Indian Express
Sunday Magazine – December 29, 1991
The three plays of National School of Drama Theatre Repertory Company, currently under production are significant in two respects. Firstly, it is the home-coming of Ebrahim Alkazi after 15 years. Secondly, the grand old lady of Indian dance and theatre, Zohra Segal, who is in her eighties, and who at present is involved with British theatre and cinema, is doing a lead role in Lorca’s play ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’. She was leading actress and dancer with Prithvi Theatre, Bombay from 1945 to 1959. She has to her credit scores of feature films in India and abroad. Zohra Segal talks to Shamsul Islam about theatre and her role. Excerpts from an interview:
Question : When did your acting career begin?
Answer: Basically I am a theatre actress and a dancer. I started my acting career with Prithvi Theatre, Bombay in the 40’s. Earlier I was a leading dancer with Uday Shankar Ballet Company for ten years. My first feature film Neecha Nagar was directed by Chetan Anand. Kamini Kaushal and myself were in lead roles.
Question: Why did you decide to work with NSD Theatre Repertory Company? How did you find this Repertory?
Answer: Frankly speaking, I have never witnessed any of their productions. It is on Ebrahim Alkazi’s insistence that I am here. Even during his stewardship of NSD in the 70’s he wanted to take me to the Repertory Company but others were not agreeable to the idea. So it is the fulfillment of that wish. And I hope to fulfill Alkazi’s expectations.
The Repertory Company is really a professional group which we do not find in any other part of Hindi belt. Some of the actresses are highly talented; they will go a long way. I have not seen the boys at work so I am not in a position to pass judgement on them.
Question : How do you like Barnarda’s role in Lorca’s play?
Answer: It is known as Qudsia in the Urdu version. I am fascinated by this role. It would be any actor’s ambition and dream to perform it. In England, the famous actress Glenda Jackson did the same role two years back. It is very challenging for me too.
Question : What inspires you to be so active on the theatre front?
Answer: This is my life, my source of everything. One famous Russian ballet director once said, “The most lucky person is he who works in a field which he loves”. And I am that lucky self. I am in love with acting. The bug of acting has bitten me. I do not think I can survive minus acting.
Question : What is your perception of today’s Indian theatre scene as a woman actress?
Answer: Here I will bracket England with India. Rarely there are plays on women’s issues. The plays are dominated by male actors. In fact, Lorca’s play was planned in the Repertory Company because the other two productions of Girish Karnad and Shakespeare had almost no female roles.
Sunday Magazine – December 29, 1991
The three plays of National School of Drama Theatre Repertory Company, currently under production are significant in two respects. Firstly, it is the home-coming of Ebrahim Alkazi after 15 years. Secondly, the grand old lady of Indian dance and theatre, Zohra Segal, who is in her eighties, and who at present is involved with British theatre and cinema, is doing a lead role in Lorca’s play ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’. She was leading actress and dancer with Prithvi Theatre, Bombay from 1945 to 1959. She has to her credit scores of feature films in India and abroad. Zohra Segal talks to Shamsul Islam about theatre and her role. Excerpts from an interview:
Question : When did your acting career begin?
Answer: Basically I am a theatre actress and a dancer. I started my acting career with Prithvi Theatre, Bombay in the 40’s. Earlier I was a leading dancer with Uday Shankar Ballet Company for ten years. My first feature film Neecha Nagar was directed by Chetan Anand. Kamini Kaushal and myself were in lead roles.
Question: Why did you decide to work with NSD Theatre Repertory Company? How did you find this Repertory?
Answer: Frankly speaking, I have never witnessed any of their productions. It is on Ebrahim Alkazi’s insistence that I am here. Even during his stewardship of NSD in the 70’s he wanted to take me to the Repertory Company but others were not agreeable to the idea. So it is the fulfillment of that wish. And I hope to fulfill Alkazi’s expectations.
The Repertory Company is really a professional group which we do not find in any other part of Hindi belt. Some of the actresses are highly talented; they will go a long way. I have not seen the boys at work so I am not in a position to pass judgement on them.
Question : How do you like Barnarda’s role in Lorca’s play?
Answer: It is known as Qudsia in the Urdu version. I am fascinated by this role. It would be any actor’s ambition and dream to perform it. In England, the famous actress Glenda Jackson did the same role two years back. It is very challenging for me too.
Question : What inspires you to be so active on the theatre front?
Answer: This is my life, my source of everything. One famous Russian ballet director once said, “The most lucky person is he who works in a field which he loves”. And I am that lucky self. I am in love with acting. The bug of acting has bitten me. I do not think I can survive minus acting.
Question : What is your perception of today’s Indian theatre scene as a woman actress?
Answer: Here I will bracket England with India. Rarely there are plays on women’s issues. The plays are dominated by male actors. In fact, Lorca’s play was planned in the Repertory Company because the other two productions of Girish Karnad and Shakespeare had almost no female roles.
