Hindi
Another musical genius falls silent
NEW DELHI: Less than a month after the music world lost the soft silky voice of ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, it received another jolt when the rustic voice from the north east, Bhupen Hazarika, fell victim of multiple organ failure at a Mumbai hospital, aged 86.
Hazarika had been on the ventilator for four months and had been in and out of hospital. His long time companion, filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi and his nephews were at his side as he breathed his last.
The Dadasaheb Phalke and Padma Bhushan award-winner‘s body will be flown to Guwahati on Monday and kept at Judges Field for two-days for the public to pay homage.
In a condolence message, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “India has lost one of its most gifted artistes as Hazarika‘s extraordinary talent encompassed not only music and literature but also cinema acting and direction. His contribution greatly enriched our cultural landscape and his influence on Assamese art and culture was particularly profound. The reverence with which Hazarika was looked upto and the innumerable awards that he received are a tribute to his dazzling brilliance and creativity, and his love for the people.”
Hazarika, as soft spoken as the music he wove, will always be remembered for some of the rustic songs not only in films made in the northeast but also in Bollywood.
Songs like “Dil hoom hoom kare” and “Ganga behti ho kyon” in fact set the trend for introducing earthy and rustic voices in Hindi film music.
Hazarika was born on 8 September 1926 in Sadiya, Assam. He studied at Cotton College and then moved to the Banaras Hindu University to complete his Bachelor in Arts in 1944. He completed his MA in Political Science and was honoured with a doctorate by the Columbia University in New York in the 1952. He also received the Lisle Fellowship from Chicago University, US to study the use of educational project development through cinema.
At the age of 12, Hazarika sang his first song ‘Biswa Bijoy No Jowan‘ for an Assamese film ‘Indramalati‘. Music was his passion and music made his life.
His soulful compositions for Hindi films ‘Rudali‘, ‘Chingaari‘ and ‘Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence‘ gave a new dimension to Bollywood music.
A multi-talented personality, he was a poet, music composer, singer, actor, journalist, author and filmmaker.
Hazarika had said once that as a child, he had grown up listening to tribal music and its rhythm developed in him an inclination towards singing. He used one of his mother‘s lullabies in ‘Rudaali‘.
He wrote over 1000 lyrics and covered a wide range of topics that included short stories, essays, travelogues, poems and children‘s rhymes.
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
