Myths Debunked #1

MYTHS DEBUNKED with Shetal Shah


So what does fashion and beauty have to do with acting? Those of us in the South Asian celebrity circle walk down red carpets with camera bulbs flashing and TV reporters asking for interviews. We’re invited as special guests to host events, to be spokespeople for various products, to write blogs for cool magazine websites. (tee hee!) We see our names and faces in various South Asian magazines and newspapers and on DVD covers in video stores. And, all the while, we’re dressed to the nines in gorgeous designer clothing, shoes and jewelry. So the glam is the actor; the actor is the glam, right? The myth stays intact. Well, it’s time for a little myth debunking…

Yes, the red carpets and special invites do happen, but there’s a whole other world to the actor’s life that has absolutely nothing to do with beautiful salwaar-kameezes and perfectly coiffed hair. It’s more like leggings, a tank top, and a loosely tied ponytail with confused strands peeking out over ears and forehead!

Common Myth #1: Acting is easy! You just get up there and pretend!

Truth is acting is a lot of work – hard work! And training. It’s a 24-hour commitment that involves auditions, rejections, more auditions, and more rejections! Because our bodies and voices are our instruments, constant preparation, learning, and fine-tuning must occur every day. The job never stops. And for all that hard work, there’s no guaranteed payback. So why do it? It’s a known fact that actors are crazy! We’re just plain crazy! We have this drive to act, despite every hurdle that would stop normal people from continuing on, that we can’t explain in rational terms. The acting bug has bitten us and there’s no going back. So we strive to be good. And to be good is to be simple. To be simple takes a lifetime to achieve.

You know you’re an actor when…you’ve been rejected 20 times and it’s only Wednesday … you’ve sacrificed stability for Shakespeare and money for Mamet.

Next blog: more Myths Debunked …