Soundarya Sharma feels practical knowledge gives far more edge in acting than theoretical knowledge

IANS June 14, 2025 399 views

Soundarya Sharma reveals why hands-on experience trumps classroom learning for actors. The rising star breaks down differences between theatre and film acting styles. She stays grounded despite 'Laal Pari' drawing comparisons to iconic item numbers. The NSD-trained actress believes emotional authenticity remains constant across all performance formats.

"Acting comes from doing, not learning. This is my opinion." - Soundarya Sharma
Soundarya Sharma feels practical knowledge gives far more edge in acting than theoretical knowledge
Mumbai, June 14: Actress Soundarya Sharma, who is getting a lot of positive response to her song ‘Laal Pari’ from ‘Housefull 5’, feels that the craft of acting can only be made better while performing, and no amount of theoretical knowledge can come close to the practical knowledge in acting.

Key Points

1

Soundarya compares theatre's exaggerated style to cinema's nuanced acting

2

Credits NSD and Lee Strasberg training but values on-set experience

3

Humble about 'Laal Pari' comparisons to Malaika-Katrina hits

4

Believes emotional core stays same across performance mediums

The actress recently spoke with IANS, and shared her experience working in two different media of theatre and cinema.

The actress has done a workshop at the National School of Drama, in the national capital. She has also studied at Lee Strasberg Theatre in Los Angeles and did an acting course at NYFA, Los Angeles.

The actress concurred that she is still quite new to both the media, and is learning the ropes on how things move in the industry.

Speaking with IANS, the actress said, “Theatre is a different form than camera or cinema. When you perform in the theatre, you have to reach the person in the last row. So, you have to be a little more exaggerated version of every emotion, how you perform and of the character. So, both are different media”.

She further mentioned, “Emotions are the same but the way of expressing them is different. ‘Housefull 5’ is a very different film altogether. It's not like it's very high on different forms of emotions and everything. I think the constant emotion is happiness, a fun element which is like day to day. But yeah, more to come as and when I do more work. Because you get better only by doing the work. Acting comes from doing, not learning. This is my opinion”.

Earlier, the actress had shared what the title of ‘Laal Pari’ means to her, as she said, “It feels great to be recognised at ‘Laal Pari’ when suddenly a voice comes from somewhere and says, ‘Oh look Laal Pari’ Soundarya’. It has that reckoning value, the relatability that people have seen. I feel blessed”.

When she was told that the popularity is almost similar to Malaika Arora’s ‘Munni Badnaam’, and Katrina Kaif’s ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’, the actress chose a humble path.

She earlier told IANS, “They are phenomenal performers. Both the people you mentioned. They are my seniors. So, that will be a big thing”.

“But I think it is just the beginning. I have just started. I hope I get to perform more. I get to work more. And I need a lot of love”, she added.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.
Completely agree with Soundarya! Our Bollywood legends like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan didn't go to fancy acting schools - they learned on the job. Practical experience is everything in this field. Wishing her all the success! 🙌
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Priya M.
While I appreciate her perspective, I think theoretical knowledge gives actors a strong foundation. Look at Naseeruddin Shah or Om Puri - their NSD training shows in their craft. Balance is important!
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Arjun S.
Her humility is refreshing! Comparing herself to Malaika and Katrina but staying grounded. That's rare in Bollywood these days. Hope to see more of her work soon. Laal Pari is stuck in my head now! 😄
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Sneha R.
As someone who's done both theatre and short films, I totally get what she's saying about different performance styles. Theatre teaches you so much about presence and voice modulation that helps in films too. More power to her!
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Vikram J.
Interesting perspective! In India, we've always valued 'learning by doing' more than formal education in creative fields. From our classical dancers to Bollywood stars, the real guru has always been experience.
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Neha T.
Her comments about theatre vs cinema are spot on! I remember how awkward some great theatre actors looked in films initially because they had to unlearn their stage habits. Soundarya seems to have good awareness about both mediums.

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Soundarya Sharma Housefull 5 Laal Pari song Bollywood acting Theatre vs cinema National School of Drama