Vipin Sharma
Vipin Sharma is an Indian actor born in New Delhi. He is a graduate of National School of Drama, New Delhi, India and the Canadian Film Centre, Toronto, Canada.As a kid growing up in Delhi Vipin always wanted to be in the movies. He used to hear stories of kids running away from homes and landing up in Bombay but he never thought of doing it as he knew it would hurt his parents badly. He grew up in Delhi watching the movies on television every Sunday. The trouble was there was no electricity in his own house so he had to rely on his neighbors and it was their choice to let him in or not. One Sunday he found out that there was a very unique Hindi film Achanak was to be shown which had no songs at all. It was unheard of in those to have a film without a song whereas a separate show called Chitrahar was dedicated entirely to songs on Doordarshan. He wasn't allowed in any of the houses. Angry he broke someones front gate in Lajpat Nagar where he grew up and ran away. It was this and many other humiliating experiences that he decided that one day the same people who don't allow him to watch television in their homes will be watching him on it one day.Acting was always on Vipin's mind, and like thousands his inspiration was also Amitabh Bachchan. "Even as a kid I would go for movies without telling my father, and later he used to beat me up. But I was really passionate about it." He went to Delhi University but his love for acting didn't help much there also as he was rusticated due to the shortage of attendance as he was busy doing a play. He was also disillusioned with the entire education system which kept teaching the same thing over and over again. He quit college and was fortunate to be selected to study at one of the most amazing acting schools in the country, the National School of Drama. NSD influenced him greatly. It surely put him on the right path. That is where he came in touch with some of the most important filmmakers and actors of our times like Shyam Benegal, Ketan Mehta, Prakash Jha, Naseerudding Shah, Om Puri, B.V. Karanth, Barry John to name a few. This is also where he flourished as an actor and soon after he graduated he was hired by the Madhya Pradesh Rangmandal (a theatre repertory company) where he performed all around the country for a year or so. Again disillusioned by a structured work place he decided to leave and travel around in the country and abroad. That is when he went to Berlin and studied Experimental Cinema there for about a year or so. Upon his return he started his career by assisting Ketan Mehta in one of the most memorable film of NFDC, Mirch Masala. He was with him again on another path breaking film of Bollywood Hero Hiralal. Acting continued in between and he acted in Shayam Benegal's Discovery of India and Yatra. His portrayal of Rama Krishna Paramhamsa got him rave reviews and Mr Benegal cast him in Carmen along with OM Puri and Nina Gupta. The film never got made and disillusioned with acting and Bollywood of late 80’s he now wanted to do something different. In Toronto he tried different hats and finally became an editor after having attended another very popular Norman Jewison film school, Canadian Film Centre. But during all that time acting stayed in his mind and he always thought may be one day he will go back to it. And he IS back now. All this happened because of a chance meeting with one of the most amazing acting teachers he had come across, Jacqueline McClintock from Montreal who teaches Meisner. It changed his life. Vipin studied with her for a bit and decided to pack his bags and head to Bollywood.His first major role was as Nandakishore Avasti in Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars on Earth). For his role in the film, he was nominated for a 2009 Star Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor.Taare was a windfall. He had no idea that it was going to happen when he first arrived in India. He remembers his first day on the shoot. There were these huge lights and he was standing with Aamir and Amole who was then directing the film. It felt surreal.In 'Taare Zameen Par', he played a dyslexic child's father, but he was not the first choice for the character. Written by Amole Gupte and directed by Aamir Khan, the movie was not a typical entertainer, but it turned out to be one of the biggest hits of 2007 as it carried an important message and was like an eye-opener for many. Recalling the audition, he said: "I was not called to play the part, I was actually asked to audition for the Hindi teacher, but I requested Amole to let me audition for that part too. He gave me some lines and asked me to come prepared the next day." "The next day Amole was not there, but I still auditioned for the role. It was my luck that Aamir saw the audition clip and asked Amole to let me play that part." "I guess I will always be remembered for my role in 'Taare Zameen Par' and honestly, because of the film I did not have to struggle a lot," he added.By the time I did Jannat it was still a bit strange. I had refused it but I am glad I did it. I remember soon after Jannat released I was driving in Bombay and stopped at a cross light. A group of street kids who sell umbrellas, books and many other things on these junctions came running towards me. I first thought they wanted to sell me their merchandise but soon they told me that they had loved my Hamam soap dialog in it. I was quite amazed by how much Bollywood movies have actually become part of the life in India. I mean these kids are not educated and are poor but they see every film.In the movie John Day, Vipin Sharma and Makrand Despande were described as being very engaging in their supporting roles."I don't want to do mindless cinema. I want to do something that has a message. My character should convey a message to the society," Vipin, last seen in "John Day" as a police officer, told IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai. "Having said that, I understand that all the movies cannot have a message, but then again, I don't want to do something that doesn't make any sense," he added.“Acting in such films is like driving through the Mumbai traffic where many people are unnecessarily honking,” quips Sharma as we talk about the standards of acting in mainstream cinema. “See, acting is one profession where you don’t have to do what your designation suggests. An engineer is supposed to do engineering, but an actor should not act. He has to constantly struggle to minimize the acting part. Unfortunately, many don’t understand this in our industry. Perhaps that’s why many still call a supporting actor a character artist. It is an archaic term which has lost its meaning.”"I look for something interesting, something unique. The character should create some arc. It has to be very realistic. I just see what kind of human being my character is, and if I like it, I accept it," he said.An alumnus of the National School of Drama, Vipin Sharma feels that formal training in the craft is vital for every actor."If you have a dental problem, will you go to an untrained dentist? No, then why go for an untrained actor. Training is hugely important for an actor's career. There is something very intriguing about a trained actor," Vipin told. He added: "One can easily distinguish between a trained and an untrained actor. Training gives a depth to their performance, so I feel that every actor should undergo a formal training.""I am mostly working with Indie filmmakers in Bollywood now and that is where I am finding my like-mindedness. I don’t hate mainstream cinema but it very rarely offers films that are greatly entertaining and enlightening at the same time. Just aiming to entertain through an art form is shallow and doesn’t contribute much to any society. In a country like India where there are so many issues that need to be looked into there is a great need of cinema which reflects that. I am attempting to be part of this New Age Cinema that is fast emerging here. I am also slowly going back to performing on stage and soon will be directing my first film as well. - See more at: http://www.indianentertainment.info/2012/01/27/vipin-sharma-exploring-a-new-horizon-within.html#sthash.MCcdVaRu.dpuf