Keshab Thoker
Did you always plan to become an actor?
I never had any plans for myself whatsoever. I was very shy and quiet as a kid. My health often failed me. And I was only average in studies. I lived in a joint family of twenty. More often than not, I felt lost in a crowd. Even until I passed SLC, I didn’t know what I wanted from life. I came to Kathmandu from Nuwakot after SLC and joined intermediate in commerce only because my friends had done the same. I even did petty jobs here and there. All in all, I was totally directionless as far as ambitions were concerned.
Weren’t you interested in movies or theater?
Not really. I had not even watched a single movie before I finished school. During the intermediate level, I used to attend a morning college. So, I had the afternoons free. It was during those days that I went to Bishwajyoti Theater with my friends and watched a movie for the first time ever. Meanwhile, I also became a regular audience at the plays that were staged at Raastriya Naachghar. The first play that I watched was “Muna Madan.”
So how did you start out as a theater actor and how long has it been?
I entered as a viewer, a complete novice. With time, theater became an attraction, then a hobby and eventually an addiction. I met Birendra Hamal and even took a month long crash course in acting. It was not to “learn” acting as such but more to gain some much needed experience. Then, I started working at Raastriya Naachghar and came into contact with maestros like Sunil Pokhrel and Anup Baral. They had gone to National School of Drama in India and used to share their knowledge and experiences with us. Gradually, I learnt the art of theater. I even went to Norway to acquire some training about off stage theater lighting. It’s weird. I still feel quite new and get pre show jitters. But it’s been sixteen years since I started out and it’s been quite an eventful journey.
How supportive has your family been?
Not much. My father has watched one of my plays and he was happy with my work. He had never thought that such an introverted kid could be so confident and expressive on stage. My family is quite aware of my interest and talents. It’s not that they don’t like what I’m doing. They don’t even want me to give it up completely. But at the same time, they do want me to settle down somewhere with a permanent job so that I can have a more secure future for myself.
Do you relate to your roles in real life? What’s your dream role?
I actually do. I live my roles. I believe that just like real people in the real world, characters on stage have their own qualities and destinies to live up to. For an actor to portray a character realistically, he or she has to have the capability to “live” that character. And it’s impossible to do that if you don’t relate to it.
There’re many roles that I want to do as an actor. But if I have to choose my “dream role” it would be Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I’ve even worked on it in the past. It’s just that nothing concrete has materialized so far. So, I’m just hoping for the best and keeping my fingers crossed.
There has always been a trend of novels being turned into movies. How loyal do you think these adaptations are to their original work?
In many cases, I think, movie adaptations of the books are quite practical. For example, not everybody speaks good English in Nepal. Due to this, only a selected stratum of readers has an access to English novels. But that’s not the case with movies. Cinema is a universal language. You can see things for yourself and understand the gestures, body language and expressions. One doesn’t even need to speak while acting. Their loyalty to the original book is an entirely different matter altogether. I say, book sometimes have to be made into movies in order to reach out to a greater number of people.
What’s the Nepalese entertainment scene like today?
It’s progressive but not quite up to the mark. The government is making futile efforts, it seems, that’s taking us forward at a snail’s pace. We’ve such talented actors who can work and get recognition in the global arena. The only thing is they should go out there as a part of the Nepalese entertainment industry, not as an individual. Nowadays; our movies are distinctly divided into two different streams, the traditional and the modern. This should not be made out as a matter of hierarchy or prejudice. On the contrary, it should be taken as a positive change. If there’re young people who want to try out fresh ideas, why not encourage them? We don’t lack talent, after all. All we require are better funds and infrastructure. If we all work together and the government too supports us, we can reach the international standards.
How important do you think movies are to society?
A good filmmaker always understands the time, space and the target audience. A good movie has the power to motivate and guide the audience. For a good movie production, we need passion, seriousness, energy, time, resources and intensive research. It’s not wrong to be inspired by international movies but we should not lose our originality. Personally, I’m a theater artist. I enjoy theater more. But as an actor and a viewer, I cannot undermine the power of movies and the effect they can have upon the society.
What’re your future plans?
I never plan anything. Things just happen to me. Right now, I just finished “Antaraal.” I’m working on another movie called “Suntali.” I play a cop posted at a remote village in Nepal in the film. My character has a touch of humor to it. Other than that, I do have a few concepts in mind for scripts. So, I’m hoping to get into direction as well. And of course, theater is always on the cards. Let’s see what time has in store for me.
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