Learning the right nuances

While there is no guaranteed method of making it big in Bollywood, film schools are a possible gateway to becoming an actor. Stars are available at every street corner, but true actors are difficult to come by. We find graduates from the National School of
Drama (NSD) in New Delhi, and Film and Television Institute (FTII) in Pune, besides sundry teaching ‘shops’ that have mushroomed all over Mumbai and the Capital are able to deliver great performances.
But do actors really need to learn acting to make a name in Bollywood? Dilip Kumar didn’t receive any formal training in acting. In fact, in an interview the veteran actor had said, that there are no acting schools that could possibly teach him how to act. Actors and stars form two different categories.
Bollywood, unfortunately is a star driven industry and we do not always expect acting from those whom we see on screen. The idea is that every star has created an image and they have to be consistent and live up to that. There are actors like Irfaan, Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao who have had basic background education in acting.
Acting schools definitely help in honing your skills, but there have been actors who have come out of drama schools and film institutes and yet have not been able to make a mark in movies. Any training that makes the actor introspect and understand his craft better is worth considering. Finally, it is up to the actor to understand the character in the film and fit into it. I am not an actor and I cannot quantify how much film education helps. But statistically I have found better actors from film institutes. I have worked with actors who have been trained and those who have not and what I have observed is that though training formalises the craft, eventually acting is an individualistic process. Statiscally speaking, I have worked with actors who have had some education in acting. This, however does not mean that training may help them break-in or make a mark. While Ranbir Kapoor went to The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, we must also consider the fact that yesteryear legends like Dilip Kumar, Motilal or Balraj Sahani have had no formal training in acting. Among the recent actors, both Kangana Ranaut and Vidya Balan are not formally trained, but are one of the finest actors in the country.
Trained actors are definitely able to understand the director’s instructions faster and at times provide their own interpretation to the role. As a director, I look for intelligence and understanding in my actors— they should be able to understand director’s cues and cinematic concepts and should love their craft, rather than just seek fame and glamour. Another factor to consider is whether trained actors are admired for their craft, because, the audience loves and celebrates mediocrity. While there are many acting institutes in Mumbai who claim to teach you the fine nuances of acting, I feel there are only two decent and reputable institutes in the country, and they are NSD and FTII. Having said that, actors need not have an impressive degree, but should posess the skill and awareness to interpret a character. The film industry is the only sector where we look at suitability and talent rather than qualification. The emotional intelligence and how the actor connects with the audience is of prime importance.

As told to Kaushani Banerjee