Exclusive! Shekhar Suman opens up about rising PR culture in the industry: 'It is a disease that is creeping in''

Shekhar Suman (Pic/X)

This is not a healthy trend because it's just leading towards megalomania, that's leading towards obsession, which is not good for an actor. An actor has to have eyes above his own self, his own persona, to just see the world in a different light, not just wanting to see himself all the time, everywhere. 'I want to be seen' is a disease, an illness that is creeping in. So, they need to avoid that."

"Most of the actors pay the paps to be there, they pay the paps to write nice things about them and all. And that's why they're all steeped in mediocrity, and they stay where they are. Because if all your energy is just going to be there to be seen around and to wear the nicest clothes and be seen in big cars and be papped, then where would you have the energy, the concentration to become an actor?," the veteran actor questioned.

Shekhar Suman advises actors to spend time doing their homework

You should just spend so much of time on your craft, on the discipline, you know, reading, you should see all the greatest performances in the world, the vintage films. You cannot cut yourself off from the past, from the earlier films. You should watch what the Indian psyche is all about.

Eventually an actor is known and should be known for his originality. Be yourself. Be yourself. Don't try and be like someone else. Because that's him.

This is you. And everybody has their own set of, you know, these personal skills. An actor has to do a lot of homework and a lot of hard work. I still do.
I get up in the morning, I am reading, you know, books, I'm reading newspapers, I'm rehearsing my lines, I'm doing plays, I'm learning music, I'm also bodybuilding, I'm also doing a lot of things connected to my craft. (25:15) Right. (25:16) You know, I'm thinking about characters, I'm writing.
That helps being a complete actor.