Kalamanch – Anyone can be an Actor

This book is to motivate and inspire actor’s to trust in their craft without feeling the fear of failure and uncertain future. In the city of dreams Mumbai, eight ordinary people gather in an acting studio to embark on a unique journey together in a creative 6 weeks drama class to see to the very bottom of their souls, and feel how the artificial intimacy of the acting class shapes their lives in substantial ways to knowing their true selves. Kalamanch is an acting studio based in Mumbai, founded by a former actress Kanika Arora, a free-spirited and supportive teacher, the group – Anant, a recently divorced, emotionally vulnerable small shop owner, Sunaina, an earnest and vibrant model, Kunal, Kanika’s charming husband and sophisticated business owner, Jheel, a posh trendy college student with a keen eye, Azim, a focused and a privy individual owning small coffee shop, Ragini, a raging bull and a bold feminist sales executive and Hiten, an over smart loud personality full of lust and a die hard salman bhai fan — move through a series of acting exercises, ranging from the heartbreaking to the ridiculous. The story unfolds exclusively through the games and exercises these characters take part in. Each character has a personal trauma or demon and the games they play brings the problem to the surface and the characters are forced to confront them. Characters make terrible realizations about each other and their own lives which draws some closer and some away from each other. By the end we seem to see to the very bottom of these souls, and feel how the artificial intimacy of the acting class has shaped their lives in substantial ways. This book gives reveals the vulnerability of each character and makes us delve into their lives to know their inner life. It also has the nuance of making people aware of the art of acting and what it takes to be an actor.