THE BUSINESS OF EDUCATION - International Indian

[ BOLLyWOOD PROFILE ]
I understand the importance of education
in acting especially now that India is
booming in the entertainment business.
The audience is ready for disciplined,
professional, educated actors. There are
going to be less and less flukes [bad actors]
in this profession.
“I personally feel the death of the
Bollywood style of acting has happened.
It was a necessity to have that style earlier
because in India films were the prime
source of entertainment catering to a very
diverse audience – Punjabis, Bengalis,
Gujaratis, Tamilians, Maharashtrians et
al. So the style, the overt gesticulating in
a manner became clichéd to explain say a
simple gesture in Hindi, so whatever was
offered the public accepted it.
“But now the moviegoer is more educated
plus he has choices for his entertainment. He
is not madly involved in movies. He is more
relaxed as an observer. To hold the interest
of this type of person, you on the screen
have to be brilliant. If there are a thousand
reasons for him applauding you, there are
as many chances of him not liking you. He
is more critical and you, the actor, have to
make a special effort to be accepted.”
The concept of Actor Prepares took
shape about 10-12 years ago when Anupam
did a three-week workshop in Mumbai with
this young generation of upcoming actors –
Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday
Chopra, Neil Mukesh and Sikander Kher.
“I needed to have an acting school because
I felt I am primarily a teacher. But more
important, I wanted to break this myth that
a Bollywood actor cannot run a reputable
acting school of international standard.
“In 2005, I started Actor Prepares from a
small office. I also needed to space out my
time which I could not do earlier as I was
doing too many films. Now its almost four
years old, is in a bigger place and having
invested so much hard work in it that it has
become an important institution,” he says.
Anupam continues, “Today the longevity
of an actor depends upon how good you are.
The younger generation is taking acting
as a profession very seriously. I personally
don’t feel that “acting sikhane se nahin aati
hai” (acting doesn’t come from being taught).
This is an uneducated person’s point of view.
Acting schools, according to me are like
motor driving schools. You learn the rules
of driving, to apply the brakes, shift gears,
but you only learn driving by practicing
driving. Similarly acting schools can teach
you, give you directions on how to go about
it but you improve with practice. It does help
if the talent is inherent but in today’s time
confidence is confused with acting. Today’s
generation is more confident and the fear
of the camera is not there. Everyone has a
mobile, everyone can make a video clipping
from it or take a still shot. So facing a camera,
seeing your face on a mobile, a screen is no
big deal. Being confident has nothing to
do with acting. A very shy person can be a
brilliant actor. It all depends upon how much
you personally invest in it.”
Having spent 23 years in the industry
and with over 300 films to his credit, it is
only expected that all that Anupam has
learnt and imbibed he share with others.
“You could say that I cannot ‘teach’ acting
but my experience has formed a certain
way of expressing which if I share with my
students would make a difference to them.”
Actor Prepares opened its first branch in
Chandigarh with the government being a
30 per cent partner. The first international
branch will open in London in September.
Durban is next on the agenda. “We have
our partners but have not signed the official
contract [at time of going to press in end-
May]. We have done our homework, had
our meetings and hopefully should open by
end-2008,” he tells.
Speaking of the monetary investments,
Anupam reveals, “It is all my money. In
Mumbai I am the owner. In Chandigarh the
government provides the infrastructure and
we bring in the expertise. In London our
partners are Ealing Institute of Media and
Heathrow City Partnership, a part of Ealing,
Hammersmith and West London College.
We are looking at a 50-50 partnership.
They provide the infrastructure and we, the
expertise. Sixty students will be admitted
in the first year and fees have been set at
£6,000 for a three-month course.”
Intending to spend a week or more
teaching each batch of students at each one
of his schools, Anupam is positive that he
will not go in for franchising. “Everyday
I get calls from cities in India and around
the world asking for a franchise. But this
is not McDonald’s! This is an educational
institution and my name is involved. I
definitely want to be a partner in every
school so that we can control the standard.
And if 50 years hence I am known more as
an educationist than an actor I will be very
happy,” he smiles.
Speaking of the curriculum, “Except for
the dancing style of Bollywood the syllabus
is the same [as other leading film acting
schools]. Dance is within us Indians. We
dance at any given pretext – marriages,
festivals, religious celebrations. We express
our joy by dancing. We Indians are larger
than life. Our hearts are ‘bigger’ than those
of normal people. That makes our joy, our
celebrations and even our sorrows bigger. I
find an Indian actor can do a salsa or a jive
or a waltz, but a Hollywood actor will find
it very difficult performing a Bollywood
style dance.
“I find many other acting schools, without
wanting to criticise them, have remained
in a kind of traditional time-warp. But our
lives and times have changed, as have our
interests, our perspectives and outlook.
Our way of expressing has changed.
We Indians can be subtle and we can be
exaggerated, so the style of acting must
change too,” he explains. And concludes
– in all earnestness with what comes across
as a trademark of the Anupam Kher sense
of humour: “According to me anyone who
can lie convincingly can act. Because lying
is the first step towards acting.”
Amita Sarwal is a freelance writer
based in Singapore.
THE INTERNATIONAL INDIAN 69