While many celebrities are making use of their lockdown period to indulge in their hobbies, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has turned teacher to aspiring actors at Celebrity School. The online programme consists of five courses that are carried out by the experts of their field. The acting course is carried out by Nawaz. While independent filmmaking is helmed by Madhur Bhandarkar. The singing course by Shaan, communication skills by Sabira Merchant and entrepreneurship by businessman Siddharth Prabhakar.
Although the programmed was originally initiated last year in September, the stay-at-home period has allowed the artists to dedicate more time it. It has also enabled them to engage with the students directly. Earlier, the sessions were pre-recorded to avoid hindrance in the schedule of the students. But now, the artists have organised many live-sessions with the students during this period of four months.
Madhur Bhandarkar, whose course is divided into 10 parts, shed some light on the different facets of filmmaking. According a report by MidDay, he said—
For any aspiring artiste, access to a good mentor can fuel his passion and help [hone] his talent. In these unprecedented times, the online academy has ensured that the learning continues for young talent.
Businessman Siddharth Prabhakar who is one of the five mentors told the publication about how the platform came into being. He said—
The dreams of many kids die a slow death owing to lack of affordability and accessibility to courses that will help them build a career in the show business. Last year, I decided to develop a platform with the help of some leading celebrities who can directly share their knowledge with the students.
The entrepreneur also hopes to rope in more artists to teach additional subjects to these students in the coming months.