Hi Ratan

Thought of writing this for a long time now but nothing happens before time.

Doing an acting course was never on the cards. But as truly said that life is a chain reaction, one thing leads to other. Long back an incident happened when I froze on stage; I can still recall the feeling… actually there was no feeling, I just went blank and a few minutes of my life went missing forever. Well the effect of those few minutes has lingered on with me for quite a while. Life got busy, leaving me with fewer opportunities to go back on stage. To be true to myself, even I dint make an effort to make it possible as somewhere a fear had shook the foundation of my confidence to perform on stage. So one day I decided to break that bubble in my head, thinking 1) What would happen? – the worst that can happen is that I end up failing and looking like a fool. 2) Why? – Because I missed that feeling when the audience appreciated you after a performance. I missed the feeling of euphoria and content at the same time.

Wait!!! That was not the day when I decided to join this class. I have always loved dancing, so I kept searching for different dance classes but then one day I decided to do something that was out of my comfort zone. Wait!!! That day was also not the day when I decided to join this class. After one year of procrastination and doubts, on New Year 2016 (2nd Jan), sitting with a bunch of close friends, I said let’s do something we have always feared doing, let’s not speak it out loud but just do it this year. Pumped up by what I said last night, I tried to contact MISFIT through a mail (probably I feared calling). Along with my details, it asked me a question “What is the color of the grass?”, thinking if it is a captcha or a psychological question, I answered “green or brown, depends on the season”. Well, I never received a response mail, making me wonder, Did I actually answer that wrong? Were they testing my thought process?… Now that I think of it, I laugh.

Then I procrastinated again and finally on 30th Jan, I said enough I won’t let 2016 pass like 2015 did, I need to do something, I need to start from somewhere. I called MISFIT and I was informed that the interviews are on 31st Jan or 7th Feb, I took not much time to get the interview scheduled on the very next day as I had full confidence in me that if I delay I might change my mind again .

After my interview I eagerly waited for the sessions to start but on 20th Feb when I was heading towards the studio, I said to myself.. reallyyyyy out of all the things to do in this world you chose acting when you don’t even know the A of it (except for giving expressions and lip syncing songs) . A thought of backing out was making rounds in my head but m glad I didn’t pay heed to it because what was to come was a life changing experience. Best thing I learnt was that it was ok to be foolish, something I kept fearing from a long time. Then came the chewing gum acting activity. I sneakingly scanned the room thinking, Is everybody doing that???? And yes everybody was so involved in what they were doing that I felt more comfortable. And then one after the other, ever activity made me push acting from ‘Not my comfort Zone line’ to the opposite end.

One of my favorite class was when we had to recall a memory and cry. I kept recalling an incident that hurt me the most. I tried and tried and tried but nothing happened .. not a single tear. It made me realize that maybe I was over that incident and it doesn’t hurt any more. It’s in the past. I believe this realization wouldn’t have come naturally to me. Though I did cry in the class but that was for a different reason. Other interesting session was the discussion where people shared their experiences. I believe that what is said from the heart and connects to hearts is what would stay with you for a life time.

All in all, apart from learning the technicalities of acting, this course has given me an opportunity to meet many interesting individuals, who all had different expectations from this course. Knowing this was an experience in itself. Now that this course has come to an end, I will not be wrong in saying that I am taking along a lot of knowledge, memories and experiences. May be in the years to come, my notes will be stacked in a rusted rack and I might forget the technicalities but I will never forget the things I have experienced here and that, though for a short while, studio and Rendezvous sessions felt like a second home on weekends.

I better be shut now…. I know you asked for a feedback (Definition : information about reactions to a product, used as a basis for improvement.) I guess feedback can be given by someone who already knows something about that field. I was a newbie, who came with no preconceived notions in my head about this course and as I knew nothing, I cannot have the audacity to give you a feedback or pointers for improvement. Max I can do is share is my experience.

Few things are better expressed in writing than said face to face. J

Best

Sanjita