Bollywood star Manoj Bajpayee says it is important for budding actors to undergo proper training before joining the film industry as acting is a forgiving profession with no second chances.The actor said like any other profession, acting also required constant honing of the craft.

Emphasising on the importance of training, the National Award-winning actor said to survive in the industry one has to be “good” at what they are supposed to do.

The actor, who shot to fame with the release of “Satya” as Bhiku Mhatre in 1998, trained under Barry John’s acting studio besides doing theatre in Delhi, before joining the industry with 1994 film “Bandit Queen”.

After years of doing theatre and with a work experience of over two decades, Bajpayee said he had finally gained the awareness about the kind of approach he should have while portraying a character.

“I read scripts as many times as possible, I practice. It takes a lot of time to put flesh and blood into a character. When the character is given to you, it is on paper and to make it alive you have to pour all your skill and experience into it. Depending on the character and the genre, I decide the approach that should be taken,” Bajpayee said in the interview taken on the sidelines of a panel discussion held here by Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films.

“This is becoming a better and democratic industry. This is what one always wished for. We are going towards a better place. I am one of those guys, who was always trying to swim against the stream and at times the going was tough, but in the end, it is all coming together,” he said while talking about the evolution of OTT platforms in India.

The actor believes due to coronavirus-induced lockdown, the digital platform has also led to a change in taste and preference of the audience in terms of content viewing.