When Bendang Walling left his hometown in Nagaland for Delhi, he carried with him a dream that burned bright: to become a theatre artist. He had earned a coveted opportunity to study at the prestigious National School of Drama—a dream few from his region had realized. But what awaited him in the capital was not just stage lights and scripts. It was loneliness and a sense of being an outsider.
Thrown into a world vastly different from his own, Bendang quickly found himself battling cultural dissonance. Many of his classmates bonded over a shared language and cultural codes he couldn’t crack. The professors taught primarily in Hindi—an unfamiliar tongue for Bendang. In rehearsals, in classes, even in everyday conversations, he felt like an outsider. The loneliness began to gnaw at his confidence. There were days he wondered if he belonged there at all. Days he considered going back home. Days when he just stayed back in his room instead of attending his classes.
But in those quiet, painful moments of isolation, Bendang turned to something deeper than doubt: his faith.
Raised in a Christian home, the Sunday school lessons of his childhood came back to him—not as mere memory, but as lifelines. One verse in particular stood out: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” (Colossians 3:23-24). That scripture became his anchor. It reminded him that his calling wasn’t merely about applause or acceptance—it was about purpose. A higher purpose.
Strengthened by prayer and the unwavering support of his family back home, Bendang pressed on. He threw himself into learning—picking up both Hindi and English, slowly gaining fluency in the languages of his craft. He honed his skills, refined his presence, and kept showing up—even when it hurt.
Then, one day, everything changed.
Bendang landed the role of Sub Inspector Isaac in the acclaimed Netflix series Paatal Lok. Overnight, he became a face recognized across the country. His performance resonated not just for its grit, but for its quiet authenticity—something born out of years of struggle, humility, and perseverance.
In an exclusive conversation with CBN India, Bendang reflected on how difficult it had been to find inclusion in mainstream Indian media. “I was invisible for a long time,” he said. “But God saw me. He never left.” His journey, far from being one of instant success, was a testimony to how faith, endurance, and belief in God’s purpose can carry someone through the fire.
Today, Bendang is more than an actor. He is a director, a producer, and the founder of Hill Theatre Nagaland. He uses his platform to nurture the arts in his home state and to mentor young talent who, like him, may feel out of place in the wider world. Through every production, every performance, and every word of encouragement, he extends the inclusion he once longed for.
Bendang Walling’s story is not just about success. It’s about the grace that sustains us when the world seems too hard. It’s about how faith can make a home where there was once only exile.
And it’s a reminder to every believer: even when you feel unseen, God is working behind the scenes.
