Hindi
Santosh Sivan’s Urumi to screen at Busan fest
MUMBAI: Santosh Sivan‘s Prithviraj-Genelia D’souza starrer Urumi has been selected to be screened at the Busan International Film Festival that commences from 6 October.
The film will be screened in ‘A Window to Asian Cinema‘ category.
Urumi will have two versions for screening – a standard three-hour theatrical version and a 90-minute English version made for the international market.
Urumi is the second most expensive Malayalam film ever made with a budget of about Rs 200 million and has been dubbed into Tamil, Telugu and English.
The film, spread between the second and third visits of Vasco da Gama to India, chronicles a varied version of how da Gama could have met a bloody death in AD 1524.
It is set in the backdrop of the fierce warrior clans of Northern Kerala in the 16th century and focuses on Chirakkal Kelu Nayanar (Prithviraj) – a man whose target and mission is to resist or kill Dom Vasco da Gama, the Viceroy of the Portuguese empire in India.
This is the second time that a film by Sivan will be screened at the festival, the first being his 2005 film Navarasa.
The film has been titled Pathinaindham Nootrandu Uraivaal in Tamil while the English version has been named Vasco Da Gama. The Hindi title is being finalised.
The film has been titled Pathinaindham Nootrandu Uraivaal in Tamil while the English version has been named Vasco Da Gama. The Hindi title is being finalised.
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
