WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2025
Bendang Walling’s guide to breaking into acting
Bendang Walling is a versatile actor, director, and theatre practitioner known for his role as Sub-Inspector Isaac in "Paatal Lok" Season 2 (2025).
Published on Mar 18, 2025
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- Bendang Walling
- Bendang Walling is a versatile actor, director, and theatre practitioner known for his role as Sub-Inspector Isaac in "Paatal Lok" Season 2 (2025).
- Born in Nagaland, he discovered his passion for acting through church plays before pursuing a Master’s in Dramatic Arts at the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi, where he graduated in 2012. Walling also founded Hill Theatre, Nagaland. He was selected as a film fellow for the Dharamshala International film festival for his short film “Blissful” (2016). His directorial web series "Dreams & Chaos" (2020) earned the Best Regional Web Series award at the Kashi Indian International Film Festival in 2021.
- Walling has also made his mark in Bollywood and digital platforms, with acting credits in projects like "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy" and the acclaimed web series "Paatal Lok." His contributions to theatre have been widely recognised, earning him the NEZCC Young Talented Artist Award for Theatre (2008-09) and the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for Theatre Direction in 2023, making him the second Naga artist to receive this honor. At 38, he continues to shape Nagaland’s entertainment industry.
- In this interview with Eastern Mirror, Walling offers practical advice for aspiring actors, the importance of cultural identity, and where to start.
- How important is cultural identity for an actor from Nagaland, and how does it shape your performances?
- As an artist, to be identified and rooted in your culture is an essence to bring out the originality. Knowing one's roots and foundation determines an artist's performance, largely.
- For students in Nagaland (and elsewhere), what are the initial steps to explore a career in acting?
- Initial steps for exploring a career in acting would be to participate in acting workshops or training organised by theatre institutions and churches, film professionals, and to be updated with news on casting calls to audition when such opportunities are available.
- Are there any formal courses or training programmes that you would recommend for aspiring actors?
- The National School of Drama, New Delhi; the Film and Television Institute, Pune; the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata; and the recently opened Film and Television Institute, Itanagar, are some of the formal training programmes and institutes I would recommend.
- How can young actors overcome challenges when resources or institutes are limited in their region?
- For aspiring artists to survive in a place that cannot provide a platform to exhibit to enhance the art, itself is a challenge. So, to overcome it is to work persistently and without giving up; one has to keep working oneself into any opportunities, provided. Apart from that, the biggest way to overcome challenges is to go beyond the comfort zone and explore.
- How did you secure your first acting role, and what lessons did that experience teach you?
- The first acting role I got was in the film, “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy”. Being the first time I was cast in a film, I got a holistic learning. The experience extended far beyond acting and role-playing. I learnt true professionalism of the film industry
- Receiving the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar Award in the field of Theatre Art for Direction, 2023
- What kinds of skills or qualities do casting directors typically look for in new actors?
- Versatility.
- How can aspiring actors improve their craft daily, even without formal classes or professional equipment?
- In a world where everything is just a click away, there are ample tutorials and professionals one can learn from. So, both theoretically and practically, if one is sincere enough, they can learn from social media platforms and put them to practice by performing when an opportunity is provided.
- What are the typical career paths or job prospects for someone pursuing acting?
- The career paths one can pursue in acting include becoming an actor in films and theatre plays, an acting coach, opening acting institutes, and serving as a mentor or teacher in film acting and theatre.
- What role does social media play in an actor’s career today, and how can students use it effectively?
- Social media can help a student in doing research as an actor and also enhance the skills. Be updated on how film making and acting are done. Also watch podcasts and interviews of professionals in the field.
- What changes would you like to see in the film and theatre landscape in Nagaland to support future actors?
- We have 17 districts in Nagaland. If all these districts bring out one production each in a year, that will bring prospects to the aspiring actors in Nagaland. Besides that, the education system and institutes should incorporate theatre and filmmaking in the school curriculum and even include it as a branch of technical education, so that one can pursue it as a career too. The government can make theatre and film policy, fund theatre and filmmaking professionals to make productions and provide workshops and training to aspiring actors.
- Finally, what message or advice would you like to leave with students who dream of becoming actors?
- Becoming a successful actor takes time, effort and dedication. Stay true to your passion and artistry. Always be open to feedback and criticism, but it all begins with developing a strong foundation in acting techniques.
- RAPID INSIGHTS
- If you could act alongside any historical figure, who would it be?
- Adolf Hitler and Jesus Christ.
- Do you have a quote or mantra you live by?
- Keep working.
- Which app on your phone do you use the most?
- WhatsApp.
- With Jaideep Ahlawat from the set of Paatal Lok Season 2
Nagaland Districts
