I can remember being as young as four, and being able to recite dialogue accurately from movies and television, , when I was still in school , after I had looked up the biography of Martin Freeman , I noticed he studied at Central School of Speech and Drama, I had then decided that I really wanted to go there, so in April I had joined their Saturday classes, when it came to doing our end of term show, titled the Invention convention , the boy who played one of the lead roles and to drop out due to a family holiday that was already booked in advance, I had asked if I could take over the part and I was given permission from the tutor.
The part required me to Emcee a fictional invention convention with the famous inventors competing. The audience loved it and the head of the classes was very impressed and it certainly encouraged me to continue further.
indieactivity: Did you study what you do?
Indra: I had taken Drama for GCSE, after that I had taken a Btec First Diploma in Performing Arts which I had been introduced to the Stanislavski technique the Magic if, I had then progressed onto the Btec National Diploma in Performing Arts, where I was introduced to the work of various directors and playwrights such as Steven Berkoff , and I also learnt other methods such as Avant Gaurde which used movement and lifts.
During my time at secondary school as well as college, I was doing saturday classes at central school of speech and drama, which gave me the chance to perform in a professional theatre and work with different directors. After I had finished college I had taken a theatre studies degree , although it wasn’t strictly an acting course, I had learned about various types of theatre from all over the world such as Butoh and on one module called Acting Process , I had had got reintroduced to acting methods and learnt some new ones such as Michael Checkov’s characterisation. In 2016 I had done a foundation course in Drama at citylit where I learnt new acting methods such as an endowment exercise which I now use in my future acting.
indieactivity: What is your filmmaking process?
Indra: As an actor I would say that I use the techniques that I have been taught, One technique I use is sense memory, I find it helpful for when I have to convey emotions in a scene, another technique I use is the magic if, having been taught this in college, in Stanislavsky’s the magic if I ask myself what if I was in this situation ? and I try to imagine myself in it.
Another technique is Objectives, asking myself questions if I were my character, what do I want , why do I want it , how will I get it etc, I learnt this technique from Michale Toumey who was my director in my second and final year of my Btec National Diploma in performing arts on the Abi Morgan play Fugee, he enforced this technique and I still use it and find it valuable today as I believe it really gives me a more than a clear idea of how to play my character and convey what they want and hope for. I also use an endowment exercise, which involve for example, drinking a cold cup of tea but imaging and drinking it as though it’s really hot, I believe that exercise is extremely helpful to me as an actor and it really challenges you and causes you to use your imagination.
indieactivity: Tell us about the work you have produced?
Indra: I have acted mostly for stage and I also acted in short films .I was a member of Ovalhouse Drama company, in which we had performed four sold out shows, one of which, was part of the theatres I am your neighbour festival to celebrate the theatre to moving to Brixton, the show was featured in the going out section of the metro newspaper, as I mentioned earlier d I have also acted for shot film and I am hoping to do more filmed work.
I have found that the two mediums are interesting and very different as theatre is on the moment, if you forget a line or make a mistake, you have to keep going on not break character, you also need to project your voice for the audience. Acting for tv or film is different, if you make a mistake or forget a line, you can go again and do more than one take, you also don’t have to project your voice as much. I would say that acting is not something that can be done due to a narrow minded way of thinking, for example, just because you can talk all the time doesn’t mean you are an actor, and just because you are quiet and introverted, doesn’t mean you aren’t.
indieactivity: Do you take courses to improve you craft?
Indra: At present I currently take any courses, but I am looking at taking some as I still believe that I have more to learn and explore regarding my craft.
indieactivity: How do you combine acting and producing?
Indra: As well as Acting I also write, I was a member of Young Writers at Ovalhouse Theatre and I had my first two written scenes performed for the Ovalhouse I am your Neighbour Festival in July 2014 titled Neighbourhood watch, a play about the differing viewpoints and conversations spoken from the characters who knew about a young woman who went missing.
The night after that I had performed on stage at Theatre royal Stratford east young artists lab show in a play titled Yellow Balloon, a play that focused on the issue of being in a controlling relationship with an unexpected motive behind why the abuser was behind the abuse. I find that being an actor and writer can go together very well as with, acting , you can get quiet periods in which you are not working, so you can turn to writing to create your own work or to write for someone else, I feel that it enables you to still feel creative and work in the business.
indieactivity: How do you turn an idea nto a screenplay?
Indra: I would first of all make sure that it has a clear beginning, middle and end , I would also see if I can develop it further and if I can convincingly turn into an full length work and if can say everything in that I wanted to say.
indieactivity: Explain your writing process?
Indra: I first of all would start with a plot outline with a clear beginning middle and end , I would then also brainstorm some ideas and take notes of anything else that I want to include . I would also write up a character list and write details about who they are what they want and various other details.
indieactivity: What writing tip or ideas can you offer?
Indra: Write about what you know, because you can really explore on the situation and turn it into a great piece of work, in addition you can write about things you want to know more about, or you can write about situations that you have been in or experienced, as those situations can make for very interesting stories and you also never know how they can end up or how entertaining they will be.
indieactivity: What is it like working in the Hollywood system?
Indra: I currently don’t work in the Hollywood system
indieactivity: What do you want to change about the film business?
Indra: I would like to encourage more diversity , being a an actor of mixed heritage I would like to see more actors of mixed heritage as well as different ethnicities in leading roles making it easier for ethnic minorities to break through.
indieactivity: How do you want to be remembered?
Indra: I want to be remembered for what I do, but I also want to be remembered for following through with passions and always having clear goals and for sticking to what I believed in. In addition I would also liked to be remembered for being someone who was inspirational to people to follow their dreams and hopefully made them smile.
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