Heital Puniwala Says ‘Talent Is Only 30 Percent’ As He Opens Up About Networking, Luck & Survival In Bollywood
Heital Puniwala, who has been a part of Oh My God, PK, Bang Bang, Gabbar is Back, Do Lafzon Ki Kahani, Judwaa 2, Despatch, The Crew, Special OPS, Atithi Bhooto Bhava, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, and most recently, Kennedy, feels the industry has changed. The long wait at audition halls and the chance encounters that used to define an actor’s week are no more the same.
Heital Puniwala Says The Audition Process Has Completely Changed
Asked whether actors should wait or reach out to people, Heital Puniwala said, “If we don’t actively reach out to people, we’ll just end up sitting at home. Nowadays everything happens online; it’s not like before when there used to be regular auditions and we would go for them. That whole process has changed now. So I feel actors should step out, meet people, and meet directors and producers.”
“Talk to them, remind them that you’re still around and still active in the market, because many times people assume that if they haven’t seen you in a long time, you must have disappeared,” Heital Puniwala added.
Why Actors Need To Network And Stay Visible
When it is about talent versus networking, he shares that talent alone does not matter anymore. Heital Puniwala said, “Nowadays it also depends on how many connections you have and who you are associated with. There’s a simple saying in this industry: if you stay visible, you stay valuable. If we look at it from a 100 percent perspective, then talent is only 30 percent. The most important thing is forty percent luck; your luck has to be good. The remaining thirty percent is networking.”
The hesitation many actors feel around approaching big names is something he understands but refuses to endorse. Heital Puniwala said, “Many times actors get scared thinking, ‘This is such a big director or producer; what if they get offended if I ask for work?’ But actors should not be scared. If it happens once, then move on and keep going ahead. If one director doesn’t speak to you properly, another one will.”
Heital Puniwala Encourages Actors To Approach Directors Fearlessly
He wants people to use his approach. Heital Puniwala said, “Simply say, sir, I want to work with you; please tell me how I can contact you. It’s that simple.”
“Actors should focus on three things. First, clarity of mind. Second, purity of heart. Third, being spontaneous in action. These three things make a person very strong,” Heital Puniwala added.
The inner work, he says, is what makes the outer work possible. “If you focus a little on your breathing and practice meditation, slowly that courage and confidence to take action will start developing within you. These three things are extremely important, and nobody really teaches you this anywhere. You have to develop them yourself through yoga, pranayam, meditation, and similar practices,” Heital Puniwala ended.
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