Hindi
Great Elephant wins best jury award at South Asian Intl Film fest
MUMBAI: Producer Pallavi Rohatgi‘s Greater Elephant has been rewarded with the Best Jury Award at the South Asian International Film Festival held at New York recently.
Directed by Srinivas Sunderrajan, known for film The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project, Greater Elephant is a comical story about a lost Elephant in a big city. It‘s a nuanced tale which works at various levels as an allegory for a lost childhood, a skeptical society, and a much deeper meaning about one‘s search for self.
The film is a comedy, bordering on the farcical which unravels a deeper meaning beneath each layer. It is a wicked assembly of those who still haven‘t found what they‘re looking for: a purpose. A mahout has lost his elephant, theatre owner has lost her god who has lost his identity, a devil has lost his teeth, a constable has lost his faith and they‘ve all lost their marbles.
Greater Elephant, shot extensively across Mumbai and Pune, has been written by Omkar Sane and has Hussain Dalal, Naveen Kaushik, Saunskruti Kher, Rajiv Mishra, Shreyas Pandit, Shashi Nambiar playing the key characters in the film.
Incidentally, the film won top laurels among other highly acclaimed films like Deool directed by Umesh Kulkarni, Kshay directed by Karan Gaur and Stagnant.
The South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) is the largest film premiere destination for South Asian/Indian filmmakers in the United States.
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
