Hindi
Jio MAMI: Royal Stag Barrel joins Star to promote short films
NEW DELHI: The Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star has managed to involve Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films to provide a platform within the short films category.
Pernod Ricard India assistant vice-president, marketing, Raja Banerji, said “Not only are short films emerging as powerful as long feature films attracting great audience online, but are also attracting great talent from the mainstream film industry. Keeping pace with the changing times, Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is happy to own the short film category at Mumbai Film Festival.”
Jio MAMI with star festival director Anupama Chopra said “In an article titled ‘Does Cinema need Short Films,’ New Yorker film critic Richard Brody wrote: The short film doesn’t supplant the feature; it nourishes it. It doesn’t make a filmmaker’s career, but it augments it, just as a brief visit to a friend may bring a wise word that may stick with a person for a lifetime. Or, to put it another way, movie theatres are like restaurants, which offer a chance for a good long talk; but there are also cafés for a chat, and the cinema needs those, too. I absolutely agree. Which is why I’m thrilled that Jio MAMI with Star is partnering with Royal Stag Barrel Select Large short films for this category. We hope that something wonderful will emerge.”
Royal Stag Jio MAMI with Star co-created a unique contest for aspiring filmmakers. It will inspire young film-makers across the country to create original short films and provide them the right platform to showcase their work. The winning short film will screen at the festival and the director will get an opportunity to intern with VCF. The contest will be judged by an eminent jury comprising actor Tisca Chopra, renowned film critic Anupama Chopra and festival creative director Smriti Kiran.
Kiran said, “This association opens up the short film piece at the festival and that is very exciting. We are glad to be partners with Royal.”
Themed on the objective of “keep perfecting”, the Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is a platform for aspiring directors to feature along with mainstream Bollywood directors and chase their creative energy to establish themselves. The platform gives a stage to storytellers to showcase their artistic creativity and reach out to their target audience through the online world as the brand urges them to push for perfection when it comes to filmmaking.
Royal Stag Large Short Films (LSF) is a portal that is the hub of Indian short films. LSF is a parallel platform for indie films that can take co-creation with social media to the next level. Adhiraj Bose is the face of the platform.
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
