Yogesh Bhardwaj plays the Kotwal in Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein, a powerful character with a hold over the city and everyone in it. Others speak of him as “a very dangerous man, a very fearsome man who chops heads off,” he says. “Holding onto that power was very much something I felt I had to play, because this character holds immense importance throughout the story.”

“Whenever I step into any character, the main thing I look at is what characteristics of this character are already present in my real self,” he says. Strength and a firm grip came easily; the manipulative side did not. “I am a very straightforward person in life,” he says. The Kotwal has a soft corner for people of his own religion but cannot show it. “He has to show that he is the same for Hindus as he is for Muslims,” Yogesh says, and balancing both sides was what he worked on most, along with a straight spine and strength at the base.

The scene that stayed with him is the most interesting: a Mahant from a prominent Akhada comes with a land request and a bribe; the Kotwal speaks in his favour until he learns the people to be moved are Muslims. “He immediately flips his stance,” Yogesh says, telling the Mahant, “I will think about your request.” “In that scene itself, you realize that he is one thing in front of Hindus, but when it comes to Muslims, he is completely different for his own people.”

The role did not change his outlook. “The kind of nature this character has is very common, which I have seen in many people in life,” he says. Theatre, in one word, is “soul space”. “I am just completely present when I am on stage,” he says.

From Kabir, he takes one lesson: “Even if everyone stands against you, do not be afraid to speak the truth.” You do not need big rituals to find God, he adds. He wants today’s generation to watch because “good plays, good films, good books, and the history we have should be known to every generation.” People need to see how religion and caste are used for personal gain, he says, so attention shifts to building careers and character.