Lights, camera, action...

He is a commercial artist and a fine arts graduate from J J School of Applied Art. In 1982, after working as a medical illustrator at Glaxo Laboratories for more than a decade, he shifted to art direction and light effects for stage, TV serials and films.

What exactly is stage designing?

"It is not far from art direction in movies. While a movie is totally different from a play, a film scene is quite close to an entire act being enacted on the stage. Both have ambience which is the brainchild of either an art director or a stage designer."

But how did a medical illustrator land up in the world of make-believe?

Sharma was always enamoured by the life that a camera and stage projected. So he opted for art direction and light effects for Indian National Theatre. Santurangeeli and Vairi are a couple of extremely popular Gujarati plays he has set. In1973, Sharma met M S Sathyu, who, impressed by his work, chose him for the art work of his Kannada movies Kamakote and Kaneshwa Rama. Starring Amol Palekar, Anant Nag and Shabana Azmi, Kaneshwar Rama has also been dubbed in Hindi. "Feeling the need, I went on to learn 35 mm film production, audio-visual production and film animation in 1981." For this it was necessary that he learnt the basics -- electronics and both commercial and industrial photography. It was here that his original passion for illustration brought him full circle. So, Sharma became a medical illustrator.

"I was a stage person originally and have come back to it." Sharma has set stage for many an English play produced by Hosi Vasunia and Remu Jhaveri -- Art, Unfaithful, My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, Don't Dress for Dinner, Blithe Spirit and, recently, (W)hole in the Head.

And films?

"I was doing the art work for Hum Dono by Shafi Inamdar. Unfortunately, he passed away. For now, I amdoing a few serials. Only those where there is scope for creativity. For, I don't want to do bungalow serials where you do nothing but change the curtains and the furniture."

But doesn't stage direction get boring after some time?

"I try to do something new every time. That takes time. So I don't take up much work." Then to clear his mind, he works on concerts like the Channel [V] Roadshow, fashion shows and product launches. "The Mahindra Ford launch was a fresh change. And then the World Cup concert. And it's good if I still have time on my hands. For, I love to paint." Sharma specialises in gold miniature paintings and air-brush pin-ups. "I made a dozen of 30 inches by 40 inches pin-ups for a rock show at Rangsharda last year. That was my stage."

No plans for movies?

"For movies, you need to have a godfather. I don't have one." And the undertone is bitter as he talks about his major grouse.

-- MEETA BHATTI