Saad Khan has donned many a hat in his short yet illustrious career. As a theatre person, he is quite a force to reckon with in the art and theatre circles in Bangalore, having founded Centerstage, “a new wave media movement” and spearheaded ‘The Improv,’ a show on improvisational theatre. He is also an acclaimed filmmaker, most known for the movie Station. For a creative person like him, college was more than just a place to study and earn a professional degree in Mechanical Engineering from MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology.
It was in college that he, in a way, got a ‘degree in people,’ which shaped his understanding of the creative experience, he says. “College taught me how to work with people and form teams. As there were many students, there was much to observe,” he says.
On campus, he was known as a theatre person though he didn’t quite fit into the typical mould. He quips, “The cool thing was I never wore kurtas, shawls or strapped myself with linen bags. So, in a way, I moved away from the theatre stereotype.”
Reminiscing about those days, he says it was not all smooth sailing for him. When he was a fresher, he was quite gung-ho about starting a theatre group. He put up posters all around college. But for almost two weeks no one showed up, which was disheartening and embarrassing. He says, “There were many posters all across the campus, and no one bothered to even read them.” Only when he was in the second year that he finally, unequivocally realised his dream by founding ‘Centerstage.’
His proudest moment was when he was featured on the front page of a prominent newspaper for a play he wrote and directed in his sophomore year. “I am quite proud about that because many students started watching plays, as they were able to see its entertainment aspect apart from the artistic side.” He also took part in other events of college fests like dumb charades, debate, Jam, elocution, creative writing and even Indian music, though he confesses, “I can put a donkey’s voice to shame.”
It helped that he was on good terms with his professors who were quite involved and supportive of his theatre projects. “One of my professors saw me in class on one of those rare sightings, and challenged me to teach the class a chapter the following day, which if I did as per his standard, he said he would exempt me from attendance for the remaining part of the year from his class. I accepted the challenge, and I taught the class well. I was exempted and lived happily ever after,” he laughs.
When it came to hangout spots for relaxation, he was not unlike the rest. His favourite spot to hang out was a bakery outside his college called Snack Point, which he immediately refers to as “ground-breaking.” “They used to make the best tea, bun samosa, and bun omelette. It was a point of all gossip and drama. We hung out there a lot,” he states. He loved the place so much that when he went to the US to pursue his Master’s, he took a major liking towards the concept-based coffee shops and small pizzerias in the downtown areas.
Studying at an engineering college such as MS Ramaiah, which is one of the reputed colleges in the city made him feel special, he agrees. But what made it even more worthwhile was that it profoundly pushed him to attain creative freedom and impelled him in the direction to make art, through Centerstage. He adds, “Of course, the group found a professional maturity only after I graduated. But college taught me a great deal. It may sound devilishly corny, but I really miss those never-coming-back college days!”
svetlana@newindianexpress.com