Hindi
A ‘Sooper se Ooper’ launch of Jigsaw Pictures into feature films
MUMBAI: Having produced over 150 television commercials, music videos and even a critically acclaimed short film, The Fall (starring Rahul Bose), production house Jigsaw Pictures is now venturing into feature films with their first commercial film Sooper Se Ooper. This quirky drama with Vir Das in lead has been co produced with Reliance Entertainment and is scheduled to come to theatres across India on 25 October, 2013.
Jigsaw Pictures CEO and creative producer Rajnish Lall has had over nine years of experience in advertising, having worked in Clarion, Contract & Bates and thereafter headed the marketing division at B4U shortly after. He then founded Jigsaw Pictures about eight years ago and will debut as a creative producer and the line producer of Sooper se Ooper. He is among a few who is comfortably straddling the productions both in the TV commercials and feature films.
On his first production, Rajnish said, “Working on this film was like taking a fresh guard in the field of production… it has been an amazing, exciting and rich experience in the last two years. From fine tuning the script, putting together the right cast and technical team of my choice, the extensive shoot in Rajasthan and Mumbai to production of lovely songs all within a modest budget has been a Sooper se Ooper experience! In this journey we had the support and guidance of a big studio like Reliance Entertainment.”
The movie Sooper se Ooper is based on an Indian superstition ‘that making a will (legal document) is an indication that that your time has come near’. The story revolves around the character of Vir Das, whose fortune has dwindled and selling his ancestral property may just be the way out of the situation but he runs into a problem as the ancestral land was not will-ed to him by his parents. Filmed in Rajasthan and Mumbai, the story takes an interesting and entertaining turn during the journey from village to city and vice-versa.
The film stars Vir Das, Gulshan Grover, Deepak Dobriyal, Kirti Kulhari and Yashpal Sharma, among others. The music has been composed by Sonu Niigam and Bickram Ghosh who debut as a music duo in Hindi films and has quirky fusion BGM from Ranjit Barot. The director, a veteran of TV commercials also makes his debut with this film. The film is being presented by Reliance Entertainment and produced by Jigsaw Pictures.
Jigsaw Pictures’ next feature production is a comic thriller set in Mumbai and Kerala, which they will start shooting in April 2014.
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
