Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta come together in a play about first loves, lost and found

When Bollywood actor Anupam Kher visited the UAE last year for an intimate show linked to his autobiography and talk show, Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, there was a segment in which he shared the story of his first romantic relationship as a young man.

My father had insisted on accompanying me to the show and, at that moment, his eyes widened and a smile crept over his face. I didn’t quiz him on the exact reasons for the reaction, for fear of embarrassing him, but Kher’s sincerity and ability to strike a chord with the audience was undeniable.

That's why his return to stage in writer and director Rakesh Bedi's new play, Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha (That's Not What I Meant), about first love and separation, will be a delight to watch with my old man this week.

The 60-year-old actor plays a man who meets his childhood sweetheart, played by Bollywood and stage actress Neena Gupta, in a park, 35 years after they last saw each other. The scene is set for a trip down memory lane as they reflect on the reasons why they drifted apart. Sparks fly and arguments ensue as the couple move in and out of the past and present, with friends and neighbours entering the story in flashbacks.

Anupam Kher

Seeing the veteran actor perform on stage is a rarity. Kher, who is celebrating 31 years in films this year, is very choosy about the roles he accepts. He says he prefers scripts that are contemporary and explore real-life relationships.

And the Bard is definitely out of the question. "I don't do theatre for the sake of doing it," Kher told The Times of India before the play debuted in March.

“I don’t do Shakespeare plays because I don’t understand his work, as I come from a Hindi-­medium school. People who do Shakespeare must be very bright.”

The award-winning Bollywood actor has been in only three plays during his long career, which he says offer a way to re-evaluate and polish his acting skills.

The first, Saalgirah (a Hindi adaptation of Special Occasions by Canadian playwright Bernard Slade), was with his wife, Kirron Kher, in 2002. He toured last year with Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, a monologue about overcoming obstacles in his personal and professional life. Now, he has taken time off from movies to take Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha around the world.

An illustrious career in Indian films and roles in Hollywood movies, including playing the oddball therapist to Bradley Cooper's character in 2012's Silver Lining Playbook, have established Kher as an international star. Recently, Las Vegas declared September 10 as "Anupam Kher Day" to honour his contribution to cinema.

Kher says he was approached by Bedi to star in Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha three years ago, but it took two years to iron out the kinks. Kher, who honed his acting at the National School of Drama in New Delhi, said it was "exciting" to pair up with Gupta, who was a junior at his acting school.

Neena Gupta

The 56-year-old actress spoke out this year about Indian cinema’s attitude towards, and the lack of roles for, older actresses. She said filmmakers’ unwillingness to write leading roles for women above 50 had kept her away from the spotlight.

Gupta, who also produced the award-winning tele-series Bazar Sitaram in 1993, returns to stage for the first time in 10 years with Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha. She is known for her daring career choices, with appearances in international films such as Gandhi (1982) and Mirza Ghalib (1989).

She also ran a theatre production company, Sahaj Productions, with television actor Rajendra Gupta. Her on-screen chemistry with Kher was praised in the eight movies they have starred in together since 1985. Gupta told the press that one of the reasons she agreed to do the play was because she wanted to work alongside a “very good ­actor”.

Rakesh Bedi

Bollywood aficionados know Bedi as the friend, brother or neighbour tasked with providing comic relief when emotions begin to run high in Hindi movies or TV shows. But his passion for theatre goes way back.

An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India, Bedi has a long-standing association with the Indian People's Theatre Association, the oldest theatre organisation in India. As memorable as his roles in movies such as Chashme Buddoor (1981) and the show Shrimaan Shrimati (1995) have been, Bedi's onstage performance in the Hindi comedy play Baat Baat Mein Bigdey Halat did not fail to impress, either.

With Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha, Bedi shifts to writer-­director duties. He says his fascination with the emotions of "first love" guided him to write the heart-warming tale of past lovers who meet to reminisce about their past.

• Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha is at Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, at 8pm on October 8 and October 9. Tickets, from Dh250, are available from www.ductac.org

aahmed@thenational.ae