Hindi
Reliance MediaWorks steps out to UK, snaps up iLabs
MUMBAI: Reliance MediaWorks Ltd. has gobbled up the assets of iLabs UK, one of only two film processing facilities operating in London‘s SOHO, for an undisclosed amount.
The acquisition will help the Reliance ADA Group company to offer its services to the filmmakers and broadcasters in UK, one of the world‘s leading post-production markets. Reliance MediaWorks already has a facility in the US through its LA-based subsidiary Lowry Digital.
iLabs does high-end processing work for film, television, commercial and shorts productions. The dedicated film and media services facility in London will, thus, help Reliance MediaWorks offer front-end, processing, restoration, 2D to 3D conversion and post-production services to broadcasters and studios.
Says Reliance MediaWorks CEO Anil Arjun, “Our expansion is growing at a remarkable pace and we are happy to now be offering our services in UK. Through Reliance MediaWorks UK we would provide next generation services for the local film makers and broadcasters, while also catering to Hollywood and Hindi film businesses. We look forward to the creative synergies that integrating of UK operations would bring to the entire film and media services value chain that Reliance MediaWorks has developed across continents.” .
Lowry Digital has handled projects for leading studios like Walt Disney, Paramount Pictures, MGM and 20th Century Fox and entertainment leaders like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and James Cameron. Also recently, Lowry Digital has handled the restoration of footage sent back to Earth from Apollo 11, as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the mission for NASA.
To further enhance the synergy between the services offered by Reliance MediaWorks across India, the US and UK, the company has established an optical fibre network through Reliance Globalcom’s Ethernet Private Line. This network has already been used for close to a year for distributing digital cinema releases of Indian films from Mumbai to the US.
In the past year, iLabs has worked on high-end film originated Drama Series for the BBC. Apart from tying in with Reliance MediaWorks‘ lab facility in Mumbai, it will be able to offer lab, rushes and transfer services to the many Indian films that are shot on location in London and UK each year.
Reliance MediaWorks currently has a comprehensive presence in film services: motion picture processing; visual effects; film restoration and image enhancement; digital mastering: studios and equipment rentals with facilities located at US and India.
Reliance MediaWorks operates Big Cinemas, India‘s largest cinema chain with currently 500 screens spread across India, US, Malaysia and Netherlands.
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
