The actors, Sumit Vyas and Kumud Mishra play the lead characters in yet another adaptation of 'Sleuth' (the original play that was staged in 1971) which has been one of the most celebrated stage thrillers adapted many times for stage as well as films. "I have seen the movie version which has Michael Caine and Jude Law (released in 1972). They also did the Broadway production of it before making the film. Actually, this play has been hovering around my radar for a while. Many years ago, I was supposed to do it with Atul Kumar but we couldn't. Then, sometime in the late 90's Naseeruddin Shah and Paresh Rawal performed on it and now we are also doing it. So I was always aware of this interesting play," says Vyas.

Theatre-goers are in for a treat with two powerful stage (and film actors) coming face-to-face and playing intense mind games while trying to outwit each other with some unpredictable twists happening on the side. All of this is set to keep the audience on the edge of their seats wondering what's in store for these two 'players'.

Titled Saanp Seedi, the Indian version of the play is set in Goa. It features a retired, wealthy filmmaker who lives with his estranged wife. The action unfolds when he invites his wife's young lover, an ambitious architect in his paradise for a conversation before letting his wife go with the young lover. What starts as an ordinary conversation gradually turns into a psychological game of egos, deceit and desires.

Originally written by ace English playwright Anthony Shaffer, Sleuth is one of the greatest thrillers that captivated the audience in UK and US for its wit and suspense for over a decade so much so that it inspired three cinematic adaptations. Now actor-director Shubhrajyoti Barat brings Sleuth to the Indian stage with a "fresh take for local audiences while preserving its gripping feel that made it into a classic".

"There's a lot of humour now which wasn't there earlier. Humour is Akarsh's (Khurrana, who did the adaptation) forte and thankfully Kumud, me, Shubru... all of us are funny people, we love to laugh. But comedy is more incidental. Also, we are trying to find the right balance for it to be engaging and entertaining for the audience. We don't want it to become a literary piece. It should become an experience, and a good one," says Vyas.

Mishra and Vyas will be seen having intense conversations. Sometimes in an angry tone, at times their tone is friendly, other times they get sarcastic and at times they are even joking with a lot of humour flowing in.

Adds Vyas, "I have a vague memory of it. And then as I was reading the English version a lot of it came back. Now when you see the Hindi play, the language is different, the context is different so it feels like a fresh piece which is a good thing," says Vyas. "But the biggest challenge was adapting it and therefore we got Akarsh Khurana to do an adaptation because there's no point doing the same play as it is. It's important that you attempt your own version whether good or bad rather than ape what some great minds have already produced because there is this tendency of falling in love with the material available."

While Vyas had seen the cinematic version many years ago which he doesn't quite remember, Mishra says, he didn't watch the film on purpose. "So I thought we would approach independently. In every era, every five years, 10 years, the language of the play changes, style of acting changes. Our approach to the new generation has to be completely different. So it is important that we approach characters in a different way as compared to what has been done in the past," says the senior actor.

Vyas, too, finds his character a bit tricky and a difficult one to play. "There's a definite shift in my character. Tonality of my character changes big time which is hard to see. Trying to find the core of my character was tough," he says.

Mishra says his character has many shades to it something he has not attempted in his career before. "For me, he is a very different character. He is a bit of himself. He is also a bit funny and he makes the situation funny. It was a good exercise for me. You get so much material from the director and the writers so when you make a character, you take it from there. Then you find some references, we discuss, we think of some people, see how they behave, and we take some elements from them but all in all the character has to sync with the world so that people can connect."

It's their love for theatre that both, Mishra and Vyas, who began their acting careers with stage, have continued with the medium despite achieving success in cinema and OTT. "Cinema, of course, gives you more money and popularity but theatre is a space for you to ask for your craft. It helps you evolve and it also helps you with your politics. When you do a play, you know live that this scene didn't work, the rhythm didn't work. But you get to know it better and then you put it in the next show and with every show, you are evolving," says Mishra.

Sharing excitement over his directorial debut, Barat says, "What intrigued me creatively about Sleuth is its structure. It essentially starts with resolution instead of conflict, whereas most of the plays start with a conflict. Here apparently there's no conflict because the woman who has fallen in love with a younger guy has asked for a divorce and the husband agrees but wants to meet the guy. So everything seems to be hunky dory and then the intrigue starts. Despite its limited logistics, it explores the whole gamut of human emotions and mind. I am excited for the Indian audience to witness and be amused by the world it inhibits. To a large degree we have retained the original plot, we have only made some factual changes."

Saanp Seedi will mark its debut in Mumbai's Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir on March 22 & 23. Then it will be staged in Delhi's Kamani Auditorium on March 29 & 30 followed by few more shows in Mumbai's Tata Theatre.

Meanwhile, it's an unnerving feeling for Vyas as he will be acting in a play after a long gap, however, interesting as it may sound, last year he directed Mishra and Barat in a Hindi play called Purane Chawal, an adaptation of Sunshine Boys."It has been really a long time that I have gone on floors with a new material but theatre will always remain my first love because that is how it all started and theatre is actor's medium," says Vyas.

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