Have you been called dramatic all your life? Do you love an audience? Is your true calling being on stage or on the screen? Then you’ve been bitten by the acting bug. But in a country that is obsessed with films and film stars, you need to hone your craft to be able to stand out and make your mark as an actor. This is where acting schools can come to your rescue and ensure that you do not get lost in the sea of aspiring actors.
Even though Mumbai is considered the city of dreams, especially by those who want to act, Delhi is not far behind in terms of good acting schools that will help you achieve your goal. In fact, some of the most popular names in entertainment today, from Shah Rukh Khan and Irrfan to Naseeruddin Shah and Richa Chadha, are from Delhi.
So if you’re in the capital, or moving to Delhi, here is a list of 10 of the best acting schools.
Do your thorough research and get enrolled in one of these to kickstart your acting career!
National School of Drama (NSD)
Arguably one of the most prestigious acting schools in the country, NSD is an autonomous institute of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It’s a theatre training institute that will prepare you for any medium with its highly intensive and comprehensive syllabus, which covers every aspect of theatre and in which theory is related to practice. During the course, the students are asked to produce plays which are eventually performed in front of an audience. However, it’s not easy to get into NSD, as the number of seats available for admissions is limited to 25-30.
Website: https://nsd.gov.in/delhi/
Address: National School of Drama, Bahawalpur House, 1, Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi – 110 001
Contact Number: 011-23389402
Famous Celeb Alumni: Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan, Om Puri, Anupam Kher, Piyush Mishra, Neena Gupta, Seema Biswas, Surekha Sikri, Pankaj Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana
Barry John Acting Studio (BJAS)
Barry John is a UK-born internationally-acclaimed actor, director, and teacher, who has lived and worked in India since 1968 and trained some of your favourite actors. In 1997, he opened Imago Acting School in Noida and then moved the course to New Delhi in 2002. In 2007, at the insistence of industry insiders, he moved to Mumbai and opened the institute there as well, renaming it Barry John Acting Studio. The institute has also been involved in independent and international film productions and casts some of its students in these projects. They offer four-month or six-month Diploma in Film Acting courses and a three-month Certificate Course in Acting.
Website: https://www.bjas.in/
Address: BJAS Delhi Studio, 32 Ring Road, First Floor, Lajpat Nagar IV, New Delhi 110024
Contact Number: +91 9716114466, +91 9999704455, 011-40578451
Famous Celeb Alumni: Manoj Bajpayee, Shah Rukh Khan, Lillete Dubey, Divya Seth, Mira Nair
Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT)
Twenty-five years ago, the AAFT was established as a private film school and has since become a sought-after institute by aspiring actors. It’s an integral part of the entertainment and media company, Marwah Studios, and has producer Boney Kapoor and actors Sonam and Arjun Kapoor as its board of directors. The admissions for full-time PG, UG and Diploma programs happen between October and July, and you need to clear a written test and an interview for selection. Apart from film, they also offer courses in design, mass communication, animation, photography, and digital marketing.
Website: https://aaft.com/
Address: FC-14/15, Sector-16A, Noida Film City, Uttar Pradesh
Contact Number: +91-120-4831100, 1800-102-6066
Famous Celeb Alumni: Arjun Kapoor, Hasleen Kaur, Kinshuk Mahajan, Luv Ranjan
Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts (SRCPA)
Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts originated from the Indian National Theatre, which was established in 1950. Now it functions as an independent cultural society which promotes and nurtures talent in the field of performing arts. Their focus is on preserving Hindi theatre, and they also have a resident theatre company, called The Repertory, that produces and stages plays every year. As part of their education initiative, they have a summer theatre program for children, a theatre acting course (full/part-time), and weekend theatre acting workshops.
Directors such as Rajinder Nath, Ranjit Kapoor, B.V. Karanth, Habib Tanveer, B.M. Shah, Bansi Kaul, and Piyush Mishra have worked with the SRC Repertory Company. The admissions open in July and November, for which you have to pass an audition, do a workshop, and give an interview.
Website: http://shriramcentre.org/
Address: Shri Ram Centre, 4, Safdar Hashmi Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi-110001
Contact Number: +91 9599947637, 011-23714307, 23731112
Gulshan Kumar Film & Television Institute Of India (GKFTII)
GKFTII is an educational initiative of media conglomerate T-Series, and its board of directors includes Bhushan and Tulsi Kumar. Their endeavour is to train artists, filmmakers, and technicians that are prepared to join the film and television industry. For acting, they offer a three-month certification course and a one-year diploma. Their state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment, along with experienced faculty members, set them apart from other acting schools. To get admission here, you have to clear a written test in person or an online aptitude if you’re not based in NCR, which will be followed by an interview with the dean.
Website: https://www.gkftii.com/
Address: Plot No. 3 & 3A, Film City, Sector 16A Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301
Contact Number: +91 9953997287, +91 9953997654, +91 81786 05730, +91 98701 67212
Famous Celeb Alumni: Sanyam Seth, Akanksha Chauhan
The Institute of Creative Excellence (ICE)
An initiative of the production house Balaji Telefilms, ICE was founded in 2010 with the aim of creating and supporting new talent in media and entertainment. It offers over 18 courses across five academies, namely The Performing Arts Academy, The Filmmaking Academy, The Acting Academy, The Young Stars Academy, and The Supporting Arts Academy. Ekta Kapoor is a member of their academic council, and the Acting Academy has several FTII and NSD alumni, like Neelam Mehra and Bharat Bhushan Chawla, as faculty members. Their enrolment centres are spread across the country, and the admission process includes an interview and an entrance test. For acting and modelling courses, you also need to audition. They boast of 80% successful placements in acting and many of their students go on to work in Ekta’s TV shows.
Website: https://www.theiceinstitute.com
Address: A1/163, Janakpuri, New Delhi, Janakpuri, Delhi – 110058
Contact Number: +91 80100 78601
Famous Celeb Alumni: Abhijit Sonawane, Debleena Haldar, Tashi Bahuguna, Takshi Negi, Nirupama Bari, Femina Naz
Centre for Research in Arts, Film and Television (CRAFT)
Centre for Research in Arts, Film and Television is a non-profit organisation that was established in Delhi in 2006 and offers several short and long term courses related to the film medium. The director of CRAFT, Naresh Sharma, is an FTII graduate who has worked as a cinematographer on several feature films, ad films, promos, and documentaries. If you’re pressed for time and cannot commit to longer courses, they also offer workshops that might fit better in your schedule.
Website: https://www.craftfilmschool.com/
Address: B-11, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi – 110016
Contact Number: +91 98 99 25 11 33/44/55
RK Films and Media Academy (RKFMA)
RKFMA offers several graduate, post-graduate and certificate courses in film and theatre, among many other fields, and boasts of a faculty of experts who can help you sharpen your acting skills. They also assist in placements by working with casting directors and agencies. Actors Vijay Aidasani and Divya Misra teach certain classes at this institute. The Academy offers weekend and evening classes for students or working professionals who might be otherwise occupied during the day.
Website: https://www.rkfma.com/
Address: 8A/8, W.E.A., Karol Bagh (Behind MTNL Telephone Exchange on Pusa Road), New Delhi – 110005
Contact Number: 011-45064241, +91 93122 31374, +91 93122 37583, +91 93100 47775, +91 99588 80223
Moving Frame Productions’ Acting School
Moving Frame Productions is a production house, film institute, and digital entertainment channel. Their acting school offers certificate diploma courses for three months, six months, and a year. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or someone with acting experience, if you want an education in acting, they offer many different courses to suit your needs. After their enrolment, each student gets to work in short films, music videos, and web-series, which help develop their portfolio for auditions in the future.
Website: http://www.movingframeproductions.com/acting/
Address: A-21, Street No.3, Guru. Nanak Pura, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-110092
Contact Number: 8851246238
Padarpan Films and Theatre Institute (PFTI)
Apart from acting, PFTI also focuses on the overall personality development of its students, which will help them stand out once they start auditioning. In the past, their students have found work with several leading channels, such as Sony and Colors. They also give their students a chance to work in their in-house productions. They offer several UG and PG courses, along with diploma and certificate courses.
Website: https://www.padarpangroup.com/
Address: 1011 Faiz Road, near Karol Bagh Metro Station, Jhandewalan, Delhi
Contact Number: +91 9870318450, 9811982332, 9811982372
Whether you want to take up acting professionally or want to learn the skill as a hobby, these institutes will help you achieve the best version of yourself.
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