#149 - Notes on Theatre, Acting and Films
Education Coffee is a 2xWeekly Newsletter on People, Ideas and Culture.
In this newsletter, I share five inspiring web resources that I have curated after hours of research to ensure that you have the best education coffee in your inbox. In upcoming editions, I will focus on sharing insights, notes and realizations that I gather from people, ideas, books, films and podcasts.
1. Learning from People
Aamir Khan is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In this interview with Javed Akhtar, he describes how the films he made shaped him over time and helped him develop a theory on good film making and story telling. He spoke about the struggles of choosing stories that he connected with as an artist. He emphasized the importance of understanding how audience taste has changed over time. He had some useful pointers about how viewing habits have changed since the pandemic and that we are in a distracted world that may not have the patience to sit through a two hour film in one sitting anymore. Here is a list of ten films and the themes he has explored since the early 2000s as an actor and producer followed by a link to the video. He created a Youtube Channel to talk about these films called Aamir Khan Talkies,
Lagaan (2001) – An Oscar-nominated epic of cricket, courage, and colonial resistance.
Taare Zameen Par (2007) – A heartfelt story that reshaped how we view learning disabilities.
Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008) – A cult-favorite romance about friendship and love.
Peepli Live (2010) – A dark satire on media sensationalism and farmer suicides.
Dhobi Ghat (2011) – A poetic, intimate portrait of Mumbai.
Delhi Belly (2011) – A bold black comedy that broke Bollywood norms.
Dangal (2016) – The inspiring true story of India’s first female wrestling champions.
Secret Superstar (2017) – A moving tale of dreams, music, and a mother’s sacrifice.
Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) – An Indian take on Forrest Gump, weaving history with heart.
Laapataa Ladies (2024) – A delightful dramedy about identity and self-discovery.
2. Learning from Ideas and Questions
What is the science behind good looks? Is it subjective or objective? Isn’t beauty in the eyes of the beholder. The team from Aevy TV explores this topic through a series of open ended questions and research findings. My favourite part of the video was how beauty standards have changed over time and that they are just a collection of social stories we tell ourselves. Here is a short summary from their team followed by a link to the video,
In this video, we dive into the surprising truth behind what makes someone “attractive” or “unattractive.” We’ll unpack the absurd math behind facial symmetry, the biological clues hidden in our features, and how history has continuously shifted beauty standards—often for arbitrary reasons. We’ll explore the disturbing influence of social media on our self-image, and why chasing these ever-changing ideals might be damaging your career, confidence, and happiness.
3. Learning from Books, Websites and Blog
In this video recording from the 2025 Jaipur Literature Festival we learn about the history of the Dutch language through the eyes of Kader Abdolah and Benjamin Moser,
The Dutch language is spoken not only in the Netherlands but also in Belgium, Suriname and other places around the world. In a fascinating session, Kader Abdolah and Benjamin Moser come together to explore the rich tapestry of Dutch art, culture and language. Abdolah is a celebrated Iranian-Dutch author known for his poignant storytelling and exploration of identity and exile. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Moser’s latest work, The Upside-Down World: Meetings with the Dutch Masters, is an ode to Dutch artists, taking readers on a twenty-year long journey of his time in Holland.
4. Learning from Films, Videos and Shows
I love the theatre. I love Stranger Things. This movie brought both my loves together. It is a documentary about the making of "Stranger Things: The First Shadow," the award-winning live stage show that expands the Hawkins universe. As a viewer I got to go behind the scenes with the cast and crew to see this theatre production come to life.
It shows you the million things that go into making such a power packed theatre spectacle. They discuss all these aspects of making a theatre production:
writing an adaptation
casting the actors
conducting rehearsals for 7+ weeks
conducting technology previews
conducting audience previews
conversations with the original writers
conversations with the sound and light team
conversations with the visual effects team
thoughts about the costume team
thoughts about the make up and hair teams
Here is the final trailer of this theatre production titled, Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
It also shows you how theatre is a such a collaborative effort. There are lots of moving pieces and anything could go wrong. Bringing the audience a live performance based on the adapted script of a globally popular television show is much harder than you think. It was endearing to see how nervous each member of the team was and how united they were to tell the story in the best way possible. Highly recommend this one for theatre lovers. The magic of theatre was communicated in this line from the film,
When you see a thousand people and you can hear a pin drop… That is when you know you got them
Here is the original trailer of season 1 of the television show, Stranger Things.
5. Learning from Podcasts and Music
Syed Emraan Anwar Hashmi is an Indian film actor, who appears in Hindi films. Initially known for performing bold scenes, Hashmi has since portrayed strong roles in films. One of the most unconventional actors of India, Hashmi has received three Filmfare Award nominations. He spoke about his early years in the film industry, his love for soulful music, his film mentors and the need for constant reinvention as an actor. He opened up about his struggles to process his son’s early cancer diagnosis and how that affected his family. It was an hones and vulnerable conversation about the professional and personal journey of an actor.
Thank you for reading this edition of #EducationCoffee. I look forward to writing weekly editions of this newsletter this year. I hope to continue to share resources that will add value to your life. You can also review the archive of Education Coffee for free at this link (100+ newsletters here). You can email your thoughts, feedback or recommendations to abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com. I love connecting with other writers and learners on the Internet.
Abhishek