‘The era of stardom is kind of over’

For over two decades acting coach Atul Mongia has worked with some of Hindi cinemarsquos most celebrated performers Among his former students are superstars Deepika Padukone Alia Bhatt Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal Beyond being enigmatic on screen and holding the attention of teeming millions they are actors who have built successful careers while repeatedly reinventing themselves with every projectNow as Mongia launches a threemonth Actorrsquos Conservatory Programme running from June 15 to September 4 he is looking beyond rolespecific preparation and workshops His aim is to create a more intensive training environment that prepares actors for an industry that has changed dramatically over the past decadeAccording to him one of the biggest changes is that stardom alone is no longer enough ldquoThe game has completely changed from what it was earlier Over the last 15 to 20 years talent has come to matter a lot more in the case of people with longer careers Even today the actors who are getting the meatier parts are good actors I also feel that the era of stardom is kind of overrdquo Mongia tells Sunday middayAtul MongiaAnd that was his cue Mongia says ldquoWhen people are casting for a film or are training their actors for a specific role they donrsquot have the luxury of doing intensive work over months The longer format has always been normative whether it is the module at The National School of Drama NSD The Film and Television Institute of India FTII or other places in Mumbai where three or sixmonth courses have been conducted for decades I would actually say that the shorter workshop format is more of an exception I began with a shorter format at a time when maybe just Neeraj Kabi and a few others were doing it One reason I started with a nineday workshop was because I wanted to ensure that each day counted in some way As for the threemonth conservatory I am doing now I feel I am ready to pour more than two decades of my experience and my understanding of what actors need to grow into a 12week module Here again I want to ensure that every single day an actor can learn something substantial and meaningful instead of just doing exercises where they jump shout and scream and derive nothing from the experiencerdquoHaving seen a sea of change in how casting is done Mongia believes the education has to keep up with the demands of the industry ldquoFew years ago casting became a formalised department with someone at the helm unlike earlier when assistant directors used to do that job Often friends or friends of friends or people who were already visible in the talent pool would get cast unlike now when there is more specificity to each part and actors are cast accordingly For instance if a part is written for somebody from a specific region background or a certain cultural context then the casting directors often go to those spaces and look for actors and not just the ones available in the city I remember when I was working with Kanu Behlrsquos Titli 2014 even for tertiary parts we had tested 15ndash20 people It was an exhausting process but we wanted the right person for each and every role even if it was a nonspeaking partrdquoHe says the explosion of social media advertising and digital platforms has altered the relationship between stars and audiences ldquoEarlier we used to see stars only on cinema screens twice a year and their aura was much bigger Now you see them every day on some platform on some social media site or in advertisements So the aura does get diluted as yoursquore not seen as someone unreachable So this is where your acting chops come into the picturerdquoFor Mongia longevity today depends on onersquos ability to adapt rather than imagebuilding ldquoIn this context Ranveer Singh Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt have been doing a phenomenal job They have not put themselves first I think a lot of stars earlier always had to be at the forefront but the younger actors donrsquot have that need These actors are malleable and want to change according to whatever part theyrsquore doing This school of thought has really made a difference to their longevity Another thing that makes an actor last long is to not have too many insecurities or excessive egordquoThe arrival of OTT platforms has accelerated these demands further Mongia argues that longform storytelling requires actors to operate at a level of emotional depth that wasnrsquot always necessary in conventional films ldquoThere is more breathing space even space for mundane details and for the exploration of a character at a much nuanced deeper level Good shows that are written really well are multilayered in that respect ldquoThe conservatory will also expose participants to the realities of the industry by bringing casting directors and filmmakers into the classroom While social media remains an unavoidable part of an actorrsquos life today Mongia stops short of calling it a deciding factor in casting ldquoWe may hear that social media presence does not matter but I think it can matter where there are two actors of similar capability Then a wider network and visibility may countrdquo Yet he insists that strong performances continue to trump follower counts ldquoIf a director or producer really believes in the suitability of a certain actor for a part they will still make the best choicerdquoInterestingly Mongia is less convinced by another popular industry narrative mdash that Indian cinema is already conquering the world ldquoIrsquom sorry I kind of disagree that Indian films are finding global audiences I donrsquot think itrsquos happening enoughrdquo he says When Indian cinema eventually expands its global footprint he says improvements will be required across the board ldquoAnd when it does definitely wersquoll also have to up our game in every department not just actingrdquo