Amit Sial

Amit Sial grew up in the chaotic, colorful lanes of Kanpur, and, honestly, the man’s been bitten by the acting bug since he was just eight. Not your average “I’ll try acting” story—he dove headfirst into theater, getting his hands dirty with all sorts of productions all over India. He didn’t just dabble; he starred in the lead role for Tim Supple’s wild take on Salman Rushdie’s “Haroun and the Sea of Stories,” under the sharp eye of Neeraj Kabi, who’s kind of a big deal in Mumbai’s experimental theater scene. And look, Sial’s not just about taking direction—he’s directed two pretty gutsy short plays himself, both riffing off of Shakespeare’s classics, “Macbeth” and “Romeo & Juliet.” Those went up at Prithvi Theatre’s short play festival, which, if you know Mumbai theater, is a rite of passage. The guy’s no slouch in the classroom either. He knocked out a B.Com. (Honours) at Delhi University and then headed down under to Swinburne University in Australia for a degree in International Business. But, nah, the corporate grind wasn’t for him. Back in India, he got his feet wet with big names like Barry John, who’s basically the godfather for tons of Indian actors. 2006 was his year to break into films, landing his first big screen role in “Hope & a Little Sugar.” It’s one thing to chase a dream, but Amit Sial’s been living it, stage lights and all.