Towards the end of our chat with Naseeruddin Shah at his Bandra apartment, we share hesitantly the story of a family member with a neurological condition, much like Andre, the ageing protagonist he portrays in Motley's ongoing play, The Father. "Does he display similar traits? Is he as unpredictable as Andre?" the veteran asks. Much of it is concern, but the keenness to sharpen his craft is an ongoing attempt, we can see. Less than 12 hours before, we are part of the audience that watches him portray a Frenchman as he struggles with a memory-debilitating disease. They are uncomfortable with multiple actors playing the same character, and the jerky time travel in script, all to reflect the confusion in Andre's mind. The story reaches a bittersweet crescendo, followed by a standing ovation at curtain call.

Naseeruddin Shah