People who know what acting is know that it is not only a profession that brings with it money and fame. In fact, those are mere perks for a person who gives his heart and soul to performing arts. Though it is true that acting can not be taught as this is skill that comes from within, there are many courses available in a number of acting institutes in India that help you polish this skill and learn the intricacies involved.
Following is a list of acting schools from where you can enrol in acting courses and get a degree or diploma in performing arts.
National School of Drama, New Delhi
National School of Drama, or NSD as it is fondly called, is the Mecca of acting in India. An autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture, this school has produced some of the best acting talents of the country including Pankaj Kapoor, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Irrfan. It provides a three-year full-time diploma course in dramatic arts, following which you can pursue your career in theatre or films. The requirement for admission in this course is a graduation degree in any subject and participation in at least 6 theatre productions. A preliminary test/audition is conducted at five centres, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Guwahati.
Film And Television Institute of India, Pune
If NSD is the Mecca of actors, FTII is no less. Known to be the origin place of some of the best talents of industry, this autonomous organization under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting offers a two-year post graduate diploma in acting, and has produced actors like Jaya Bachchan, John Abraham, Rajkumar Rao, Shabana Azmi and the late Smita Patil. The prerequisite for joining this prestigious course is a Bachelors Degree in any discipline from a recognised university, followed by a screening by a team of selectors.
Asian Academy of Film and Television, Noida
AAFT is another institute that provides graduate, post graduate and diploma courses in acting. Alma mater of Arjun Kapoor, this upcoming acting school has seen some of the best minds in the industry paying a celebrity visit and guest lectures. Founded by Sandeep Marwah who is closely related to the family of Anil Kapoor, this media school has seen some established film and TV actors as its alumni.
The
Known for training Shah Rukh Khan in acting, Barry John is accredited for training many young talents in his acting studio. Varun Dhawan, Sushant Singh Rajpoot, Dia Mirza, Freida Pinto, Lillete Dubey, Manoj Bajpai and Richa Chadda are some other prominent names to have featured in the alumni list of this studio. Having branches in Delhi and Mumbai, it offers part time and full time courses in acting for anyone above 18 years of age.
Who better than a national award-winning actor to teach you the minutiae of acting? Padma Shri Anupam Kher runs this one-of-a-kind acting school in Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and London. Ali Zafar, Preity Zinta, Manish Paul, Ruslan Mumtaz and Kunal Kapoor are some of his alumni to have made it big in the show biz. Offering part-time courses and diploma courses as well as customised workshops and children workshops, Actor Prepares is the only acting school to be founded by an actor who is professionally active in acting and theatre.
Image courtesy: Thinkstock