Natyasashtra Workshop – Basics of Acting in Mumbai (12-18 April 2026)

Workshop on Natyasashtra Workshop – Basics of Acting from 12th to 18th April 2026 in Mumbai.

 

Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, under its Centre for Open Learning (CFOL) initiative announces “Natyashastra Workshop – Basics of Acting” from 12th to 18th April 2026 in Mumbai.

Following are the details in this regard;

(1) Workshop Name: Natyashastra Workshop – Basics of Acting

(2) Dates:  12th to 18th April 2026

(3) Timings: 10.30 am to 4.30 pm

(4) Total No. of seats: 25 (Course may not be conducted if there are less than 15 participants)

(5) Age: Participants must be 18 years or above in age as on 01st April 2026

(6) Educational Qualification: HSC (12th pass). In exceptional cases, 10th pass may be considered

(7) Nationality: Indian

(8) Venue: Hall No.40, Link Plaza, Commercial Complex, Oshiwara, Andheri West, Mumbai

(9)  Course fee: Rs 12,500/- per participant

 

Course fee is excluding breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea/ coffee, snacks etc.

Course fee of selected participants will be non-refundable, non-transferrable, non-adjustable, etc. under any circumstances. Course fee of all the non – selected participants will be refunded within 21 working days of the course commencement. Also, due to any other reason, if the course is cancelled by FTII, course fee will be refunded.

However, due to any reason, if the course is postponed OR cancelled by the organisers, course fee will be refunded.

(10) Last date to apply: By 6 pm, 02nd March 2026.  

(11) Course Director: Akshay Kowe

(12) Medium of Instructions: English and Hindi.

(13) Selection Criteria: First – Come – First – Served basis. Selected candidates would be communicated by email. List of the selected participants will be published on FTII website.

(14) Certificates: All participants would be given participation certificate on successful completion of the course which will carry FTII logos and will be jointly signed by FTII Director and the Course Director. Minimum 90% attendance is mandatory to get certificate.

(15) Queries: For any queries contact

  1. Mr. Milind Joshi, Asst. Outreach Officer – 020 - 25580085, info(dot)cfol(at)ftii(dot)ac(dot)in
     
  2. M/s Future Story Cinelabs, Mumbai = Ms Hemangi (9853870107 & hemangifscl@gmail.com)

 

(16) Communication with participants: All communications with the participants will be carried out through email only. List of shortlisted participants will be published on FTII website and selection email will be sent to the selected participants on their registered email.

(17) Accommodation: Outstation participants may please note M/s Future Story Cinelabs, Mumbai, will facilitate for accommodation in Mumbai. Please contact Ms Hemangi (9853870107 & hemangifscl@gmail.com) for the same.

 

(18) Participants need to assure general decency, decorum etc. on the course campus. Failing to do so will lead to cancellation of admission without refunding course fee apart from taking internal disciplinary action and dealing the matter as per law of the land. All rights in this regard are reserved with FTII.

 

(19) How to apply:

 

1. Click on the following link:

 

https://onlinesbi.sbi.bank.in/sbicollect/icollecthome.htm?corpID=807844&categoryName=A060 Natyasashtra W/s Basics of Acting in Mumbai

 

2. Fill-up the application form with requisite details and proceed for payment.

3. Make necessary payment of Rs 12,500/-.

4. Once payment is done, please note "SBI collect Reference Number" (mentioned in payment confirmation receipt). This may be required for future reference. 

5. If possible, digitally store the receipt of payment. This can be carried out in one of the following ways;

(i) by taking printout of receipt of payment, scan & save it

(ii) by taking screenshot of payment (if using mobile) or print screen (if using computer)

(iii) by simply taking a photograph from mobile

(iv) check your bank account to confirm whether money (course fee) has been deducted or not

(v) After a day or two, once again check to see whether money (course fee) has been refunded.

(vi) In case of refund, it is a transaction failure and if so, once again apply for the course afresh.

6. No document/ certificate related to educational qualification, age etc. is to be attached. Participants’ self – declaration in the application form is sufficient.

7. Terms & conditions: By agreeing to the terms & conditions in the application form, participants are confirming that they have read & understood the website advt. They are eligible to apply and fulfill all the requirements as stated in the advt. Also, it is presumed that participants will be staying and or attending the course at their own risk & cost and will not be held responsible for anything or matter of what-so-ever nature. Further, participants agree that decision of Director, FTII regarding admission to the course and its conduction in all respect will be final.

 

(20) About Course Director: Akshay Kowe

 

Akshay Kowe is an actor, performer, and acting educator trained at the Film and Television Institute of India, where he completed his Master’s in Acting as a Sonakshi Sinha Scholarship holder. With academic backgrounds in Mechanical Engineering and Political Science and SET qualification as Assistant Professor, his teaching connects artistic practice with conceptual clarity. Over the past five years, he has trained actors in Mumbai and Pune, focusing on inner process–based performance rather than imitation. His professional work includes collaborations with Yash Raj Films, acting as second lead in the feature film Baraat, the experimental music video MOZOON, and a feature on the Vogue Italia website. Working actively in Mumbai, he brings practical understanding of auditions, on-set processes, and industry expectations into training. His pedagogy blends classical Indian aesthetics with contemporary screen acting and performative practices including modelling. He also explores evolving visual storytelling through vertical films and reel formats, encouraging actors to create meaningful artistic work rather than algorithm-driven content. His approach remains personal, process-oriented, and rooted in helping actors develop awareness, craft, and most importantly, "Individuality".

 

(21) Course Overview

 

NAVA-RASA: An Actor’s Inner Journey is an intensive professional acting course that re-examines the Nāṭyaśāstra not as an external theatrical form but as a deeply internal process of experiencing emotion. The course shifts the actor’s focus from performing expressions to living emotional truth. Through imagination, sense memory, improvisation, meditation, and text work, participants explore how Bhāva transforms into Rasa within the actor’s inner instrument (Antaḥkaraṇa). Each Rasa is approached as a psychological and experiential state rather than a display tool. The training bridges classical Indian aesthetics with the demands of modern screen acting, where subtlety, presence, and authenticity are essential. Practical exercises help actors understand how emotions arise, sustain, and dissolve naturally. Cinema scenes, mythology, and personal narratives become tools for embodied learning.

 

The course emphasises understanding and clarity of Emotions, instinctive responsiveness, and conscious control over performance. Actors learn to access vulnerability without emotional exhaustion. By the end, Rasa becomes not merely theory but a lifelong acting methodology, applicable to camera performance and everyday perception.