10 Tips Of How To Become An Actress In Bollywood (With Or Without Professional Training)

Hanima Anand |Jan 06, 2021

The key to success is finally unveiled, whether you are studying at an acting school or not. See most recommended tips of how to become a Bollywood actress here!

Bollywood is a lucrative industry that can get one rich overnight, really. However, it’s the attractive salary and fame that makes the entrance to this career path more competitive than ever. Despite being trained professionally in privileged acting schools, many people couldn’t make it big. Meanwhile, some others successfully became household names without a Godfather. See how to become an actress in Bollywood with 10 tips below!

Is it easy to become a Bollywood actress?

Yes or No, depending on what you have. Understanding the pre-requisite qualities of a Bollywood actress will help you to sketch out a sensible plan to realize this fancy dream.

To become a Bollywood actress often requires a good-looking appearance, tactful communication skills, flexible body language, lots of emotional intelligence, and tremendous hard work. And that’s not enough. A large network of connections and luck also matter when it comes to the entertainment career path.

Some people consider height another significant factor to enter Bollywood but that's not always the case. There are many 5 feet height Bollywood actresses who have gained remarkable achievements in the industry. Having said that, having an impressive height can help if you opt for modeling inititally.

How to become an actress in Bollywood

No more time to waste, here’re some tips of how to become actress in Bollywood via both ways, with and without professional training at acting schools.

First, if you are a teenager, you have plenty of time to train your acting skills. That’s why the most popular way of how to become a Bollywood actress at 16, for example, is to attend an acting academy. Otherwise, you can refer to various tips below.

1 – Study at an acting school or online acting class

There are many acting schools or studios in India, which you can enroll in after finishing your secondary or high school. Here are top 10 best acting schools in the country right now.

Film And Television Institute Of India – Pune
Barry John Acting Studio – Mumbai
National School Of Drama – New Delhi
Institute Of Creative Excellence – Mumbai
Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares – Mumbai
Asian Academy Of Film & Television – Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata & Noida
Whistling Woods International – Mumbai
R K Films & Media Academy – New Delhi
Zee Institute Of Media Arts – Mumbai
Delhi Film Institute – New Delhi
Ramesh Sippy Academy Of Cinema And Entertainment – Mumbai

Acting Class In India — If you're not attending any acting class, try other ways to launch your career in our 10 tips.

Other than these acting schools, you can join some online master classes by famous Hollywood actors. These online courses are more flexible in time than acting schools while you can access talented trainers all over the world, not just in India.

However, if you don’t have basic knowledge of acting, you may find it hard to catch up with these online lessons. You are not granted a degree like in acting schools but get a certificate instead.

2 – Learn Hindi & English

How can you become a Bollywood actress without knowing Hindi language? This should be very first step when you decide to get into this film industry.

Though Bollywood has welcomed several foreign actresses, they still manage to speak Hindi at a basic level along with fluent English to get more offers.

If you know Hindi, you can learn how to master your intonation or Hindi accent by hiring a voice coach. The same rule applies for English, the international language that every celebrity should know. Do this as soon as possible as you will need it in the next step of how to become an actress in Bollywood.

3 – Customize your portfolio & send it

Working in the entertainment industry needs a fancy portfolio that can showcase all your strengths and potentials of becoming a Bollywood actress. You will send these portfolios to Bollywood acting agencies, Bollywood movie casting agencies, or Bollywood production houses to apply for available jobs.

Some Bollywood casting agencies where you can send your portfolio are:

Shanoo Sharma at Yashraj casting office
Sameer Banerjee talent & casting agency
Vicky Sidana casting director

Get a professional photographer to take photos for your portfolio. Make sure you can convey your message through those pics. For example, if you incline towards comic roles, try to flaunt your charisma throughout your facial expressions and posture as well.

Deepika Padukone Portfolio Pictures — Deepika Padukone's portfolio photos highlight her strength as a model.

Highlight your capabilities in your portfolio to convince directors you make a good match to their movie. If you have acted in TV commercials or any project before, feel free to list them out with short descriptions of what role you performed then.

Always customize your portfolio every time you send it to a director as requirements for each film is different. You may also send an audition tape so they could listen to your voice as well.

If you’re lucky enough, your Bollywood career could start at this stage once you are picked for major roles. Some directors prefer fresh faces for their films, so who know!

4 – Beautify your social media account

With the growing influence of social networking sites, having an attractive social presence is a great advantage when it comes to casting these days. As you can see, many Tiktok stars in India have launched their first steps in the music industry or television series though they don’t graduate from professional training academies.

Also, having a large number of followers on social media could draw attention from both filmmakers and the audience. Don’t forget to add a prefix Actor or Actress to your profile name so people can easily know your orientation.

Nora Fatehi On Instagram — Nora Fatehi has attracted millions of followers on her Instagram thanks to attractive posts.

To build an influential social account, you can hire online branding consultant or professional photographer at least. You need flawless photoshoots to post on your social handle to attract more followers.

If you have limited budget, afford yourself a quality mobile phone and learn how to take selfies creatively. Refer to these Bollywood actresses hot Instagram for reference.

5 – Establish connections with Bollywood insiders

As we mentioned before, you need connections to get more opportunities in the entertainment industry. They are not necessarily the so-called Godfathers but they could be journalists, reporters, director assistants or anyone who is working in Bollywood.

These people will help you to have latest news inside the industry that an outsider hardly knows. It can be information of a party where you could meet influential directors. It could be an audition for some special projects.

Kriti Sanon And Her Bollywood Crew — You will need a team or lots of contacts to thrive in the industry.

Having said that, don’t fall prey to scammers who pretend to be Bollywood people. Spend some time to understand their backgrounds and confirm the information.

It’s best if you can contact someone recognizable on reliable newspapers. Then other connections will be more trust-worthy.

>>> Beware of Bollywood casting couch! 10 Bollywood Actress Who Slept With Directors For Roles

6 – Find auditions for acting in Bollywood movies

This is a must for all Bollywood newbies, whether you go through professional training or not. Attending auditions is also the fastest way to meet directors and get a chance to showcase your talent.

Here are some forums and groups to find auditions for acting in Bollywood movies:

An Audition Casting For Bollywood Movie — Make use of every chance to showcase your talent by joining auditions!

7 – Join a Modelling agency

Another way to become a Bollywood actress without professional acting training is by converting from other related careers. A lot of celebrities succeeded in modeling before becoming an actress, such as Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, or Disha Patani.

This means you have to train your body first. Hit the gym and keep fit, plus a pair of long legs will definitely help.

Applying for a modeling agency can be considered easier than casting for a role in Bollywood movies.

8 – Compete in TV shows or talent contests

One of the fastest ways to get people to know your name is to attend a popular show in the country. As long as you have the talent to perform, you can join dancing competitions or game shows on TV.

Malaika Arora In Best Indian Dancers — Malaika Arora is better known for her dancing than acting, but still a Bollywood icon.

If you are already an influential social media person, you might consider asking for a slot in reality shows as Bigg Boss. Many new faces have risen to stardom after joining it.

9 – Apply for director assistant

Should you be trained in school but haven’t found a role to boost your popularity, we highly recommend you work as a director assistant.

Initially, you will take charge of behind the scene stuff as well as assist the casting process, but gradually you can establish good connections in the industry. Only by staying inside can you understand what you should do to make yourself recognized.

Bhumi Pednekar is a case in point. She first worked as a director assistant before having her major role in the industry. With hard work, Bhumi is now a rising star in Bollywood.

Bollywood Actress Bhumi Pednekar — Bhumi Pednekar spent several years working as a director assistant before having her first comic role.

10 – Win a beauty pageant

That sounds crazy but it’s the shortcut for all of those steps above. Once you win Miss India, or Miss Universe, lots of movie offers will come to you without asking for your degree or portfolio.

To name but a few, such Indian beauty queens as Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, and Sushmita Sen all started their acting careers from the moment they were crowned. Manushi Chillar, the recent beauty queen, is also among Bollywood debutantes in 2021.

Above are some tips on how to become an actress in Bollywood. You don’t need to follow the order exactly or do all the things mentioned. Think of your strengths and pick those suitable for yourself.

How much do Bollywood actresses earn?

There’s no exact answer to this because each actress has their own rate of remuneration. The gap between salaries of fresh faces and income of an A-list actress is also huge. That’s not to mention a range of payments they can earn outside acting, namely endorsements or investment under their brand.

For example, lowest paid actresses in Bollywood might only get Rs 1 crore for the entire movie but richest Bollywood actress could earn up to Rs 12 crore per film.