‘Some actors with 30 years of experience don’t learn lines’

I was offered a few shows, but I didn’t find them interesting enough. The ones which I liked were infinite series that stretch to 100 episodes or more, and Juhi Chakraborty

He’s not just an actor, but also an acting coach. And that’s why Neeraj Kabi rues that actors today are no longer working on their craft and rather focusing on superficial things.

“Young actors have the perception that hard work just means going to the gym. They spend three-four hours a day there. What a colossal waste of time! After gym, they go to salons and spas; all they think about is looking good,” shares the actor, who has starred in films such Ship of Theseus (2012), Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015), and the web series, Sacred Games.

He adds, “We need people in the industry who are [actually] working. All actors do today is go to shoot and come back. That’s not acting. You have to practice, do riyaaz.”

Neeraj further mentions that actors need to go on set and have a methodology of work. “People just come and say ‘haan bhai line batao, kya emotion dena hai, kahan khada hona hain’. It’s shameful to see them do that. I am talking about actors who have been here for 30 years. I’m amazed and wonder, ‘you are my senior, how can I follow you?’ Who will the new generation follow?” muses the actor, adding, “These senior actors have people to prompt them dialogues... Extremely demeaning for an actor.”

Hence, Neeraj feels that it’s important for him to ensure that the young generation does not follow in theses footsteps. “I feel very responsible on set. There are youngsters there and I’m very serious about acting and am a complete professional,” he says.