04 May,2026 03:50 PM IST | Mumbai | Amarylisa Gonsalves
Shekhar Suman (Pic/X)
After acting, anchoring, producing, directing, and singing, Shekhar Suman is now stepping into a new role as a mentor and guide with his latest venture, Shekhar Suman Film Academy. With the new endeavour, the actor aims to groom new and aspiring actors to thrive in the fast-evolving industry. When mid-day got in touch with Shekhar, he got candid about the changing industry trends and how his academy aims to sharpen its students in every aspect.
During the chat, he also opened up about the rising PR culture in the industry as compared to a few years ago. Known to be honest and vocal about his opinions, Shekhar shared what he feels about the PR scenario in the Hindi film industry.
Suman strongly reacts to PR culture, saying, "This is not a healthy trend because it's just leading towards megalomania, which is 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."
Addressing the practice of calling paparazzi at airports and other sites for sightings, the actor says, "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."
"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 further adds that actors should instead invest their time in reading and watching old cinema of actors like Bimal Roy, K.R. Sethi, Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, and the like, and understand why these veteran actors lasted decades in the industry. "You cannot cut yourself off from the past, from the earlier films. You should watch what the Indian psyche is all about," he opines.
At the same time, Shekhar adds that an actor should focus on being himself. "Eventually, an actor is known and should be known for his originality. Be yourself. Be yourself. Don't try to be like someone else because that's him. This is you. And everybody has their own set of personal skills. An actor has to do a lot of homework and a lot of hard work. I still do."
Talking of how he is still working on his craft, he shares, "I get up in the morning, I'm reading 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. I'm thinking about characters, I'm writing. That helps being a complete actor."
