Artists — filmmakers, musicians, storytellers — need nurturing. And nurseries. While there is no direct path to finding one’s voice, the right guidance and care can gently shape a mind or sharpen an instinct.
In the world of formal training, film and acting schools are sanctuaries where such growth can happen. India has a long tradition of nurturing artistic talent and discovering the next generation of disruptors. To help aspiring artists and creatives navigate their next step, The Hollywood Reporter India has assembled this directory of film and music schools in India. While not a ranking in any form or intent, the institutes in this directory offer admissions and accept applications from students looking to find their first footing.
METHODOLOGY
Drawing inspiration from leading university ranking systems such as the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, research firm Past Perfect developed a set of criteria to assess Indian institutions offering programmes in film and drana. The method provided a consistent framework for compiling a comprehensive list of schools for consideration.
Their initial research identified more than 100 institutions across India, which were compared and evaluated. Their assessment considered a range of factors, including the school’s reputation within the industry, the calibre of notable alumni who had studied there, the breadth and frequency of guest lecturers bringing fresh perspectives and industry expertise, the quality of facilities available to students, and, ultimately, the employment prospects and professional opportunities available to graduates.
Following rigorous research and careful consideration of factors, the firm identified the universities that offer the strongest overall opportunities for prospective film and acting students in India.
Actor Prepares
Founded in 2005 by veteran actor Anupam Kher, Actor Prepares is a specialised acting academy in Mumbai. The institute focuses on training aspiring actors and performers for film, television and digital media. Its programmes include Advanced Diploma in Screen Acting, Diploma in Acting, Foundation Course, Young Actors Training Programme and specialised workshops. Training covers acting techniques, voice and speech, body movement, scene work, character development and camera performance, with live shoots and mock auditions.
Their notable alumni include Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Deepika Padukone, Varun Dhawan, Kirti Kulhari, Sharvari Wagh, Prachi Desai and Kiara Advani.
The faculty includes NSD and FTII graduates as well as guest sessions and masterclasses by industry professionals. Meanwhile, through the Actor Prepares Talent Company, an in-house talent wing, students receive casting information and audition leads.
Amity School of Film and Drama
Part of the private, NAAC A+-accredited Amity University (Noida), the Amity School of Film and Drama (ASFD) trains students across the full spectrum of screen arts — acting, direction, cinematography, editing, sound design, screenwriting, animation, VFX, comics and game design. It offers three-year UG and two-year PG degrees across 10 specialisations, a one-year PG diploma in Acting, and a PhD in drama, films and new media.
Admission is interview-based, with no minimum percentage requirement at UG level. Facilities include shooting, sound and chroma studios kitted out with Sony 4K cameras, a Skycam jimmy jib and Mac Pro editing suites. Amity University itself sits in the QS World University Rankings 2026 band of 951–1000 and 601–800 on the THE World University Rankings.
Annapurna College of Film and Media
Annapurna College of Film and Media is a private film school affiliated to JNAFA University, Hyderabad, and was established within Annapurna Studios, the film hub founded by actor and filmmaker Dr. Akkineni Nageswara Rao. The college offers both bachelor's and master's degrees in filmmaking, along with certificate courses in acting, animation and VFX. As one of the few film schools in India located within a working film studio, the college offers an immersive, practice-led education.
Barry John Acting Studio
Opened (as Imago Acting School) in 1997, in Noida by acclaimed theatre director Barry John, and later establishing its flagship Mumbai base in 2007, the Barry John Acting Studio (BJAS) is recognised for its rigorous, craft-driven approach. Eschewing standard Bollywood grooming — omitting dance, stunts, and martial arts — BJAS focuses on global techniques. Its curriculum is 95 per cent practical, leaning heavily on Sanford Meisner’s technique and Stephen Book’s improvisation to instil the philosophy that “acting is doing.”
The studio offers full-time diploma and certificate programs in film acting, alongside weekend workshops, advanced series for professional actors and a structured Young Actors Club for children. An in-house theatre group allows graduates to continually hone their craft in stage productions. While Barry John famously mentored Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee during their ’80s Theatre Action Group days, prominent graduates of the modern studio include Freida Pinto, Richa Chadha, Varun Dhawan, Rana Daggubati, and Harshvardhan Rane.
Film and Television Institute of India
Located in Pune on the heritage grounds of the erstwhile Prabhat Studio, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was established in 1960 by the government of India. A member of the prestigious CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision — the global association of world-leading film and television schools) network, FTII was officially notified as an Institution Deemed to be University by the Ministry of Education in April 2025.
The institute offers comprehensive, practice-oriented training across its Film and Television Wings, conferring two- and three-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Cinema degrees in disciplines including direction & screenplay writing, cinematography, editing, sound recording & sound design, art direction & production design, and screen acting, alongside intensive one-year postgraduate certificates in television production. Renowned for its integrated pedagogical model and pioneering Film Appreciation courses, FTII boasts a formidable alumni roster that includes Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, Oscar winner Resul Pookutty, filmmakers Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sriram Raghavan, Rajkumar Hirani and Payal Kapadia among others.
Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute
Founded in 1983 by prominent actor, acting teacher and author Kishore Namit Kapoor, the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute has produced some of the most notable names and faces in the film industry, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, John Abraham, Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Parineeti Chopra.
Centered on acting training, KNK’s mission is to offer a holistic approach that focuses not only on the technical side of the craft, but also on its personal and spiritual aspects. The institute offers both in-person and online courses. Its flagship offering is a three-month professional course led by Kapoor himself, covering everything from the basics of acting, advance screening acting emotional access and camera techniques, all aimed at helping students become working professional performers.
KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts
KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts (KRNNIVSA) is located in Kerala’s remote Chengalam village in Kottayam district. It began operations 10 years ago and it is governed by a council, with the Chief Minister of Kerala as its chairman.
The institution offers a variety of courses in different fields within filmmaking which include acting, audiography, direction, script writing, animation and visual effects. The institute also provides access to a shooting floor, an actor’s studio and a preview theatre.
LV Prasad College of Media Studies
Located bang in the centre of Chennai’s film production hub in Saligramam, the LV Prasad College of Media Studies has completed 20 years of excellence in film education. With a variety of courses for both graduates and postgraduates, one can choose to learn cinematography, film direction, sound design, music production and editing. The college was the brainchild of Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winning director-producer LV Prasad and the proximity to one of India’s best production facilities only adds to the sheen of this institute.
Over 500 students have so far graduated from the college, and they’ve collectively collaborated on over 1,000 student films. R.S. Prassana, the director of superhits such as Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and last year’s Sitaare Zameen Par, and Sujeeth, director of OG and Saaho, are notable alumni.
MIT School of Film & Theatre
The constituent of MIT Art, Design & Technology University, MIT School of Film & Theatre, Pune, is focused on practical training combined with theoretical knowledge. The curriculum offers courses in filmmaking (BSc & MSc) with specialisations including direction and screenplay writing, cinematography, editing, sound recording and designing, visual effects and motion graphics, production design and BA in Dramatics. Film & Theatre Education at MIT SFT is structured and mentored by faculty that is trained professionally in filmmaking and drama. The faculty, besides taking classes and supervising projects, individually mentors each student. Top industry professionals are invited to conduct workshops in every specialisation all year round.
In 2022, MIT School of Film and Theatre student Vishesh Iyer’s final graduation film project Pariah was awarded the prestigious 68th National Film Award for Most Promising Debut by a Director in the Non-Feature Film Category.
M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute
Originally called The Adyar Film Institute, the M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute is a government-run film school located in Chennai. It opened its doors to aspiring film students from across the country way back in 1945 and it has remained highly influential in creating some of Indian cinema’s biggest stalwarts, ever since.
Notable alumni include legends such as Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Sreenivasan, Manoj Paramahamsa, Mahesh Narayanan, P.C. Sreeram, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Shiva Rajkumar among many others.
The college offers four-year bachelor’s degree courses in cinematography, audiography, direction and screenplay writing, film editing and animation and visual effects.
Mumbai Film Academy
Mumbai Film Academy is a film and media training institute founded by Brajesh Pandey, a sound recording engineer with over 30 years of experience in the Indian film and television industry. The Mumbai-based academy offers professional training through full-time, part-time, weekend and short-term certificate and diploma programmes. Its courses span filmmaking, direction, cinematography, editing, VFX, audio and sound engineering, music production, classical & playback singing, voicing and anchoring, script writing, film production and distribution along with acting & presentation.
The academy states that it has tie-ups with more than 1,600 production houses in India and abroad. Their alumni include Mayank Tiwari, cinematographer Alijonov Khusanboy, associate director Shreya Nair, and cinematographer Aman Panjare. Facilities include RED Dragon, RED Komodo, ARRI Alexa and Blackmagic cameras.
National Institute of Design
The National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad was founded in September 1961 by the government of India with the assistance of the Ford Foundation and the Sarabhai family. In 2014, NID was declared an ‘Institute of National Importance’ by the Act of Parliament, by virtue of the National Institute of Design Act. The university offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees across a range of design disciplines including film and video communication, animation film design, graphoc design, exhibition design and photography design. In 2017, NID Ahmedabad introduced a doctoral programme in design.
The institute has campuses located in Bengaluru and Gandhinagar.
National School of Drama
Located in New Delhi, the National School of Drama (NSD) is India’s foremost — and only national — theatre training institution. Set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1959, it became an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture in 1975. NSD’s flagship offering is a three-year diploma in Dramatic Arts, with training spanning classical, folk and modern theatre traditions from India and abroad. Its Repertory Company (1964) and Theatre-in-Education wing “Sanskaar Rang Toli” (1989) let graduates stage professional and children’s productions, while its Extension Program has run theatre workshops nationwide since 1978. NSD’s alumni roster reads like a who’s-who of Indian screen acting: Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Anupam Kher, Irrfan Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, Neena Gupta and Ratna Pathak Shah among them.
In April 2026, the Delhi High Court granted an interim stay on NSD’s 30-year upper age limit for diploma admissions, calling the cap “prima facie arbitrary” for a talent-based discipline — a ruling likely to push future admissions toward merit over age.
Pearl Academy
Founded in 1993 by the Creative Arts Education Society, Pearl Academy is a creative arts institution with campuses in Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and Bengaluru. Alongside its programmes in design, fashion and media, the academy offers professional certificate courses in filmmaking, animation and VFX, and photography. Students receive training in direction, writing, cinematography and editing, with increasing emphasis on emerging technologies such as virtual production and Unreal Engine.
Notable alumni include National Award-winning actor Keerthy Suresh, actor Shreya Mehta, and fashion designers Nikhil Mehra and Karan Torani. Faculty members include National Award-winning animation filmmaker C.B. Arun Kumar and cinematographer Abhinav Gaidhane, while entrepreneurship initiatives and placement support help connect students with opportunities across the creative sector.
Placing Dreams Film and Television Institute
Founded in 2012, Placing Dreams Film and Television Institute is a Mumbai-based institution offering courses in acting, script writing, video editing, filmmaking, cinematography and film direction.
The filmmaking programme has been curated by National Award-winning filmmaker Dinesh S. Yadav. Students have access to production, editing and sound facilities as part of their training.
Alumni include actor Jyotsana Chandola, assistant director Shivam Gupta of Jio Studios and filmmaker Abhinav Burman. Graduates have gone on to work with organisations including Netflix, Prime Video, T-Series, Jio Studios, Sony LIV and Zee5.
Ramesh Sippy Academy of Cinema and Entertainment
This Mumbai-based film and media training institute was founded by Padma Shri awardee Ramesh Sippy. The Ramesh Sippy Academy of Cinema and Entertainment (RSACE) school offers undergraduate degree programmes, certificate and advanced certification programmes across areas such as filmmaking, direction (a module within the overall course of a BA in Film Arts), animation, VFX, screenwriting, film production and management, acting, editing, photography and cinematography.
Its three-year B.A. programmes include Film Art – direction, 3D animation, VFX, screenwriting and film production and management, while its shorter-term programmes include acting, editing, photography, screenplay writing and cinematography.
What distinguishes RSACE is its tie-up (accreditation) with the University of Mumbai. Its faculty includes experienced professionals and alumni of FTII, AJK and SRFTI, with faculty members such as Aruna Raje, Debjani Banerjee, Pushpender and Rohit Kulkarni.
Ramoji Academy of Movies
Ramoji Academy of Movies, based in Hyderabad, offers courses in story & screenplay, digital filmmaking, direction, action, film production and film editing. It also offers free online specialised courses in seven Indian languages (Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Bangla) besides English.
There are no upper age limit or minimum qualification criteria. The minimum age requirement is 15 years, and proficiency in the chosen language of study is mandatory. All a student must have is a valid phone number and an email address to receive the necessary communication. The course also includes practical training and an internship.
Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute
Located in Kolkata, the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute was founded in 1995 as India’s second national centre for cinema education (after FTII). A fully autonomous institution under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, SRFTI offers postgraduate training across film, electronic and digital media. Its Film Wing combines a one-year bridge programme with two-year MFAs in Direction and Screenplay Writing, Cinematography, Editing, Producing for Film and Television, Sound Recording and Design, and Animation Cinema.
The institute also runs research and fellowship programmes. Its alumni include National Film Award winners Namrata Rao, Christo Tomy and Haobam Paban Kumar, as well as filmmakers Amal Neerad, Kanu Behl and Dominic Sangma and cinematographer Modhura Palit, who received the Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens Award at Cannes. SRFTI was notified as an Institution Deemed to be University in 2025.
The Asian Academy of Film and Television
Founded in 1993, the Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT) began as a specialist institution for film and television education and has since grown into a multidisciplinary institution for film, media and creative arts in New Delhi. Its programmes span filmmaking, acting, animation and VFX, photography, journalism and mass communication, music, advertising, fashion and design. Film and television students have access to professional-grade studios and production and post-production infrastructure, with practical training in direction, cinematography, editing, sound, screenwriting and other filmmaking disciplines. AAFT also offers specialised training in emerging areas such as virtual production and VFX. The institution has expanded its academic ecosystem through AAFT University of Media and Arts, established in 2018, and AAFT Online, launched in 2019. With more than 37,000 alumni and students from over 120 countries, some of its most famous alumni include filmmakers Luv Ranjan, Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, Gurmmeet Singh and Atul Sabharwal, and actor Arjun Kapoor.
Whistling Woods International
Founded in 2006 by acclaimed filmmaker Subhash Ghai and led by President Meghna Ghai Puri, Whistling Woods International (WWI) is a Mumbai-based institute for film, media, communication and creative arts. Its programmes span filmmaking, screenwriting, acting, music, fashion and costume design, visual communication design, animation and game design, and media and communication, combining academic rigour with hands-on industry exposure.
WWI was recognised as a Global Institute of Influence by Forbes India (2015) and as the Best Institute for Creative and Performing Arts in India by FICCI (2019). It is distinguished by its industry ecosystem, which includes technology initiatives such as the Sony Media Technology Centre, helping the institute gain a first-mover advantage, and the Emerging Media Lab, which offers exposure to cutting-edge technologies such as virtual production, VR and AR.
Their award-winning alumni include filmmakers Shashank Khaitan and Abhishek Jain, actors Rajshri Deshpande and Aahana Kumra, editor Nitin Baid, and producer Aditi Anand, among others.