Suddenly you have to take something that already exists, put some more creativity into it, some more of your own style, your own vision and not lose the essence” says Ritesh Menon who directed ‘Between the Lines’.

Since it combines the intimacy of theatre with the format of cinema, actors and directors have also had to adapt. Cinematic techniques such as light and sound effects are also used to enhance the drama. Each play is shot over several days in a studio with multiple takes, and many angles just like cinema. The technique for ‘filming’ plays has evolved after many iterations. “CinePlay is merging the language of theatre and the language of cinema to create a third unique language” says Subodh. Hotstar takes the reach of these plays to theatre lovers across the country and also to newer audiences who may never have had access to quality theatre. The philosophy is that ‘filmed’ theatre is a new form, not a replacement, and has the potential to reach millions instead of thousands of people. “The conversation began with Subodh and me thinking how can we make theatre accessible to a lot more people” says Nandita Das. The idea was conceptualised by Subodh Maskara and Nandita Das, the actor and director who had early experience with street theatre. They also star some of the most prolific names of the film and theatre world like Nandita Das, Shreyas Talpade, Saurabh Shukla, Mohan Agashe and Lillete Dubey. The first collection of CinePlays feature stories from leading playwrights, like Vijay Tendulkar, Mahesh Dattani, Badal Sircar amongst others and directed by film directors like Santosh Sivan and Nagesh Kukunoor. And CinePlay is an example of us serving our consumer’s multi-dimensional personality and trusting them to enjoy better stories, those that not only entertain but also tease the mind”, says Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar. These plays, ‘filmed’ as digital video, span classic drama genre as well as more experimental dark comedy and are available on Hotstar premium, as part of Hotstar’s Originals bouquet. CinePlay is a new, ambitious experiment to bring the two forms together. Though we are a country besotted with cinema, theatre remains an original source of provocative stories, great actors, and the many deeply rooted traditions of the dramatic arts across India.

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