Acting – a word closely associated with glitz, glamour and fame. An actor is a person who is not bound by borders of any single medium and can express his views or perform through any medium. Actors perform on stage, radio, television, motion pictures, videos, etc.They feature in advertisements, computer games, narrate the background for some films, lend their voice for animated films, make cameo appearances, teach at acting and drama schools. An acting career entails two aspects which are to be given equal importance if one wants to taste success in his career. The knowledge about photos, resumes, networking come in handy to promote oneself as an actor and the emotional approach one takes in his career are the two aspects one has to keep in mind. If you have the panache and the confidence and above all a zest for acting, then this may be the ideal career option for you.

One needs to complete higher secondary school or equivalent to get entry to an acting school. There are various acting schools that conduct right from a week long crash courses to a full-fledged academic course spanning over 3-4 years leading to a graduate degree in acting. The acting or the drama schools offer degree or diploma courses for the aspiring actors which can even extend to postgraduate courses. The schools not only impart classroom teaching but practical knowledge also. The schools which provide training tone your acting skills and tap your latent talent by emphasizing on emotional flexibility, improved perspective, extraction of subtexts from dramas, improvisations to make you stage and camera free and the various other subtle nuances of stage and film acting.  These schools perform two main objectives - Introduce the students to the world of acting, and offer a good launching platform . Choreography forms an integral part of movies so taking some dance coaching from any Institute of Performing Arts may help in the long run. Even certain actors take special training in martial arts which might come of help. Also modelling is considered as a popular mode of entry into this field. Besides educational training and a good resume one needs to have a good network in this field

Very few people can take acting as a profession as success depends on the contacts, public relation in the film fraternity and above all on luck. Ample opportunities are available for actors to perform in mega serials, telefilms, countdown shows, reality shows and game shows. Nowadays actors also taking on the role of anchors and organizing chat shows and issue based programs on television. However, the tinsel town of Bollywood is the ultimate dream destination for a budding actor in India which can propel him to the zenith of fame, glory, glamour and stardom. Candidates can also join renowned repertory companies. If you can prove yourself as a versatile actor and you are fluent in English then try your luck in "Crossover films" or in Hollywood.