The Bollywood film industry is currently one of the largest in the world. Some individuals in Bollywood became actors due to family connections, while others pursued theatre. Actors with a theatre background are renowned for their talent and ability to deliver convincing performances. Boman Irani, Kalki Koechlin, Nimrat Kaur, Manoj Bajpayee, and Richa Chadda are five Bollywood actors who began their acting careers in theatre.
Boman Irani: Boman Irani developed a passion for acting during school and college. He received training from acting coach Hansraj Siddhia from 1981 to 1983. His first theatrical performance was a small role in Roshni at the Regional Theatre in Versova. Boman Irani’s most successful play, I am not Bajirao, ran for an impressive ten years.
Kalki Koechlin: Kalki Koechlin attended theatre workshops in Pondicherry as a child. Later, she pursued drama studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, working with a local theatre company. Kalki gained valuable experience by working for two years with the theatre company ‘Theatre of Relativity,’ and then continued working in Indian theatre for several years.
Nimrat Kaur: Nimrat Kaur is hailed for her natural acting. She began working as a theatre actress appearing in plays such as Baghdad Wedding, All About Women, and Red Sparrow, working with directors like Sunil Shanbag and Manav Kaul.
Manoj Bajpayee: Manoj Bajpayee has had a passion for acting since childhood. He was determined to pursue his dream when he moved to Delhi for college. Although he faced rejection from NSD, Bajpai persisted and began his acting journey in theatre with the guidance of Barry John. He, along with NK Sharma, established the Act One theatre group.
Richa Chadda: Richa Chadda is a well-known actress in Bollywood who has also made a name for herself on stage. She started with supporting roles in plays about 5-6 years ago, but her big breakthrough came with her appearance in Trivial Disasters alongside Kalki Koechlin and Cyrus Sahukar.
Theatre gave Bollywood some of the most talented actors for sure.