Actress Shruti Deshpande has opened up about her experience sharing the stage with celebrated actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his daughter Shora Siddiqui in the theatrical production 'Naqaab', calling the collaboration one of her most formative professional encounters. The play brought together screen and stage in a rare convergence, with Nawazuddin making his theatre debut alongside seasoned stage performer Shruti.

The Chicago Microphone Incident

Among the most telling moments Shruti recounted was a live performance in Chicago, where Nawazuddin's microphone abruptly stopped working mid-show. With nearly a thousand people in the audience growing audibly restless, the cast had to adapt instantly.

'There were around a thousand people in the audience when Nawaz sir's microphone stopped working. The audience started shouting that they couldn't hear him. It can be extremely distracting when you are performing live, and the audience is shouting because they cannot hear you,' Shruti recalled. She noted that the team adjusted their own volumes to compensate, and Nawazuddin eventually had to step backstage to resolve the technical issue.

'Since it was his first theatre experience and I had already been doing theatre for several years, I knew that I had to take responsibility at that moment. I improvised to some extent, and we managed the technical glitch and the short break before continuing the performance,' she said.

What Theatre Demands That Screen Does Not

Shruti underscored a fundamental difference between the two mediums: on screen, retakes are always available, but in live theatre, every problem must be resolved in real time. It is precisely this quality — presence of mind and balance — that she credits Nawazuddin with reinforcing in her, even as the more experienced stage performer.

Notably, the dynamic inverted expectations: the screen veteran was the theatre newcomer, while Shruti, with years of stage work behind her, guided the show through its crisis.

Shora Siddiqui's On-Stage Transformation

Beyond her work with Nawazuddin, Shruti spoke warmly about watching Shora Siddiqui grow through the production. Raised in Dubai, Shora initially worked to strengthen her command of Hindi before eventually delivering a full monologue on stage.

'We had a very good give-and-take during the process, and I feel I have seen her grow,' Shruti said, adding that Shora had become like a younger sister to her by the time their run together concluded.

A Streak of the Father in the Daughter

Shruti described Nawazuddin as an actor who consistently brings something new to every role, and said she glimpses that same instinct in Shora. 'He brings something new and different to everything he does. Sometimes I see that same streak in Shora. She also has the ability to do something different,' she said, calling Shora a 'unique actor' in her own right.

As 'Naqaab' continues to draw audiences, Shruti's account offers a rare behind-the-curtain look at how two very different acting traditions — screen and stage — collide, adapt, and ultimately enrich each other.