The Drama School Mumbai’s pivot into virtual theatre training during the pandemic is here to stay

‘Learning has to be self-driven,’ says founder Jehan Manekshaw, pointing out that the e-learning initiative is named after Eklavya from the Mahabharata, known for his passion for learning

When the pandemic threw the world into a tizzy early last year, the Drama School Mumbai (DSM) found itself struck by uncertainty. Stuck midway with a student batch, the initial months were tough and confusing to both founders and faculty. In fact, the physical nature of theatre made it one of the worst-hit among cultural practices. But when one of DSM’s founders, Jehan Manekshaw, describes these times, there is no anxiety in his voice. There is, in fact, a rare surefootedness: the kind one has around a familiar room even when the lights are out.

The confidence is not unfounded: DSM’s post-pandemic online initiative, Ekalavya, has seen close to 3,000 students enrolling within three months of starting. The USP of the e-learning course is that it makes quality theatre training universally accessible. But “learning has to be self-driven,” says Manekshaw, pointing out that the initiative is named after the character from the Mahabharata who is known for his passion for learning. Like Ekalavya, the students of the course must strive to learn rather than be taught.