What has brought this actor in the limelight?

Actually, this time Ganesh Yadav is drawing attention not as an actor but as a director. His play Shobhayatra, written by Shafaat Khan, is playing to full houses. "We will be celebrating our 25th show on July 12. The response has been amazing." As for his taking to direction? "Every actor has this itch to direct, he just needs the right opportunity."

And Yadav had to wait for 14 years before he got his big break.

At 33, today Yadav feels somewhere near being settled-down. From training under veteran Satyadev Dubey, assisting Govind Nihalani for two years, to doing various television serials and films, Yadav has come a long way. His lucky break in theatre came with Satyadev Dubey's Bambai Ke Kawwe, when he was working backstage and an actor's sudden illness got him the role.

After which there was no looking back.

Well, it was not exactly that easy. "There wasa time when there were hardly three to six people sitting in the audience, while here we were -- 14 actors performing on stage." He did a few commercial plays as well, like Chafa Bolena, Waman Kendre's Me Rashtrapati and Girish Karnad's Nagamandal, "where I did a double-role and made a mess of it".

So it was more of a trial-and-error process.

What counts at the end of the trial is that he learned a lot. After Govind Nihalani's Father, Sudhir Mishra's Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin, Amol Palekar's Bangarwadi, Yadav is presently busy working in four Hindi films.

Besides winning accolades as a director.

"Never once did I get to behave like a director -- sit in a chair and give orders. The entire cast, including Sayaji Shinde, contributed to the play. There were even times when no one listened to me. They would say,`Shut up, you don't know anything', while they decided how to execute a certain scene."

What made him take up the project?

"It is avery modern play. Initially I wanted to play Babugenu, a dashing character." Shobhayatra is about a parade organised to celebrate 50 years of Independece. The brainchild of a local don, it brings together a teacher, a lawyer and a businessman among others, as part of a pageant. The interaction between them as they wait for the yatra to begin is the scene of action. "A few readings later, I decided I wanted to direct it, though I was not sure I will be able to manage it."

Judging from the public response, he seems to have managed -- excellently.

"The play moves at a fast pace, keeping in mind our present generation, so it holds your interest. It also works on different layers. After each show we found people coming up with a totally new interpretation. If one gets the message, that's fine, if not, it at least keeps you entertained."

So, Shobhayatra is a feather in his directorial cap.

"It's great when you find that there are people watching the play for the second or thethird time. As I sit among the audience, I hear them say the dialogues even before the actor has said it on stage." But the actor side of Yadav protests against being side-tracked due to his directorial role. "I feel bored sitting down in the audience, doing nothing, while the rest of the cast is up there, having all the fun."

-- CHATURA POOJARI

At Dinanath Hall, Vile Parle (East). On July 9. Time: 4.00 pm.

At Shivaji Mandir. On July 12. Time: 3.30 pm.