Hari Bhaskar went to Dubai at the age of two months after being born in Kottayam in 1999. He did well academically while a student, yet he was always drawn to the limelight. As a result, Hari took on the role of the class clown, which was his debut in the performing arts. Due to the recession’s impact on his father’s business, he returned to Kerala in 2011 and joined Pallikoodam school in Kottayam. He was recognized for his solid English-speaking abilities and gained acclaim for them. His first speaking part was as the courtier Pharan in the yearly holiday play “The Late Wise Man.” He thoroughly enjoyed it, and this performance helped him understand that acting was his calling.
During a difficult week in school, Hari was inspired by a cricket match he watched on television featuring Sachin Tendulkar. He became fascinated by the sport and wanted to become a cricketer for the next two years. However, Pallikoodam did not support cricket, and Hari could not attend the coaching at Nehru Stadium due to his Saturday classes. He eventually had to drop cricket after his tenth standard boards.
In the eleventh standard, Hari’s school decided to produce “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and it was during the recording process that he realized he wanted to pursue a career in acting. Moreover, the camaraderie he shared with his cast made him confident in becoming an actor. The following year, Hari auditioned for a role in the Malayalam play “Nalacharitham” and was surprised to get the part of Nalan after filling in for his friend during a five-day break for Eid.
Hari’s career advisor suggested he continue his education in Delhi, so he enrolled at Ambedkar University Delhi to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Social Sciences and Humanities. After becoming a member of the theatrical group there, he eventually got his first starring role in “The Witness for the Prosecution.” In his last year, he left the theater society and performed in plays for four months with the Delhi-based company Heena Arts.
In his senior year, Hari began submitting applications to theatrical programs abroad. He picked theater since his parents always wanted him to pursue higher education overseas but never said explicitly in which field. As a result, Hari decided to travel to the United States, particularly New York City, as he had never been there before. He applied to several prominent schools but was rejected, so he finally settled on the Stella Adler Studio of Acting as a last alternative. The school was good and produced actors of the caliber of Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando, among others, despite not being one of his top selections.
Hari found the experience at Stella Adler to be both exhilarating and agonizing. Unfortunately, his two-year program had to be finished in one and a half years because of the pandemic. He participated in the Evening Conservatory program, and he believed that his time at Stella Adler had sped up his development as an actor by at least five years.
Being fortunate enough to be represented by a prominent firm was challenging for an international student like Hari. Although he was not chosen for the “graduate showcase,” which featured the top fifteen students who made it beyond the auditions, a week or two later, he had a turning point in his career.
He was asked to lead in the final production of the Ayad Akhtar play Disgraced, which was widely performed on Broadway after his teacher was impressed with his performance during a scene study lesson. After posting his demo reel, he received a call from an agency the next day.
After Hari graduated from Stella Adler in June, he began working on unpaid projects and gained invaluable experience while working with colleagues who lacked his level of enthusiasm. He was honored to play Nick Carraway in the Great Gatsby stage version by Eastline Theatre.
With Hari’s journey, he hopes to pave the way for equal representation, especially for Indians and South Asians, and to collaborate with many more. He also has a goal to bring about an exchange of talent between Westerners and Malayalis (people from the state of Kerala in India) and to bring more recognition to Malayali artists at an international level.
