Future Bollywood stars put through their paces (From Asian Image)

Future Bollywood stars put through their paces

1:21pm Friday 12th September 2008

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The Bollywood stars of tomorrow started learning their craft from one of the industry's biggest stars.

Anupam Kher, best known to British audiences for his roles in Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice took the inaugural class at the first British acting school dedicated to training students for the Indian film industry.

In a step up that could have come straight from a film script, seven young hopefuls will be tutored by Kher and other industry professionals in an intense three-month course in Ealing, south west London.

But Kher proved that he would not tolerate the "cliched" acting that some Bollywood films indulge in.

As he drilled his students while they performed simple scenes he told them to be natural and relaxed and jumped on any sign of overacting.

He said: "I'm very proud to be an actor in Bollywood but I am trying to get rid of the cliches which we are all used to seeing."

Each student who takes part in the rolling three months programme will be tutored in acting, dance, yoga, stage combat and vocal technique. The class will also make a visit to a Bollywood film set in Mumbai in India.

But a doorway into the notoriously competitive Bollywood industry doesn't come cheap. Course fees are £4,000.

The London school is hosted by the Ealing Institute of Media at Ealing Hammersmith and West London College and supported by the Heathrow City Partnership.

It is the first branch outside India of Kher's Actor Prepares school, which runs courses throughout India. Graduates of the course will join the Actor Prepares talent agency.

Kher said: "This is an historical moment for me, as an individual and as an actor. It gives us the great opportunity to prepare actors from this country to be able to act anywhere in the world. The unique thing about this course is that it's still a bridge between the British and Indian industry and I don't think that has been done before."

He said that the UK's increasing love of Indian cinema had inspired him to look for new talent in this country.

New student Ranjit Singh Shubh, 22, from London said: "I believe that the biggest failure in life is the failure to try so I'm going to give this a go and see what happens."

He said that he had always wanted to act right from his schooldays and loved Indian cinema.

But he said that the course would prepare him not just for roles in Bollywood.

"Acting is universal it has no languages and no barriers."

He admitted that his "strict Sikh family" had been "shocked" when he told them of his ambitions to act but he said: "I think that my passion and talent came through and they support me."

Neha Bhatt, 24, and also from London said that she was "heavily into cinema".

"To have Anupam Kher teaching is of great benefit, he is an institution in himself, if he is teaching us then it's going to be the best."

She admitted that there was "no guarantee" of stardom at the end of the course but said: "At least I won't regret not trying."

By Laura May

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