All my life I have been fascinated by the dynamic world of
acting. When everyone in the world shuts you out, the movies seem to be the
only thing that you can connect to. Whether its romance or horror, action or
comedy, every genre appeals to our psyche in such a way that maybe even our
close ones can’t. Many of us don’t realize this but, movies and plays have
shaped our childhood, our preferences, our actions and sometimes, even the way
we speak. Out of all what appeals most to us are of course- The Actors. They
make it look so easy but in reality they alter their lifestyles and undergo
harsh training just to be able to serve us to their highest potential.
Acting according to me is not about learning the lines, it’s
about letting the lines learn you. It’s about escaping into your character’s
world and thinking what he thinks, standing how he stands, eating how he eats (
you get the idea). It’s about honesty- The preservation of the originality of
the role while delivering your lines such that the audience can feel that
special connection with you no matter how big or small your role might be. It’s
about getting into each and every crevice of the role, the nitty-gritties of
it, understanding his reactions and emotions, his past and his present, his
personal and work life- The whole deal.
And above all it’s about emotions- which is the most
important part of acting. It is the direct stairway from ordinary to stardom. Emotions-
the feelings that are brought to the role is what helps us to differentiate
between a good actor and a bad one. For e.g. the basic principle of comedy is
to keep a straight face while delivering the funniest of dialogues. This way
people believe that you are delivering your lines in such a way that you don’t
realize how funny you sound which amuses them further!! The advantage of
portraying the right emotions is that even if you skip one or two dialogues no
one would notice because you are already so deep inside your character (which
becomes really noticeable if you really are).
Another very significant part of acting is Confidence- with
just the right amount of it, you can steal the show in a matter of minutes. The
basic principle behind it all is that confidence only comes when you have fun;
the more tensed up you are, the more worked up you get and trust me, no one
likes that sort of screwed up facial expressions…. According to famous actor and comedian Jerry
Seinfeld, the no. 1 fear in the world is stage fright and no. 2 is death. Which
means you rather be underneath the coffin than do the eulogy!! The more
conscious you are about what people think of you, the more apparent it becomes
on the stage. The goal is to deliver the lines without any inhibitions
whatsoever. For that, all you need to do is devote your heart and soul to the
character and you’re good to go. Just believe in yourself and respect the role
that you are doing. And don’t forget, practice makes a man perfect :)
“Once in a while I experience an emotion onstage that is so gut-wrenching, so heart-stopping, that I could weep with gratitude and joy. The feeling catches and magnifies so rapidly that it threatens to engulf me.”
― Julie Andrews Edwards
“Once in a while I experience an emotion onstage that is so gut-wrenching, so heart-stopping, that I could weep with gratitude and joy. The feeling catches and magnifies so rapidly that it threatens to engulf me.”
― Julie Andrews Edwards
