Agra gets its first film academy

Agra, June 2 (IANS) The city of the Taj Mahal has got its first film institute in Benefit Film Academy (BFA), where three Bollywood veterans will teach wannabes the nuances of acting, singing and dancing.

Bollywood's leading choreographer Saroj Khan, composer Ismail Darbar and acting guru Roshan Taneja will take classes at the institute.

'The academy's aim is to bridge the gap between urban and semi-urban India and provide the right channel for youngsters to hone their talent,' said Ruby Agarwal, chairperson of BFA.

'The academy would try to provide ample opportunities to talented artistes and train them to help them achieve perfection.

'We have tied up with Percept Picture Company (PPC). They will be given the first right to assess and evaluate our talent pool for any projects,' she added.

The academy has also entered into a tie-up with Worldstage Foundation, an organisation that will sponsor courses for talented candidates.

The academy has branches in Ahmedabad and Vadodara and will expand to Meerut, Mangalore, Surat and Jamnagar by end of the year.