Shaleen goes back to school
Over 10 years in the industry, actor Shaleen Bhanot has featured in TV shows such as Suryaputra Karn and Sher-e-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Now, the actor has decided to enrol in a three-month course at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York, USA, to “learn and unlearn” acting.
Explaining his decision, Shaleen says, “This is an exciting phase in my life and I am very thrilled to be doing this. You get work according to your abilities and skills, and I have been keen to learn new things with every TV show. In Maharaja Ranjit Singh, I learnt Punjabi, and in Suryaputra Karn, I learnt chaste Hindi and had to gain weight for the role. With every role, I love trying out a new facet or new skills. After doing these shows, I wanted to hone my craft and learn and unlearn acting. I have done many shows in my career, but I still feel like I am a newcomer, and doing a course in the West will add new flavour to my craft. I have never had the time to hone my skills, as I have been working non-stop all these years. This time, I wanted to gain knowledge.”
Shaleen flies off to the US this week, and once there, he plans to touch base with agents in Hollywood and try his luck there. “It is exciting to even think that I will be studying in a city that is the biggest market for show business in the world. My motive is knowledge, but if I get a good opportunity to work there, I will surely accept. I will get in touch with people and see what works out,” he says.