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| Arjun Kalyan |
A regular visitor of TeluguCinema.Com,
Arjun Kalyan, has attended the Summer Workshop for Acting at the Harvard University Campus of the famous New York Film Academy (NYFA), where Aamir Khan's nephew Imran Khan (
Jaane Tu... fame) had been trained in the direction department (at NYFA's California campus).
As the only Indian male actor in the workshop this year, Arjun Kalyan shares his learning experiences with other visitors of TeluguCinema.Com in order to reach out other aspirants like him, so as to give at least a "feel" of what he could learn, so that it may help them eventually in shaping their careers too! Also the unofficial winner of "Mr. ATA" at the recent American Telugu Association (ATA) convention in the USA, the acting rsum of Arjun Kalyan may be found
here. (
Editor's Note:
The previously published rsum is now updated with the hyperlink to the video from the author's ATA performance, which was sent by the author after publishing the original article.) Interested folks may also check out the various videos included in his rsum, some of which were even sent to popular Telugu filmmakers as a part of Arjun Kalyan's audition for their films.
Read on Arjun Kalyan's experiences in his own words...
August 10, 2008
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Today is the first day of my life after I have graduated from the Summer Workshop on Film Acting at the Harvard University, conducted by New York Film Academy (NYFA). The experience comes as a new breath, a new perspective, and a new zeal towards my life and goals. Now, I really feel that I have done something useful for myself in my life so far! I am almost done with my packing, to go back home, and called up a dear friend of mine to share my experiences, and it was his suggestion that prompted me to write this piece up to enumerate my experiences, joy and struggle (inner and outer struggles) while doing this course, so that it would help others in the same boat. So, here I am!
The Common Backdrop...
Where shall I start? Let me start from the common platform of all wannabes in showbiz: When I have told my family and friends that I plan to become an actor, they laughed at me! And, some still do! Many of our elders, and even peers, think of it as a foolish, risky, and indecent job. Actors (for that matter people in any profession related to films) don't garner any decent appraisal or respect until they become popular! Even then, people simply look at them as their being extremely lucky and don't think of it as a career path!
In fact, people don't consider Acting, or any craft in the film industry, as a "Profession"! I don't want to dwell upon the reasons or the general attitude of people, but I know there shall come a point of realization for everyone...
...It's a risky path alright, but which career path is so easy anyway? It's the same story in the IT and Financial markets now. If you have the talent, guts, and the right approach, I believe you will be a winner in any field, including filmdom! One can't expect to be a Tom Cruise or Shah Rukh Khan all at once, but everyone can eventually find the very space that one would fit in! One should essentially know one's limitations and strengths that's the key, really, if one doesn't want to end up hurting oneself. And, the most important thing is that one should have something to fall back on if one's efforts are fruitless or if one wants to finally give up some alternative career that can feed at least oneself!
Having this in my mind, I did my Master of Science in Computer Science in United States. Since then, I have been working in a software firm near Boston, MA. And, the thought to join in the Academy was born out of a discussion with another upcoming actor. I was planning to apply for an audition, and he asked me if I had any experience or training. I applied for an audition anyway, but couldn't make it through for different reasons. (My audition video can be checked out
here
.) I was disappointed, sure, but I didn't lose my heart! At least, I have understood why the actor asked me if I had any training. This incident prompted me to look for film schools close to my place, to get the required training. And to my amazement, I have found something close to my place. Not just some school,
it was no less than an opportunity to be a part of the Harvard University campus, as a participant of the workshop conducted by New York Film Academy (NYFA)! I had to take a break from my job to attend this workshop, using up all my vacation-leave at one go! But, it was worthy every bit!
My attitude and knowledge about Acting and the Art of Film-making have taken a serious turn after my workshop at Harvard. I realized that Acting is a science by itself with specific methodologies and techniques, and that appropriate training is necessary to get a sense of these tools. People here in the Academy are so committed and they know what it takes. ...I haven't been to any film (training) institutes in India and I thus don't know how students there are treated, but here at Harvard/NYFA, students are respected! And, this sense of respect gave me a lot of courage to start with! I wasn't hiding from anyone the fact that I was attending a film workshop. It may be because we were given cool t-shirts that read "Harvard/NYFA" or it's just the place itself! Not so surprisingly, my dad thought it is a waste of money and useless he just didn't jump in his chair when I told him that I was attending NYFA at H-A-R-V-A-R-D! Well, I didn't lose my heart though, essentially because I reached to the "elastic fatigue zone" that I have stopped caring of what people/society think about me or about those who simply laugh at me! I am kind of used to it by then. A wise man told me the simple fact of an aspirant actor's life: "
If you want to be an actor, you should get used to being humiliated all along!"
About NYFA
NYFA is an acclaimed institute that offers courses in various film-related departments Acting, Screen-writing, Cinematography, Editing, Animation, Direction, and Production for films, digital movies, TV shows, and music videos. The course was divided into two sections based on age groups the high school kids (imagine!), and the adults. NYFA also offers degrees in Fine Arts, including the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) for 1 year and 2 years. The teaching staff comprises of accredited people with a lot of stage and/or film experience, who're still contributing to their fields of expertise in these domains! That's probably why people in Hollywood consider this Academy and its students pretty seriously. ...I have no idea about the way people look at the students of film (training) institutes in India, but I really hope it would be the same those students with a penchant towards film industry deserve it very well! ... I have chosen Acting courses in the workshop, and thus I can talk at length about its relevant courses, and I can give some briefing about the Direction course too; I have little knowledge about other courses, but the Academy website <
www.nyfa.com
> has all the necessary details of courses offered.
I am in!
Well, I was in, but the first day was all messed up for me in the utter confusion and newness. We had three classes each day from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with one break for lunch. I was making new friends and getting into the groove, though, as I soon realized that all the students that come here are ...just like me! This sense of belongingness gave me some courage. Each batch had a maximum of 16 students, and I was glad to be one of those! The students came from different places and from different walks of life, and different cultures too! Among all the American, British, French, Chinese, Brazilian, Spanish and Columbian students,
I was the only Indian male actor in the whole film school at Harvard for this year's workshop, and also thus the only Telugu guy around! It felt different I was overwhelmed with happiness that I made it while also feeling an engulfing sadness that many others like me could not have realized their dreams because of lack of support to this "career" from families and friends.
