se, reacts to that. For example, at one point of time people in India were not talking about or aware of loneliness so much as they do today.

Though Mohan Rakesh wrote a lot about loneliness way ahead of our times, today what he wrote has become a ground reality in cities both, big or small. Q: What according to you are the negative and positive aspects of theatre? A: From the theatre that I've seen I find that there's a lack of commercialisation.

We are still very moralistic about commercialising theatre and consider it non-classy or taboo. I don't agree with this viewpoint.

By commercialisation we mean bigger reach, hence it should be encouraged. For a collective laugh, cry and sharing of emotions I am all for commercialisation of theatre.

Q: Indian theatre's paying audience is said to be in the cities. What according to you should be done to make theatre reach smaller towns - the masses? A: What we've done today is imbibed western models like Broadway and imposed on Indian craft which works at many different levels.

We are not America where the audience can afford a 200 dollar ticket. For us, its Rs 5,000! We have to understand the kind of audience we have, where we stand and accordingly move that way.

We cannot be copycats. The paying audience is not in the cities; it's in smaller towns.

In cities, people are too smart - they want a pass all the time. In villages it's a different story.

The aam admi comes to the ground - 2,000 or 5,000 people, they buy the two or five rupee ticket and they watch a play. But theatre isn't reaching enough in smaller towns.

Q: Which are the three best theatre groups in India today? A: I can only speak for Mumbai. I don't know much about Kolkata or any other city which is thriving in theatre.

Motley of Naseeruddin Shah, Ansh of Makrand Deshpande and Rajat Kapoor's Chingari are the best groups according to me. Q: As a film personality - writer, director, actor - how do you manage it all? A: When I want to write, I write; when I want to act, I act and when I want to direct I direct.

It's not easy because nobody allows you to do that. You have to really fight for it.

But I decided that since I was interested in all three mediums and because one had only one life, I must enjoy it completely. Q: What film projects are you working on? A: There's Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra's Barfee where I have quite an important role.

Then there's an unnamed film by Subhash Kapoor of Phas Gaye Re Obama fame. The film is about law system in the country featuring Boman Irani and Arshad Warsi as my co-stars.

As a director, I'm writing a script set in the wild west of India, the Northern UP. If you have a producer, please let me know.

(laughs) (less)