THE ACTORS' ROUNDTABLE

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THR INDIA ACTORS' ROUNDTABLE — FEATURING THE FINEST ACTORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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IN A RARE CONVERSATION, seven of India’s most celebrated actors came together for The Hollywood Reporter India’s Actors’ Roundtable to discuss the craft that defines their lives. Vicky Kaushal, Kriti Sanon, Ishaan Khatter, Dhruv Vikram, Rukmini Vasanth, Basil Joseph, and Kalyani Priyadarshan represent a dynamic cross-section of Indian cinema — from Hindi and Tamil to Kannada and Malayalam — each offering their own perspective on what it means to be an actor today.

The conversation moves between the personal and the pragmatic. Kaushal reflects on the magic of cinema and the perpetual search for the perfect take, while Vikram shares how he abandoned formal acting worksheets in favour of instinct. Vasanth opens up about the fear of declaring her acting ambitions, as Sanon expresses her hunger for morally complex characters that push beyond conventional heroine roles.

The actors don’t shy away from industry realities either, addressing entourage costs and cultural differences in how actors work across different film industries. They grapple with the tension between building themselves as brands and pursuing artistic greatness, ultimately concluding that legacy is built on the work itself — the characters that outlive the moment.

They celebrate each other’s performances, share vulnerabilities about their processes, and offer wisdom to those following in their footsteps. What emerges is a portrait of Indian cinema at its hopeful and most honest.