Acting and Actors. Review on Theatre, Drama Vs. Movies

After I finished my 10th - I had lot of time to kill, One of my friends friend was running an acting workshop called ACT (Actors Creative Talent). Mr. Surya Bhagwandas taught me a lot about Acting than meets the eye / camera.

This review is dedicated to Mr. Surya Bhagwandas.

The only thing closest to acting I have ever done was faking a headache or a stomach ache, which was too easy for mom to sniff out that I am not having it in real. The acting Mr.Surya taught mehere is Method Acting.

I may or may not be an actor - not a method actor at that- but this review is a way of recalling those sundays when I attended acting classes of Mr. Surya.

The Acting Basics

There are 5 things to remember in any situation, theater or a movie. In any script that an actor, or excuses for actors (to name a few - I think I better avoid) , has to follow. Basically reading the scripts, actor(s) would have to ask themselves some questions . Important 5 questions would be ....

1. Who am I ? Am I a student, then probably I should look like a student. I should feel like a student. should think like a student. Am I a underworld don, a policeman, perhaps an Army guy . The whole thing comes down to who am I, according to the script. There is a general notion that scripts are tailor made for the actors. I cannot be stammering like SRK when I am a police officer , I cannot have mannerisms like SRK or Mithunda. I should be what the script says I should be. Lot of new generation actors have an assumption that if they imitate some well known actor , they can hit something. Good acting isnt about imitating someone. It is how well you are convinced about the role that demands your involvement. Nasseruddin Shah , spent a week in a Police station to observe how they ( the police) behave. How they treat different people. How they treat their superiors and their subordinates. Shabana Azmi and Smitha Patil, spent 3 days at a brothel , so that they can play the role of prostitutes in a movie. That, my friends is how you realize who you are and how closely does your performance match with the script.

1. Where am I ? Am I at my own house, then how do I convince the audience that I am at my house. During an improvisation , or a rehearsal I dont yell out loud that I am at my house. But I've got to show to the audience that the stale pieces of furniture surrounding me is actually my house. My actions, or an enforced mannerisms, my familiarity with the place. If I am at a restraunt, then I must pretend, close me eyes and assume that some delicious panner tikka is served for you when there is nothing but a pile of books. If I am at a friends place Then I have to convey to my audience that I am at a friends place or a strangers place.

3. What is my relationship with the other person ? Ok, there is this guy talking to me, what am I that makes the audience think that I am related to him. Bad acting is deliberately putting across the idea that the guy I am talking to is my brother or friend. But I have to pick up conversation on those lines that would look normal and convey to the audience that the person acting alongside with me is my brother. If we are brothers , then what kind of brothers are we. Its easy to shout from the rooftops and say '' Bhaiya , Mein aapkey liye khoon baha doonga'' and tell the audience hey we are brothers who get along. But it isnt like that in real life is it ? It is for the audience to judge that, while we look natural.

4. What do I want ? Here comes the important part. I am given a script , or a situation, I have only 10 minutes. I have to get something, this whole script has got some objective. Assume my mom asked me for something. ( in the improvisations) It is easy to refuse, she isnt my real mother. Would I refuse my real mother. I am supposed to go to work when she says that she needs to go to the temple, and asked you to drop you there. Well, if my mom in real , asked me, I would have some workaround, some solution so that we both can meet the objective.

5. Why do / does I / He / She want it ?The final formula has it all. This is where I reach the end of the script for that scene. Why do I need it. I asked my dad ( on stage) for his car. Why do I need the car. am I going to lie to him, if that is so , how do I lie to my real dad if I wanted his car. If this ingredient is missing , then everything in the last four are nothing but a reflection for bad acting. There has to be a reason for anything I want. The villain must be killed. So why , I need a reason . Its not just a reason , it is the motive. This is my objective to the entire plot , or just for that situation. If an actor can perceive the five rules mentioned, they dont need scripts. The lines and spontaneity comes naturally. the trick is think of an objective, start with a simple one and come to an objective in 15 minutes.

Stage Vs. Movie. Method Acting involves striking a perfect balance in portraying your feelings, emotions and body language into convincing your audience. But then , it differs on stage and on camera. On stage you there will be a lot of ground work to be done. The feelings should be such that an audience sitting in the front row and the last row should receive the (same)message. The voice, the tone, expressions and the visibility of the actor should be just about enough to convince an entire audience what is really meant to be conveyed. Acting in front of camera its different. Camera can be on the last row, it cant be on the first row, It can change angles to any extent. Two actors can stand face to face where the camera can show both the faces simultaneously. Although I dont claim , that I am an actor , or a director, This is just a presentation of what I have learnt at the film institute. Comments are most welcome, thank you for reading this review.

DavieBoy.