Hindi
SRK starrer Chennai Express storms ahead with Rs 92 crore
MUMBAI: Rohit Shetty’s big budget action-comedy Chennai Express has made the most of the Eid weekend solo release. The Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer’s high decibel promotion has also paid rewards as the film has swept the box office to set a new weekend collection record. Also, calling it a clean family entertainer has helped, as the film ended its weekend (paid previews on 8 August included) with Rs 92 crore, an outstanding fete on all counts.
Having exhausted a lot of its ‘Must Watch’ audience, the film has slowed down at multiplexes but holding on well at single screens. The film left no chance of using various platforms for promotions, SRK featured on popular television fiction and non-fiction shows over the past one month including Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Madhubala: Ek Ishq Ek Junoon, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, Comedy Nights With Kapil to name a few.
Of the smaller releases of the last week, BA Pass starring Shilpa Shukla (Chak De India! fame) seems to have impressed the critics as a noir film! The film managed to put together Rs 5.35 crore for its first week.
Rabba Main Kya Karoon starring Akash Chopra, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal and Riya Sen has bordered on the one crore rupees mark in its first week.
Bajatey Raho coined as a revenge comedy and having some well known names to boast off like Tusshar Kapoor, Dolly Ahluwalia, Ranvir Shorey, Ravi Kishan, Vinay Pathak, Vishakha Singh struggled to put together another Rs 55 lakh in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 7.05 crore.
Ramaiya Vastavaiya which marked the debut of Girish Kumar alongside Shruti Hassan collected Rs 1.2 crore in its third week to take its three week total to Rs 25.85 crore.
D-Day has done reasonably well to collect Rs 1.5 crore in its third week to take its three week total to Rs 19.5 crore.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag which saw Farhan Akhtar depict the role of ‘the flying sikh’ Milhka Singh has collected Rs 8.5 crore in its fourth week to take its four week total to Rs 102.75 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
