“I have done Shakespeare, I have done Bertolt Brecht, I have done stylised plays. But when I am doing plays after leaving the movies, I like to do plays which are easily identifiable by the audience,” Kher said.
“A father in the audience can watch and sort of say, ‘Oh, this is my story’. So, luckily the response has been the same,” Kher said.
Know the unknown explores human relationships and loneliness in a modern middle-class neighbourhood, bringing together the lives of a widow, a widower, a young paying guest and a woman coping with mid-life separation.
The play delves into experiences of three generations — elders staying away from their children, the middle-aged and the youngsters.
“The revolution in mobile phones, and internet and everything, has led to a loneliness epidemic. Many countries have announced it as an epidemic, and it’s happening in India also,” Kher said.
“We have reached a stage where smiles and hugs are replaced by emojis. We have lost, I am not saying it cynically, because we live in a world which is changing, and we have lived, but it has taken away a certain amount of human touch,” he added.
Written and directed by Gajendra Ahire, Know the unknown also marks Swaroop Sampat’s return to theatre after nearly two decades.
The play was presented in the US by Houston-based Star Promotion Inc, which is run by Indian-American Rajendra Singh.