In conversation with: theatre artist Mohan Ram

Actor, anchor, voice-over artist and partnerships manager, Mohan Ram wears many hats and wears them well.  He’s a well-known face in Bangalore’s theater community, and it’s a high probability you’ve seen him acting in ads on your TV screen as well

Here, he tells us about a little bit about his foray into the theater world of Bangalore.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background

 I am a true blue Bangalorean to start with. I currently work as Partnerships Manager at a NY-headquartered startup called Digital Ocean, and love juggling being an actor, an anchor and a voice-over artist along with my day job.

As an actor, I have been in more than 20 theatre productions over the last 4 years, performed at the Hindu and Deccan Herald Theatre festivals, and participated in short films and ad films. I am also one of the founding members of ‘Murmurs of the Metropolis’, an artist collective that curates and produces short plays, short films, poetry and singing – and all about Bangalore!

What sparked your interest in theater?

From anchoring school annual days to participating in debates, singing and dance competitions and acting in plays, I have always cherished being on stage. A few years ago, I enrolled in a theatre workshop for fun, auditioned for a play and there has been no looking back since!

Why do you think theater is important?

Like any form of art, theater enables storytelling and helps to nurture imagination. If you think about it, the ability to be anybody on stage, convince others that you’re someone else and make them empathise with you is probably the closest thing to magic! It is no surprise that today, schools and companies are using it to help students and employees understand how they could better lead, manage and participate in every day interactions.

Which theater groups would you recommend people join?

I have had the good fortune of working with some of the top theatre groups in Bangalore including Tahatto, Centre for Film and Drama (CFD), Playpen, Playtonik, Bangalore Little Theatre (BLT) and Tortilla. I would love to work with the Indian Ensemble that is producing some very interesting work. Many of these theatre groups conduct open auditions and aspiring actors should definitely look out for them.

And finally, any words to those passionate about pursuing theater in Bangalore?

Try it! And your life will never be the same again! However, be warned that theatre requires dedication and discipline. I also believe that theatre makes people generally good human beings. As actors, you get to live vicariously through your characters and have an opportunity to understand yourself and empathise with others much better.

So sign up for that theatre workshop you’ve been thinking of or write in for that audition call. Also, go watch more plays and meet and network with theatre groups. Go put yourself out there, you never know what’s waiting for you just road the corner!

Written by Pavi Sagar

Featured image source: Mohan Ram