Today, comedy is losing its subtleness: Rakesh Bedi

Actor Rakesh Bedi gets talking about his memories associated with MP, and his passion for theatre
In MP, Hindi is still pure
My association with Madhya Pradesh is almost a decade long. I have come to Bhopal and Indore for various reasons and the primary one has been for staging some of my plays. One of my earlier plays, Pati Patni Aur Main, which I had staged six years ago, got a bumper response from Bhopalites and Indoreans.So, I always look forward to coming here. Also, I find MP to be the heartland of proper Hindi language, which is classically known as Hindustani. States like UP and Bihar are also Hindi-speaking belts, but they have a lot of dialects. In MP, the language is pure and untouched. It’s also a very culturally-rich state, which has produced some of the finest singers, writers, and actors. Having said that, I wish people here now started paying for theatre. Cities are growing so rapidly and no one minds spending 500 bucks on a movie ticket. My question is, if splurging in multiplexes is not a problem, why not pay for watching plays too? It will give theatre its much-required monetary boost and will encourage local artistes.
Corporate companies should invest in theatre
I strongly feel that business houses should have a cultural wing to support theatre. Just like films, plays too should have their hoardings put up across the city and there should be some radio and print publicity. And this can only happen with a strong financial backing. Corporates houses should definitely invest in theatre. People often ask me why I’m not seen much in films and television. Being an actor, theatre gives me a greater high than any other form of acting. Moreover, things are not the same anymore in TV shows. These days, actors hardly utter a line in an entire episode. So, there’s very less scope for an actor. I cannot stand there like a puppet. I do theatre and also teach acting to my students, which is a very fun and interactive process. It’s lot more satisfying than getting associated with mindless daily soaps.
Today, comedy is losing its subtleness
I have been majorly associated with comical characters and I love doing comedy. But today, comedy is losing its subtleness and has become overtly loud. Subtleness takes humour a long way, something which is lacking in today’s scenario. I don’t want to complain, but it’s probably because people too are liking such double meaning stuff. Main yeh nahi kehna chahta ki mere time pe hi sabse achhi comedy hoti thi, but there should be some class to anything one does.