Hindi
Kya Yahi Sach Hai is a rigorous punishment
MUMBAI: Writer and director YP Singh, an ex-IPS cadre cop and a lawyer, gives a lecture on the formula of cinema to a bunch of critics before he shows them his maiden venture, Kya Yahi Sach Hai: a good film is one, “which starts where it ends (!); involves you emotionally and makes you cry; You identify with the story and; you want to watch it again,” he believes. This is the gist, though educating critics on the subject of what a film should be is not the wisest thing to do; especially if your own film conforms to nothing of what you believe in and impart.
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Producer: Pushpa Singh. |
Kya Yahi Sach Hai is based on YP Singh‘s book, Carnage By Angels, published in 2003. It is about his encounters with the corrupt system as an honest police man. Rajiv Ruda is a freshly graduated IPS officer, who, after hearing an anecdote about how one of his subordinate constables turned honest following a tragic incident, decides to follow the same path and never misuse his position. His honest ways create hurdles for him all the way, shunting him from one posting to another while his seniors and the politicians whom they patronise perpetuate crimes and frauds at random. In a symbolic last scene, he is dismissed and stares at an uncertain future while, at the same time, his corrupt senior is being decorated with the highest honour a policeman can get, the President‘s Medal.
The story has been told in many Hindi commercial movies and that too more dramatically. Here, the first time writer and director takes a long winding route, meandering along and focusing on small details; the hero is such a Mr Clean, he does not even raise a hand on culprits, delegating that to others! Performances by mostly new faces is rank amateur even as one odd character here and there does try to stand out with loud gestures and over acting. Songs can be dispensed with except, maybe, the theme song.
Kya Yahi Sach Hai is a 2 hour 30 minutes of rigorous punishment.
Hindi
Shekhar Suman opens acting academy in Mumbai
The veteran actor-presenter launches SSFA, promising immersive, mentorship-led training for aspiring actors and storytellers
Mumbai: Forty years in front of the camera, and Shekhar Suman still isn’t done. The actor, host, writer and director, one of Indian entertainment’s most restless polymaths, is now training his sights on the next generation, launching the Shekhar Suman Film Academy (SSFA) in Mumbai on 22nd April 2026. Registrations for the inaugural batch are already open.
SSFA pitches itself squarely against formula-driven acting schools, leading with an intensive three-month programme that Suman says he personally designed and will largely conduct himself. The curriculum blends voice and speech work, emotional access, body awareness and camera technique with the Linklater Voice Method, film language and on-set discipline, and rounds off with a student film, giving trainees their first taste of a real set.
Masterclasses with actors, casting directors and filmmakers sit alongside the core course. The academy is conceived as a platform that will eventually sprawl into screenwriting, direction, cinematography, music production and post-production: a full creative ecosystem rather than a single acting school.
“For me, this academy is not just an institution. It is a very personal way of giving back to the craft that has given me everything,” said Suman. “Over the years, acting has taught me discipline, imagination, resilience, and the importance of truth in performance. Through this academy, I hope to create something that goes beyond training and becomes a true creative journey for every student who walks in.”
Behind the scenes, the academy is backed by GBM Studios. Dharmesh Sangani, founder and visionary, is the driving force, bringing what the academy describes as “a focused approach to creating meaningful opportunities within the industry.” Adhyayan Suman, founder and director and Shekhar’s son, adds a performer’s perspective honed across acting, music and direction. Ekant Babani, partner and chief operating officer, handles strategy and operations.
Entry is deliberately low-barrier. No prior training is needed: applicants sit a basic self-audition test, shifting the focus firmly to potential rather than polish. The academy says it aims to stay accessible while delivering a premium, hands-on experience.
In a country where acting schools multiply almost as fast as OTT platforms, Suman’s personal stamp and his willingness to stand in the room and teach may be the sharpest edge SSFA has. For those ready to test that promise, the curtain is already up. Apply at shekharsumanfilmacademy.com
