Hindi
Veteran actor Jagdish Raj leaves for heavenly abode
MUMBAI: A mainstay of Bollywood for 21 years, the man who reportedly earned his recognition in the Guinness World Records as the film industry’s most typecast actor Jagdish Raj is no more. He is known for his role as a police inspector in at least 144 films.
Back in the 1960s, a big Hollywood casting director called Harvey Wood came and selected him for a police inspector’s role. Although he had done many films before as hero and villain, but he found popularity reprising the role of police inspector time and again.
Twenty years later, he bumped into Harvey Wood again. He looked at him and said, “Bloody hell! You’re still in the same uniform.” He asked Raj to mail him the details of all his films as he was onto a world record for the most occupational role. Later the Guinness book people sent a team to Bombay to verify facts before they entered his name in their book.
Born in Pakistan, Raj was featured in releases including Deewar, Don, Shakti, Mazdoor, and Imaan Dharam before he retired in 1992. He’s also known as the father of Bollywood star Anita Raj.
Raj had been in and out of hospital for the past two years and had respiratory problems. He died in Mumbai at 84 due to a respiratory arrest on 28 July, according to his son-in-law Rakesh Malhotra.
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
