Top 10 Acting Schools in India

People in India are crazy about two things – Movies and Cricket. These two fields are not only popular but also have become commercial enterprises where a lot of money is involved. Acting in movies is a big deal. Becoming a superstar in Bollywood is the dream of many.

Acting in movies is not everyone’s thing though. You need proper training in order to get a chance to be the best in the field.

There are acting schools in India that can teach you the basics of acting and make you as perfect (well, almost) as mainstream Bollywood actors. Many of these schools are run by prominent actors themselves, so you get the first-hand experience from acting teachers from the industry.

Let’s take a look at some of the best acting schools in India.

Best Acting Schools in India

Let’s start with the first one.

1.The School for Arts, Mumbai

The School for Arts is owned by the popular Bollywood actor Anupam Kher and was started in the year 2005. It also has a branch in London, United Kingdom.

Courses:

– Full-time Diploma course (3 months): This course covers topics like Acting Techniques, Body movements, Stunts, Martial arts, Voice culture, Scene Studies, Script Analysis, Diction and Speech, Dance, etc. The classes are conducted from Monday to Saturday.

– Part-time certificate course (1 month): This course is a mini version of the full-time course and covers main topics like Acting Techniques, Body movements, Voice culture, Dance, etc. The classes are conducted from Monday to Friday.

– Weekend Acting Workshop: This course is conducted only on Saturdays and Sundays and focuses on acting and dance techniques.

Admission Process:

The applicant should be over 16 years of age and must hold a Higher secondary school certificate. There is no entrance exam to join the course but they should pass the audition and interview.

2. Film and Television Institute of India, Pune

FTII is one of the oldest but trusted acting school in India. It was an autonomous institute under the government of India (Information and Broadcasting Ministry) started in the year 1960.The films made by the students of this school has got many awards in film festivals across the globe.

Courses:

– 3 year Post graduate Diploma in Direction / Cinematography / Acting / Sound Recording and Sound Design / Editing
– 2 year Post graduate Diploma in Acting / Art Direction and Production Design
– 1 year Post graduate certificate course in Film Screenplay Writing / Direction / Electronic Cinematography /Video Editing /Sound Recording and TV Engineering

Admission

The applicant should hold a bachelor’s degree for most of the above courses. Only 12 seats are available for each of the courses and the candidate should pass the entrance examination to qualify for the selection.

3. Institute of Creative Excellence – ICE

Launched by Balaji Telefilms in 2010, ICE (Institute of Creative Excellence) provides world-class quality education to its students. They have a wide range of courses for the entire spectrum of Media & Entertainment industry-related subjects including Acting, Modeling, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Production, Scriptwriting, Sound, and VFX. They are the Preferred Partner for Balaji Telefilms Ltd.

4. National School of Drama, Delhi

NSD was started in 1959 by Sangeet Natak Akademi and it became an autonomous organization under the government of India( Ministry of Culture) in 1975. It is one of the finest training institutes in the world.

Courses:

– 3 year Diploma course in Dramatic arts ( Topic include Acting , theater techniques etc )

Admission:

The candidate should be 20 – 30 years old and hold a bachelor’s degree. 26 seats are available and the selection process involves a committee which will test the talent of the candidates.The selected candidates are also given stipend during the course period.

5. The Barry John Acting studio, Mumbai

BJAS was founded by the british born Indian director and teacher Barry John who has more than 40 years of experience in the field.It also has a branch in Delhi. Many alumni’s of this school have got opportunities in the film industry.

Courses:

– Part time Certificate course in acting (3 months)
– Diploma in Film acting (16 weeks)

6. Roshan Taneja School of Acting, Mumbai

RT school of acting belongs to the veteran professor Roshan Taneja who has been teaching acting for more than 40 years. He was the head of the department in FTII. The school has a branch in Hyderabad.

Courses:

Full time course in Acting (4 months) : Topics covered are Monologue,imagination,voice,singing,camera practicals,scene study etc.

Admission:

The candidate should have a Secondary School or equivalent certificate and should be at least 16 years old.

7. Asian Academy of Film & Television, Noida

AAFT was started in 1993 and is the first acting institute in south Asia to get ISO 9001:2000 certification.It has alumni’s not only from India but across the globe.It offers diploma and masters degree in various categories.

Courses:

– 1 Year course in  Camera and Lighting Techniques, Post Production, Visual Communication; Acting for Film and TV, Media Management; TV Journalism and Communication; Film and TV Production; Print and Photo Journalism; Advertising Mass Communication; and Multimedia
– 2 and 3 Year course in Acting, Direction,Post-production, Sound Recording

It also offers 3 months courses in Video editing,Camera and Lighting Techniques,Screen play writing,Sound recording etc.

Admission:

The candidate should have a Secondary School or equivalent certificate and should be at least 16 years old.

8. Center for Research in Art of Film and Television, Delhi

CRAFT was started in the year 2006 by a non profit organization to improve the discipline in various fields of the film industry.

Courses:

– 1 Year course in Cinematography, Film direction, Editing, Creative writing,Sound recording,Photography,Documentary film making,TV Journalism
– 6 Months course in Acting & Modeling

Admission:

The candidate should have a diploma after 12th or PG diploma after graduation and the selection process involves a personal interview.

9. Zee Institute of Media Arts, Mumbai

ZIMA is owned by Zee network, one of India’s leading media company and is one the leading acting school in Mumbai. The opportunities for those studying in this school is more as the Zee network itself has many television channels and produces movies also.

Courses:

– Diploma / Bachelors / Masters in Film Making
– Hands on Film Making
– Weekend short term courses in Direction, Cinematography, Editing, Acting, Sound Engineering, Screen Writing, Ad Film Making, Executive Producer, Voicing & TV Presentation, Promo Production.

Admission:

The candidate should have a Higher Secondary School or equivalent certificate and the selection process involves a personal interview.

10. Whistling Woods International, Mumbai

WWI is owned by the popular Bollywood director Subash Ghai and was started in the year 2006. The school has got links with many international film schools which helps in getting opportunities across the globe.It is the first acting institute in India to offer MBA in Media & Entertainment.

Courses:

– 3 Year Bachelors Film making Program
– 2-Year Diploma in Film making
– Certificate Course in Screenwriting for Film

Admission:

The candidate should have a Higher Secondary School or equivalent certificate.

11. Chennai Film School, Chennai

CFS was started more than a decade ago and is fully devoted to the film media. The school is approved by government of TamilNadu. The short films taken by the students ofthis school has won many awards.

Courses:

1 year certificate course which covers Cinematography,Visual media,Editing,Sound etc.

Admission:

The candidate should have a Secondary School or equivalent certificate and the minimum age limit is 15 years.The selection process involves an entrance test.

So, which acting school are you planning to join?