Amul Sagar Nath, a life dedicated to theatre

Delhi: For a theatre person, the stage becomes synonymous with a second home. On a theatre stage, the imagination of playwrights and the visions of theatre directors come alive through the actors performing the play. While preparing and presenting a play takes a big team of cast and crew, there's a man who has done it all, Amul Sagar Nath, a theatre director, producer, actor, writer, and the founder of Black Pearl Arts.

Ever since Amul was a child, the art of storytelling fascinated him. When he entered college, he was drawn toward writing. There was a lot around him that he observed and wanted to say through his writing. In the form of short stories and poems, he expressed himself. Around this time, he was introduced to the world of theatre, an art form that essentially changed his life and transformed him into the artist he is today.

From working in backstage to being the subject of the spotlight and now, to directing and producing plays, the journey of Amul has been remarkable and full of challenges and experiences. According to Amul, the different hats he has worn over several years in theatre have taught him something new every time. The most fascinating thing about theatre for him is the people he has worked with and the bond he has developed with them. He says, "While doing theatre, you get to meet a lot of new people, that's the best part. You meet all types of people, you work with them, you talk to them. Everyone has a different perspective, they see things differently and that teaches you a lot. Every day and every person has something new in store for you."

Even after leaving college and pursuing his job, Amul never left the theatre. He kept on writing and acting and just being associated with theatre in every capacity he could. After he was done with his day job, he'd dedicate the rest of the day to either practicing for some play or writing one. The people and society around him became his inspiration. He'd observe people, the way they behave, walk, talk and look at things and made stories out of them. Amul says, "Stories are all around us. Every person we meet carries a story. One just needs the eye to see that story. For me, the everyday experiences became the subject of writing." According to Amul, inspiration could come to you at any time and at the most unusual of places, if only you have the eye for a story. While travelling in a metro once, he saw a daughter arguing with her father and leaving the metro angrily. This observation lead to Amul writing his play named 'Mere Papa'.

It was sometime around 2010 that Amul left his job and decided to pursue only theatre and founded Black Pearl Arts, his own theatre group. On the top floor of a  dilapidated building in the congested and busy locality of Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi, this theatre group carries out its daily activities. The setup consists of two rooms and a terrace. The walls of this space have Bollywood posters and dialogues pasted and written on them. Several young talents spend their days rehearsing in that setup, even in the scorching heat and cruel cold of Delhi.

Through his theatre group, Amul gives space to everyone who wants to do theatre, irrespective of their background. He says, "People have regular jobs, but if they're passionate about theatre, they find time to do it and we encourage some people, even if they spend only an hour here. If someone can't take an hour out for themselves, they should think and introspect. I think a person should make time for things that truly make them happy and if that's theatre, Black Pearl Theatre is the place for you."

While talking about what it takes to be a good actor, Amul believes that it's something that comes naturally to a person. He believes that not everyone can be an actor and that one needs to be a little crazy and very passionate to be a good artist. "To be a good writer, you have to be a good reader, similarly, to be a good actor, one needs to be a good observer," says he.