Marathi musicals should be brought back on a grander scale, says Priyanka Barve

Priyanka Barve has carved a niche in the Marathi industry with songs like 'Ek Phool' and 'Tu Havishi'. Besides singing, Priyanka has also been garnering praise for her portrayal of Anarkali on stage for Mughal-e-Azam. Ahead of her upcoming shows for Feroz Abbas Khan’s musical, Priyanka speaks about her experience of breathing life into the character, popularity of sangeet nataks and more. Excerpts:
‘I was sceptical about doing Mughal-e-Azam at first'
Priyanka describes her Mughal-e-Azam experience a life-changing one. “It’s been eight years of doing this play and I have been able to build a connect with music enthusiasts outside Maharashtra with it. It also gave my singing career a boost and offered me several opportunities to collaborate with artistes for pan-India projects,” she shares, adding that she had initially declined the offer. “As a Marathi singer, doing a Hindi musical play seemed a little challenging. I was a bit sceptical. Back then, I had no idea about the grandeur of the play. Plus, theatre needs strong commitment, and I was occupied with other work assignments. But our director, Feroz Abbas Khan, showed a lot of trust and confidence in me. So, eventually I agreed to do it.”


'Marathi musicals should be revived’
Priyanka began her acting stint in the musical theatre about 14 years ago with the Marathi sangeet natak, Sangeet Sanshaykallol. But her love and passion is music. She shares, “A majority of those projects featured me as a singer-actor. I enjoy acting, but to be honest, it is not my primary focus. Music is my true passion. That said, if an acting offer comes my way, I will take it up.” With so many musicals from various countries being staged today, Priyanka is happy to see the growing popularity of musical theatre in India. However, she feels that the field of Marathi sangeet natak needs a boost. “People are very enthusiastic about watching international musicals, which is good. However, Marathi musicals also deserve recognition. We have incredible musical plays in Marathi. I believe younger theatre artistes should bring those back and showcase them on a larger scale. Theatre enthusiasts should also support and appreciate what we have to offer,” she says.