Rashmi Rekha Das
“All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players” – these words from William Shakespeare best describe the passion for theatre of 24-year-old Chetna Chaitanya Shrikrishna. A banker by profession, she is an actor by passion. Her confidence on the stage is commendable. This young actor who hails from Balasore is a part of the Kalakar theatre group. Theatre is her first love and she will nurture it throughout her life. She is very determined to stick to the stage and tell stories through awesome acts. What distinguishes her from other artistes is that she does not take a penny to participate in a play. The young and dynamic actress shares her journey as a theatre actor with Orissa POST.
Known for the clarity of her expressions, Chetna truly loves being on stage. “Acting is my passion. It’s an escape from reality wherein I can create an alternate world around me,” she says.
“When I am on stage, I feel a rush of adrenaline. It’s interesting how actors are required to interpret text, understand feelings behind the text, and also understand the subtext. Each word needs to be enacted. Just being a part of a creative process gives a new meaning to my life. It is challenging and, at the same time, exhilarating and fulfilling,” she says.
The theatre bug stung Chetna early in life. “When I was just seven, I appeared in the telefilm, ‘Asha’, aired on Doordarshan. Though I don’t belong to a family of artistes, acting was in my mind from childhood. I used to watch mega soaps on television for hours. My mother first noted my growing passion for acting and encouraged me to follow my passion. My father, however, was against my decision to join theatre.”
“Once I was supposed to go to Agra for a theatrical programme. Despite my repeated requests, my father did not pay heed. He even declined to take me to railway station to see me off for the tour. I made the trip possible with the help of my mama, although my father supported me financially for the trip. However, it was my sheer determination to make a mark in theatre that made him change his mind over the years. Now, he accompanies me whenever I have stage shows,” the theatre artiste says.
Dwelling on the most memorable moment in her life as an actor, she says: “I was studying in Class VIII when I came to Cuttack to participate in a theatrical event at Kala Vikash Kendra. To my utter surprise, after the end of the play ‘Kritadas’, a member of the audience rushed on to stage and handed me a `1,000 note. He wished me all the best in future. I was playing the character of Kritadas’s wife in the play. The play was about playwright Kritadas who was always busy in writing something. As a result, his wife had to shoulder all the responsibilities at home.”
Chetna’s inspiration is her mother Bipasha who was an Odissi dancer. “My mother is my source of inspiration and guiding spirit. I owe my success to my mother. I can remember the days when I used to face difficulties in reading Oriya scripts because I was a convent school student and could hardly read Oriya. She used to read out the scripts and asked me to perform. She would never let me alone to pursue my dream. Be it midnight or the wee hours, she was always present during my rehearsals to point out mistakes. She is my critic as well as my fan. She was a brilliant dancer but quit her passion to take care of me. I can never forget her contribution in my life,” says the actor.
Chetna has recently been selected in the drama audition of All India Radio. An elated Chetna, who once rejected a television offer due to job-related problems, says: “It was indeed a happy moment for me to get selected in the drama audition of AIR. I was selected as a regular artiste of AIR. Around 400 participants had come for the audition. I was lucky enough to be chosen among 30.”
She has been honoured by several cultural organistaions such as Kalakar, Kala Vikash Kendra, Swosti Jhankar, Rabindra Mohan Das Foundation and Natak Sanga Alwar in Rajasthan. The actor has recently received acclamation for her portrayal of the character of Seema in the play ‘Paramanando Modoko’ penned by Pradip Bhowmik.
