Hindi
Box Office: ‘Brothers’ collects Rs 50 crore in opening weekend
MUMBAI: Brothers faced negative reports and a below par opening on Friday. The film had average collections on Friday to show a marked improvement despite bad word of mouth on Saturday thanks to 15 August, the mandatory Independence Day holiday. However, the film’s lack of merit caught up with it soon enough and despite being a Sunday, the film took a drubbing at the box office. The collections dropped instead of growing on Sunday to end its opening weekend with Rs 49.7crore.
Gour Hari Dastaan: The Freedom File is a biopic about a freedom fighter from a small town in Odisha who has contributed to India’s freedom struggle against the British rule. This film about the protagonist’s 32 year determined drive to earn recognition for his contribution from the authorities is rather personal, slow moving account and, hence, not the kind to impact the box office. Though appreciated on the international festival circuits, it has found scant patronage with the moviegoer.
Bangistan can be called a mediocre effort on all counts. With poor opening weekend, the movie continues with its poor run through its first week to end with collection figures of Rs 5.1 crore.
Jaanisar fails to relive the era that the maker’s earlier film, Umrao Jaan created. The film met with total rejection at the box office as it completes its first week run.
Drishyam fares reasonably well in week two in the absence of any strong opposition. There is a section of people who have positive things to say about the film, which helped it maintain in its second week. The film has collected Rs 17.45 crore to take its two week total to Rs 58.75 crore.
Masaan collects Rs 35 lakh in its third week to take its three week total to Rs 3.8 crore.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan establishes itself as among the biggest hits as it continued to hold sway even its fourth week to collect Rs 11.4 crore, taking its four week total to an unassailable Rs 312.85 crore.
Baahubali: The Beginning (Hindi- Dubbed) also continues to draw people. The film added an impressive Rs 5.3 crore in its fifth week taking its five week total to Rs 104.15 crore.
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
