Asked about the reason for being a director and a playwright Hayat says, 'Experience, particularly the knowledge I have gathered from the film industry, has given me the confidence to direct plays, which has always been one of my implicit desires. I always keep in my mind that I will be able to handle it. Moreover, I believe, direction is a kind of "artistic design". One has to plan how s/he likes to visualise the script. That is why, I find direction quite interesting and challenging as well. So far I have directed more than fifty plays.' Hayat adds, 'Most of the directors in our country have not got any academic background in direction. Many popular directors are making plays just depending on expert cameramen. Everyday, I am trying to learn from my practical experience.'

To talk about his being a playwright, he says, 'The quality of the average scripts that we go through is not satisfactory at all. I thought that maybe I have got the potential to write better than the average. From this inclination, I am writing. And I have already written nearly about thirty scripts. I basically try to take ideas from the well-discussed issues like the eviction of slums, abolishment of prostitution, repression of household servants and so on. I think a playwright has responsibilities to the society. That is why, in my plays I try to point out some common problems of the society.'

Abul Hayat has a remarkable theatrical background. As a regular member of Nagorik Natya-sampradaya, he has taken part in most of the group's plays. He says, 'I started acting in 1954 when I was a schoolboy. I am one of the founder members of the renowned theatrical group Nagorik Natyasampradaya. Still I bear the Vice President post of the group.' He adds, 'Theatre is not like package drama. One has to be very much dedicated to theatre if s/he likes to continue it. It is in fact a tough job. There is no scope of deception here. Honestly speaking, I cannot give enough time right now because of my business in the electronic media. Moreover, my ailing physic has also lessened my confidence in appearing boldly on the stage. But I am hopeful of coming back here again.'

Abul Hayat has also given direction to some stage plays. He likes the directorial works of Ataur Rahman, Jamil Ahmed, Kamaluddin Nilu, Nasiruddin Yousuff and Liakat Ali Lucky. His favourite playwrights in theatre are Rabindranath Tagore, Syed Shamsul Haq, Mamunur Rashid, Selim Al Deen, Masum Reza, Badal Sarker from Kolkata and the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.

Hayat has a very positive concept about the package programme. He says, 'The negative aspect of the programme is the involvement of the brokers as a result of which many quality productions of renowned artistes are suffering discrimination. And nowadays, because of the investment of those who failed in the industry earlier, the package drama is taking shapes of the film industry: drama had nothing like the maharat programmes previously, whereas now there are number of them every other day. But the positive thing is that we have got many quality directors like Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Amitabh, Giasuddin Selim and Taukir Ahmed; and also very good performers who are not enlisted in the BTV. I believe, if there were only BTV in the field, it would not have been able to produce these talents.'

Abul Hayat has won many awards. But the most favourite one of this renowned artiste is Sequence Award of Merit for introducing Naturalistic Acting on Stage introduced by Shilpakala Academy in 1974.