Actor Soumitra Chatterjee is flanked by Satabdi Roy (left) and Sabitri Chatterjee: Cradle crew. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Does facing the camera give you the jitters, or speaking in public betray the quiver in your voice? Are you the wannabe actor who doesn’t know who to turn to? Well, expert help is at hand from the toast of Tollywood — veterans Soumitra Chatterjee and Sabitri Chatterjee.

A one-stop acting-cum-grooming centre, floated by actress Satabdi Roy, is coming up off the Rashbehari connector, calling all those who are keen to be on screen, big or small, but unsure of how to walk, talk or carry themselves in the full glare of the camera.

With infrastructure help from an Australia-based NRI, Satabdi Foundation will provide need-based training involving separate six-month modules for acting, news- reading, dance, recitation, make-up (stage and screen) and grooming. The clapstick for the classes will be sounded in the third week of May.

The need gap is gaping, with the serial boom throwing up a gawky young actor every day. “I know so many people who want to pick up acting but don’t know how to go about it,” says institute director Satabdi.

The star-studded advisory board of the institute, comprising Soumitra, Sabitri and Biplab Chatterjee, has also roped in several screen and stage actors on the teaching faculty. “We had the chance to work with actors and directors who were institutions in themselves… At the institute, one can learn some basic tenets of acting in six months, which took us five to six years,” says Soumitra.

In the 44 classes chalked out for each module, the faculty will develop the fundamentals of acting in the students.

“Students may be taken to the shooting spot for a first-hand feel, as they also need to know the practical aspects and how to adjust one’s acting accordingly,” explains Satyajit Ray’s favourite actor. Soumitra, along with Sabitri, promises to “function like visiting lecturers and take up specialised topics”.

The timing for any training module is of the essence and with the small screen riding a boom, Satabdi Foundation’s target audience is well defined.

“A lot of my young co-actors don’t know the ABC of acting. Neither do they have a good grasp of literature, which makes it difficult for them to emote in certain situations,” feels TV actor and the institute’s advisory board member Arun Banerjee. “A training institute should take care of these needs.”

The second floor of a multi-storeyed building on Rajdanga Main Road will house the classrooms, with cameras and a well-stocked library of CDs and VCDs, says Satabdi.

The Australian Super City Fitness Centre, occupying four floors below and above, has offered its gym, swimming pool and diet restaurant for use.

Though the course fee structure is yet to be worked out, it will remain “within the reach of the middle-class”, according to the advisory board. But only those who have passed Madhyamik or an equivalent examination will be eligible to apply.

The grooming sessions will feature lessons in swimming, driving and horse-riding. Specialised expertise will be enlisted for each segment, and “talks are on with the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC)”.

Workshops and a stage production at the end of the course are the other high points of the curriculum.