Big B reminisces about acting in a Nikolai Gogol play when he was at Sherwood College
Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan recalled playing a mayor in Russian playwright Nikolai Gogol’s ‘The Government Inspector’ in 1957, when he was studying in Sherwood College in Nainital.
The actor took to his blog and wrote: “How time has kept us all in tune and line… 1957 Sherwood, Nainital, School Play, Nikolai Gogol’s ‘The Government Inspector’, Danny Kaye the phenomenal talent, playing the Inspector… and I use it on stage in Milman Hall for the Annual Concert, where I play the Mayor.”
Big B shared an anecdote from the rehearsals of the play and mentioned that he had taken home the Best Actor’s trophy at that time.
“And during a rehearsal, classmate Chris Borthwick, who plays the Inspector, suggests the famous line to be spoken at a particular scene – impromptu… and the entire Hall comes down… It was the most popular song of the World… and gives me my best actor Cup – the Kendall Cup.”
The actor shared how he had to give up starring in the play because he was “prepping for his final senior Cambridge exams.”
“That Geoffrey Kendall, who built the drama Company Shakespeareana, travelling all over the World with it… came to put up the plays of Shakespeare in School… asked me to play a part on one such day… I did not coz’ was prepping for my Finals Senior Cambridge Exam… John Kurrien, classmate did it.”
He then shared that Bollywood star Shashi Kapoor married Jennifer Kendal, who was the daughter of Shakespeareana’s Geoffrey Kendal.
Big B added: “Shashi Kapoor married his daughter Jennifer who acted on stage with her Father, and where and when Shashi ji met her.”
Ms Kalinga