I think each of us have our own unique journeys. We all find these answers along the way. One thing that I learned though is not to take myself too seriously, enjoy life and really live.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I was born and raised in Panipat. My parents moved there from Punjab for work around the time I was born. I feel fortunate to have spent my childhood and formative years in a small city like Panipat for the sheer simplicity and depth of character of the place.
The journey goes back as far as when I was 5, I remember how my best friend and I would alternate between playing Krishna and Sudama in the colony skits but that was that.
Then in college, I joined my Drama Society - Natuve (Shaheed Bhagat Singh DU) and I just immersed myself in it (as often is the case with DU Theatre Circuit). This was my first tryst with the craft.
After graduation, I joined a couple of amateur theatre companies in Delhi and did a lot of comedy plays before I finally moved to Mumbai. Like most newcomers, I was chewed up and spit out but it didn’t stop me from making fringe theatre between countless auditions. After a couple of years in the city, I decided to reinvent myself and decided to train formally.
That's where I turned a corner and got into the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for their MA in Acting program. It was one of my biggest dreams realised at the time. That year and a half was the biggest learning curve of my life. It was a wholesome experience where I didn’t only get refine my craft but made friends for life as well.
As a part of the programme we also did a month-long residency at the Shakespeare’s Globe in London which cemented my belief in the decision. That summer I also got the opportunity to do a placement in the biggest Shakespeare company in Scotland -Bard in the Botanics. Just before graduating, I was fortunate enough to land a part in Dundee Rep’s Christmas Show - Oor Wullie which toured Scotland and we did about 100 shows all over the nation. I never imagined it to pan out so perfectly.
I came back to India that same year we closed the show. Since then I’ve been in India. Earlier this year, I secured the coveted Global Talent Exceptional Promise Visa which enables me to work in the UK for the next 5 years. I eventually want to work internationally and alternate between India and UK.
The past year has been tough for the artists but it's cruel to complain when so many people have succumbed to the virus. I’m currently filming for a web series and schedule to start one more towards the end of the year. I’m very excited to share the deets in a good time. I also plan to go back to Scotland later this year and hope to pick things up where I left them.
2. Did you ever think or dream of being an actor?
Not really and I’m glad that I was never so attached to the idea of “being an actor” otherwise I would’ve spent all my time justifying it. (Even though that's literally the only thing I’m trained to do.)
Even now I try to keep some distance from the craft so that I can enjoy it for what it is.
3. How can one approach their career and have the confidence and belief to become an actor?
I think each of us have our own unique journeys. We all find these answers along the way. One thing that I learned though is not to take myself too seriously, enjoy life and really live.
Like I said when we detach ourselves from the idea of being an actor, we experience things more authentically and not through the “actors lens”. No formal technique can beat the art that stems from an organic experience.
4. If not this, what would you be doing?
A Cicerone, which I still am (unofficially).
5. For a complete outsider with inroads, what advice would you like to give?
Trust your individual journey. What worked for others might not work for you and don't aspire to become a finished product. It's a process.
Find what sets you apart and own it and please don’t evaluate your success through social media.
6. What is your mantra of success?
In the words of Sidhu Moosewala- “ ajj chhad ohda kujh kal vi ni banda , mehnat ton bina jeedi nigah hundi phal te”
7. Which is your favourite book and why?
It's a bit of a cliche but The Stranger by Albert Camus. I read in my early 20s and it gave me a new philosophical perspective. It also opened the door for more existential introspection.
So the stranger was soon followed by the myth of Sisyphus, Zarathustra and nausea. It was mind effing at the time but it made me ask a lot of questions about myself and the human condition in general.
But then I balanced it all out by reading some Chacha Chaudhry.
Brief Bio:
Eklavey Kashyap is a performing artist, actor, theatre-maker based in Mumbai. He trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Notable theatre and film credits include- Oor Wullie (Dundee Rep), As you Like it (Bard in the Botanics), Three Chords and the Truth (San Francisco Theatre company), Tuesdays & Fridays (Bhansali Productions).
Interviewed by - Vanshika Jain
){kind=link}
Social