Top 10 Acting Schools of India 

Cinema and theatre are mediums that have captivated our minds for millennia, and with time, this art has only become more intense and more technical, with the pursuit of perfection. In order to demonstrate and portray the wide range of emotions, that completely immerse the audience, an actor must train diligently. Find out where some of the greatest and larger than life Bollywood personalities such as Naseeruddin Shah, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor and many more honed their acting skills before they transformed their dreams into reality.

1. Anupam Kher's Actor Prepares - Mumbai

Actor Prepares is India's finest acting school for talented individuals who wish to pursue careers as actors and writers in the entertainment industry. Established in 2005 by Anupam Kher, it is the only school for actors and writers in the world to be founded by an actor-director who is professionally active. The intensive professional-level courses provide specialised training in acting and screenwriting. The classes are conducted by competent in-house faculty members who passionately teach the craft through practical, theory classes, games, exercises and extensively filmed practicals. In addition, there is a roster of Bollywood celebrities, which comprises the schools visiting faculty, who share with students their invaluable on-the-job experiences and tips to success. Above all, each student receives individual guidance and counselling from the country’s most successful, trained teacher, Anupam Kher, throughout the programme.

2. Film and Television Institute of India - Pune

While it is commonly believed that the best acting schools are in Mumbai, it is in Pune that one of the most reputed and best acting schools in India are located. Opening its gates to students in the year 1960, the FTII acting school in Pune is also a part of International Liaison Centre of Schools of Cinema and Television (CILECT). Some of Bollywood’s most talented veteran and fresh new faces have received their education from the Film and Television Institute of India. FTII offers a string of comprehensive courses under many verticals from acting to screenplay writing and cinematography.

3. Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute - Kolkata

One of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century and showered with the respect and admiration, Satyajit Ray is the perfect source of inspiration for an acting school. The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute is one of the best acting schools in India, located in Kolkata, the city where the filmmaker grew up. It is one of the top acting schools in India since its establishment in 1995 and is also a part of International Liaison Centre of Schools of Cinema and Television (CILECT).

4. Barry John Acting Studio - Mumbai 

Not only is the Barry John Acting Studio one of the best acting schools in Mumbai and Delhi, but also one of the most sought after best acting schools in the country with envious list of alumni including Shah Rukh Khan, Manoj Bajpayee and Sushant Singh Rajput among others. 

5. National School of Drama - New Delhi 

Alongside the FTII, Pune, the National School of Drama is also one of the most enduring and best acting schools in India. Established in the year 1959, the National School of Drama functions under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. 

6. Asian Academy of Film and Television - Mumbai, Kolkata, Noida and New Delhi

Regularly featured in the list of top acting schools in India, the Asian Academy of Film and Television has four different institutions across four major Indian cities. With Anil Kapoor and Boney Kapoor as Directors at this institute and alumni with names such as Luv Ranjan of Pyaar Ka Punchnama fame, Arjun Kapoor and others, the Asian Academy of Film and Television is truly one of the best acting schools in India.

7. Whistling Woods International - Mumbai 

Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods International has consistently been ranked among the best acting schools in Mumbai since its inception with a stream of Bollywood’s most experienced and talented actors regularly appearing to share their knowledge with the students. 

8. Ramesh Sippy Academy of Cinema and Entertainment - Mumbai

The man behind Sholay, one of India’s most iconic cinematic experiences, Ramesh Sippy nourishes and polishes the talents of aspiring actors at the Ramesh Sippy Academy of Cinema and Entertainment, one of the premier and best acting schools in Mumbai. 

9. Zee Institute of Media and Arts - Mumbai

A division of Zee Networks, the Zee Institute of Media and Arts, Mumbai offers state of the art facilities and excellent technical and creative assistance to develop your acting talents and other technical aspects of filmmaking. Companies such as UTV, Prime Focus, Pixion, Sony, Zee Tv, Shemaroo, Star Plus, Times Now, Ramoji Film City, Vishesh Films, Balaji, Yash Raj Films, and MTV are known to visit ZIMA for recruitment purposes. 

10. Centre for Research in Arts, Film and Television - Delhi

This Institute was established in Delhi in the year 2006, and is a non-profit organization committed towards ‘strengthening education, training, creativity, research, documentation, dissemination, criticism, distribution, and collaborations across disciplines in the field of film and television’ per their website. The CRAFT institute is consistently ranked among the best acting schools in India.