Ranvir Shorey has never been the unconventional Bollywood actor. Still he managed to cut his niche in the film, as well as television industry. The actor chats up with Sreya Basu while in Kolkata to stage The Blue Mug by Ballantine'.

This is the first time you are acting in a psychological play...
The Blue Mug is a play about memory and memory loss. It's based on a case of Dr Oliver Sacks-The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat. At times, the play is funny...at times it's too dark and personal. And there's no script. We just share our own personal memories with the audience.

So you are playing yourself in the play?
No. Konkona (Sen Sharma) is playing psychiatrist, while I am playing a patient who suffers from neurological problems. Apart from two of us, all other actors (Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Sheeba Chadha and Munish Bharadwaj) are playing themselves.

It must be difficult to work without a script...
Definitely. It is not easy to deal with such a subject. But all are good actors and director Atul Kumar of The Company Theatre himself is an excellent actor. He knows perfectly what to do and how to do.

Besides, The Blue Mug is basically like hanging out with friends. Rajat (Kapoor), Vinay (Pathak), Konkona (Sen Sharma)... we know each other for quite some time now and we are comfortable in each other's company. Only the show is a pain.

Why?
See, I love theatre and what attracts me to theatre is the rehearsal process ...the mix of work and the fun. But the show itself is a nightmare for me ...that's what they (his team) make fun of. I lock myself in the loo 20 minutes before I am needed on the stage.

Now why is that?
I meditate...I keep chanting 'Om Om'...I need to be alone before the show. As I said, the show is not what I look forward to, but I love the rehearsals.

Is the loo best place for meditation?
Yes...it's the best place to meditate. That's the only place where people will leave you alone, including journalists.

This is the first time you are working in a play with your partner Konkona...
The feeling was not really special until I came to Kolkata. I had visited the city many times earlier. But this time it feels nice to have someone special who is from this city. Hopefully she will feed me well at her Kolkata residence.

Given a choice between films and theatre, what will you go for?
Cinema is my first love because I think it's the best medium to showcase your work.

What are your next projects?
I am innocent Punjabi doctor Jag Prag Singh in my next film Tina Ki Chaabi. We have finished shooting and the film is ready for release. It is a comic caper shot at Tangra in Kolkata's China Town, Bangkok and Mumbai.

I will shortly start shooting for a small, independent film Money God, which is a satire on religion. I am playing a middle-class guy called Hari in the film.