Chennai: An "expressive speech on stage by a live personality" could not be replicated by cinema, though attempts are now being made in theatres to create a cinematic effect, well known film actor Naseeruddin Shah, has said.

"In recent days, threat from cinema has resulted in few modern attempts being tried out in theatres. Though innovations are most welcome, yet the attempt to create the same kind of illusions being tried by cinemas is needless," he said while delivering a lecture on 'The relationship between theatre and cinema', in Chennai last night (Aug 12, 2004).

"One should realise that theatres could never compete with cinema in creating illusions," Naseeruddin, whose name is synonymous with meaningful cinema, said.

"This does not mean that theatre has no identity. If that is the case, contact between human beings could have died long ago," he said.

Naseeruddin, who has acted in nearly 150 films, said that an ideal theatre could be defined as "one actor with one audience". It is an ideal means by which, person to person contact could be kept, he said.

He was delivering the seventh edition of Gollapudi Srinivas memorial lecture and award function. The best new director award has been instituted in memory of Gollapudi Srinivas, who died while shooting for his debut film "Prema Pusthakam", in 1992.

The award was presented to Anup Kurien, an ad-film maker turned director for his English film "Manasa sarovar".