Hindi
US$ 20m Drishyam fund for 10 Indian films in two years, releases showreel
MUMBAI: Mumbai-based Drishyam Films is set to launch a $20m Production Fund to facilitate the growth of independent Indian cinema and to escalate it to a global reach.
The fund will be spent in developing and producing cutting edge original content that will be true to the Drishyam vision of cinema, i.e. local in its setting but global in its appeal. It will be put to use for producing 10 independent Indian films over the next two years.
Manish Mundra, founder of Drishyam Films, expects to announce the first projects under the fund in the early 2018. In addition to the production of the films, the fund will also be used to develop Drishyam Films’ VFX Studio in Mumbai.
The production fund, which is raised independently by Manish Mundra, will help Drishyam Films towards accomplishing their goals of building a platform for unique voices of Indian independent cinema and create global content with rich Indian flavours.
Mundra says: “This fund has been set up with the objective of taking Indian cinema to the next level internationally. We plan to take our focus on content driven cinema and merge it with high technical finesse to make films that will travel across the world.”
The studio which has produced some of the most acclaimed and globally feted Indian films recently such as Ankhon Dekhi, Masaan, Dhanak, Umrika and Waiting also released a special showreel that celebrates their impressive body of work, and also gives audiences a sneak preview of their forthcoming releases.
Apart from the fund, Mundra has two new features going into production over the summer – Mohamed Gani’s Cycle, about the importance of the humble bicycle in small-town India, and Ganesh Shetty’s Anonymous, about a woman and her relationship with society as she undergoes an abortion. Both films are being readied for festival submission by the end of the year.
Drishyam Films has already had a great start to 2017, with their next release Newton starring Rajkummar Rao winning the CICAE Award at the Berlin International Film Festival 2017 and the Jury Prize for Best Film at the 41st Hong Kong Film Festival, 2017. More recently, their films won big at the 64th National Film Awards where Dhanak won Best Children’s Film, while Kadvi Hawa bagged a Special Mention.
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
