Hindi
Ritwik Ghatak’s Meghe Dhaka Tara scores over Satyajit Ray’s Charulata
PANAJI: The T20 of Indian Cinema – the top 20 films made in India since the first film ‘Raja Harichandra’ by D G Phalke in 1913 – has thrown up Ritwik Ghatak’s Bengali film ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’ as the best film of the last 96 years.
After a nation-wide poll conducted by the Entertainment Society of Goa to which 1.9 million people responded, the names were announced at a gala event held here to coincide with the ongoing 40th International Film Festival of India. The ballot closed at 5 pm on 29 November. It was launched at the hands of Dev Anand in Mumbai, and Suniel Shetty and Sameera Reddy in New Delhi, early last month.
According to the selections, cine master craftsman Satyajit Ray finds mention thrice in the list, while Guru Dutt and Bimal Roy figure twice each.
In all, 12 Hindi films feature in the list, with Bengali coming second. Interestingly, the voters have selected Satyajit Ray’s film as the second most popular, but also voted for the Apu Trilogy which includes ‘Aparjito’ and ‘Apur Sansar’.
The event was presided over by Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat at the Open Air Theatre of Kala Academy, where a fashion show was staged with Pooja Shukla as the designer, in the presence of celebrities like Goa Assembly Speaker Pratap Singh Rane, Film Festivals Director S M Khan, and film personalities Aftab Shivdasani, Sayali Bhagat, Madhur Bhandarkar, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Riya Sen, and captured the changing fashions in cinema over the decades.
The top 20 films selected are:
Meghe Dhaka Tara – Ritwik Ghatak (Bengali, 1960)
Charulata – Satyajit Ray (Bengali, 1964)
Pather Panchali – Satyajit Ray (Bengali, 1955)
Sholay – Ramesh Sippy (Hindi, 1975)
Do Bigha Zameen – Bimal Roy (Hindi, 1953)
Pyaasa – Guru Dutt (Hindi, 1957)
Bhuvan Shome – Mrinal Sen (Hindi, 1969)
Garam Hawa – M S Sathyu (Hindi, 1973)
Mother India – Mehboob Khan (Hindi, 1957)
Ghattashradha – Girish Kassarvali (Kannada, 1977)
Elippathayam – Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Malayalam, 1981)
Mughal-e-Azam – K Asif (Hindi, 1960)
Nayagan – Mani Ratnam (Tamil, 1987)
Kaghaz Ke Phool – Guru Dutt (Hindi, 1959)
Apu Triology (Pather Panchali 1955, Aparajito 1956, Apur Sansar 1959) – Satyajit Ray (Bengali)
Sant Tukaram – Vishnupant Govind Damle, Sheikh Fattelal (Marathi, 1936)
Jaane Bhi Do Yaro – Kundan Shah (Hindi, 1983)
Guide – Vijay Anand (Hindi, 1965)
Madhumati – Bimal Roy (Hindi, 1958)
Anand – Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Hindi, 1971)
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
