Nivedita Baunthiyal

Nivedita Baunthiyal has been a part of Hindi, English, and Folk theater for a long time. Her deep interest in theater compelled her to pursue her M. Phil and Ph.D. in Indian Drama. Nivedita has acted in more than 50 theatrical plays in English and Hindi language. Her primary niche is folk plays and ballads of Uttrakhand. Her work is recognized and is a source of inspiration for many. She added a feather to her cap by serving as the Vice President of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. While doing justice to her post, she was responsible for managing & organizing plays, theatrical workshops, and drama competitions. She fondly remembers her experiences at the Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai.

Prithvi Theatre was the first place where she performed as an artist. Thus, it has a special place in her heart. She has been presenting there since 1991 and loves the atmosphere there. She drives inspiration in playwriting from Mohan Rakesh, her favorite writer. Nivedita wishes to see P.L. Deshpande's Shatranj Ke Mohre as a film adaptation. She finds it relevant in the current world and feels that social issues when depicted humorously, can appeal to everybody. Similarly, Nivedita wishes to see Chaudah Phere by Shivani, a novel, on stage. She firmly believes that Chaudah Phere would culminate into an exciting play, taking everybody back to its original date- 1972. She does not limit herself to social issues.

Nivedita loves humorous plots as well. She enjoyed Taj Mahal Ka Tender written by Ajay Shukla, directed by Saif Arif, and performed by IPTA artists. The actor praises Rakesh Bedi for acting and improvisation that made the play more satirical. When asked about her opinion on serious plots, she felt that Gandhi The Musical did not find its deserved space among the audience. The director reflected her humility by accepting that she should have read Priyadarshika by Harsharvandhan. She feels that Grotowski's and Richard Schechner's techniques appealed to her. The concept of environmental theatre that eliminates the distinction between the actor's and the audience's space opened her up to a new perception of theatre. Adding on to that, she mentions The Cherry Orchard as a fine example of the technique. Although one can see various plays these days, she feels Hindi literature hold immense potential. English literature too, is not far behind Hindi literature.