Hindi
Priya Entertainment to venture into multiplexes in Bengal and Bhutan
MUMBAI:A Kolkata-based film production, distribution and exhibition company is foraying into the multiplex business with 12 screens planned in West Bengal and Bhutan, indicating that there is still space for players outside the big corporates.
Priya Entertainment, the company that owns Priya Cinema in Kolkata, plans to invest between Rs 500-600 million for the 12 screens. It will roll out a six-screen Themeplex in Access Mall at Rajarhat near Kolkata on 25 December. Of the six screens, 4 of them will be theme-based.
“We plan to invest Rs 500-600 million, most of which will be through internal accruals. At Rajarhat, we will have theme-based screens. We will, forinstance, have a screen that has a ‘Egyptian‘ theme. The second has an ‘Underwater‘ theme, the third a ‘Galaxy‘ theme while the fourth has a ‘Caves‘ theme,” says Priya Entertainments general manager Chaity Ghosh.
Then there are two other projects – a 4-screen multiplex at Durgapur and a 2-screen multiplex at Thimpu in Bhutan that is being made by Tai Industries Ltd., Bhutan. “Priya Entertainment will run the multiplexes under a management contract basis,” conveys Ghosh.
Priya Entertainment also plans to open a multiplex in Sonapur in Kolkata. The land is owned by the company.
Priya Cinema, however, will not beconverted into a multiplex. “We don‘t find that there is any need to change the current single-screen into a multiplex because we upgrade our theatre from time-to-time and the cinema hall has all the required facilities today,” says Ghosh.
Priya Entertainment will price its multiplex tickets at a maximum rate of Rs 70 and a minimum of Rs 50. “We would be able to cut down costs by 40 per cent by monitoring our electricity and maintenance costs. With a moderate pricing, we think that we will increase our viewership and with a mere 20-25 per cent occupancy per day, would enable the company to break even in the first three years of operation,” avers Ghosh.
Priya Entertainment currently manages four multi-complexes in Bengal – Gitanjali Cultural Complex in Bolpur, two complexes in Burdwan (Shrishti Cultural Complex and Vidyasagar Memorial Hall) and one other in Dinajpur in North Bengal.
It may be noted that PEPL, under its production house Poornima Pictures, produced award-winning films like Goopi Gaayin Baagha Baayin, Aranyer Din Ratri, Hatey Bazare in the past while its distribution wing Piyali Films has been distributing films of UTV, Walt Disney, NDTV Lumiere, Warner, Sony Pictures and Paramount Pictures etc.
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
