MUMBAI: After opening chapters in Chandigarh and London, Anupam Kher’s acting school Actor Prepares, is all set to launch in Ahmedabad on 20 July. On the cards is a school in South Africa as well.

"This phase of vigorous expansion reflects the high level of interest in Indian cinema and the entertainment business among the younger generation the world over. I believe that acting, like any craft, can be taught, learnt and perfected," says Kher.

"My interactions with the current crop of international directors, be it Danny Boyle or Ang Lee or Gurinder Chaddha, keeps me abreast of global trends that are emerging in world cinema and I pass on such knowledge to my students," he adds.

The school’s alumni like Deepika Padukone etc have bagged roles in major Hindi and south Indian films. At Actor Prepares London, where the classes are held in conjunction with the Ealing Institute of Media, several students have successfully auditioned for roles with Mumbai directors and film production companies.

"Acting cannot be taught in isolation; it needs to be viewed as part of a larger exercise of personality development. Hence in our programmes everywhere, we also include yoga, dance, martial arts, voice and diction," says Kher.

"In the 3 months I have spent at Actor Prepares I feel I have learnt a lot. I have not only improved as an actor but also as an individual / human being. All I can say is that a lot of knowledge has been given to us about acting, which will show only with time and experience. It is not something that can happen overnight. But the finer details about me as a person and the changes in me are more visible. The classes at Actor Prepares have not only taught me the details of acting but groomed me overall and has made me a more confident person," says Padukone.