Actor Rajat Bedi expressed heartfelt gratitude towards Rakesh Roshan, who had cast the actor in the 2003 film Koi... Mil Gaya, and tagged the veteran filmmaker as the one who gave him a role that’s kept him alive till today. In the 2003 film, Rajat played the iconic character Raj Saxena. It turned out to be a breakthrough role for him in the film, which also stars Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rajat Bedi (@rajatbedi24) Taking to Instagram, he shared a picture with Rakesh Roshan. The two are seen smiling and posing for the camera lens. For the caption, he wrote: “So so happy and blessed to meet the man who gave me a role that’s kept me alive till today rakesh_roshan9 , my guru my teacher and the most humble and talented person in the industry. “Sir, what a pleasure and an honour to meet you today and to have worked with you. It would be anyone’s dream to work with you and I’ve had that dream fulfilled once, would love to do it again.” Koi... Mil Gaya was a science fiction action drama film directed by Rakesh Roshan. The film focuses on Rohit Mehra, a developmentally disabled man who contacts an extraterrestrial being later named Jadoo with his late father Sanjay's supercomputer. The film follows his relationship with Nisha, Rohit's friend, who falls in love with him. Rajat debuted as a lead in the 1998 sci-fi film 2001: Do Hazaar Ek. He transitioned to supporting and antagonistic roles, gaining recognition for playing Raj Saxena in the 2003 blockbuster Koi... Mil Gaya, directed by Rakesh Roshan. He has appeared in over 40 films, including Jodi No.1, Rakht, Khamoshh... Khauff Ki Raat and Rocky - The Rebel. He was recently seen in the series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, a satirical action comedy drama series directed by Aryan Khan in his directorial debut for Netflix. It brought Rajat back into the spotlight. It features Bobby Deol, Lakshya Lalwani, Raghav Juyal, Sahher Bambba, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, Manish Chaudhari, Rajat Bedi, Meherzan Mazda, Divik Sharma, Mona Singh, Gautami Kapoor, Vijayant Kohli, Neville Bharucha, and Armaan Khera. The series follows Aasmaan Singh, an actor from Delhi, whose successful debut under producer Freddy Sodawallah leads to a role opposite Karishma Talvar in a film by Karan Johar. He faces challenges, including Freddy’s multi-film contract, interference from Karishma’s father, Ajay Talvar, a developing romance, and unforeseen complications. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 December,2025 12:33 PM IST | Mumbai | IANSBollywood actor Shilpa Shetty has paid a heartfelt tribute to her late father, remembering him on his 85th birth anniversary. Taking to Instagram, Shilpa shared old pictures with her dad, capturing the strong bond between the father-daughter duo. The post also featured a priceless moment showing Shilpa's father with her son, Viaan. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) She concluded the series with a group picture of herself and her sister, Shamita Shetty, with their father. "Cheers to 85, Dad! I hope you are enjoying your single malt up there," she wrote in the caption. Shilpa and Shamita's father passed away in October 2016 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Shilpa Shetty, who got married to businessman Raj Kundra in November 2009, welcomed her first child, son Viaan, in 2012. The couple welcomed their daughter, Samisha, in February 2020, who was born via surrogacy. The actor has lately been in the headlines for the wrong headlines. After being named in an alleged Rs 60-crore fraud case, Shilpa broke her silence with a strongly worded statement and refuted the claims. "I am deeply saddened by the baseless attempt to link my name to this matter. My association with the company was strictly in a non-executive capacity, with no role in its operations, finances, decision-making, or any signing authority. In fact, like several other public figures, I had endorsed certain products for the home shopping channel, in a professional capacity, for which payments due to me remain outstanding," the statement read. Shetty further alleged that her family had loaned a substantial amount to the company, adding that nearly Rs 20 crore was extended as a loan and that the amount remains "unpaid." "I want to put it on record that almost Rs 20 crore has been loaned to the company by us as a family, and the said amount remains unpaid. The mischievous attempt to impute criminal liability on me, particularly after an unexplained delay of nearly nine years, is legally unsustainable and contrary to settled principles of law," she said. In August, a case was filed against Shilpa Shetty, her husband Raj Kundra, and another individual for allegedly cheating a businessman of over Rs 60 crore. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 December,2025 12:19 PM IST | Mumbai | ANIMegastar Amitabh Bachchan fondly remembered his late mother, Teji Bachchan, on her 18th death anniversary, marking the day with an emotional tribute on his blog. The actor shared a photograph of his mother and dedicated the day entirely to her memory, expressing his feelings through a deeply personal note. Amitabh Bachchan pens a heartfelt note In his blog post, Amitabh wrote in Hindi, “Maa ki yad main din samarpit aaj ka din. Dec 21. Kuch kehne ke liye shabd nahi hote bas… Prarthanayein.” Translated, the message reflects his quiet grief and reverence, stating that the day was devoted to his mother’s memory and that there were no words left to say—only prayers. Teji Bachchan married renowned poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan in Allahabad in 1941. After marriage, she chose to be a homemaker but retained her deep love for the performing arts. Known for her fondness for theatre and music, she would often sing at social gatherings when encouraged. She and Harivansh Rai Bachchan had two sons, Amitabh and Ajitabh Bachchan. Teji Bachchan spent most of 2007 in the hospital and was moved to the ICU in November after her health deteriorated. She passed away on December 21, 2007, at the age of 93, following a prolonged illness. Amitabh has often spoken about his close bond with his parents and continues to remember them through heartfelt blog posts. Big B recently reacted to IKKIS getting postponed On the professional front, Amitabh recently addressed the postponement of his grandson Agastya Nanda’s upcoming film Ikkis. The film was initially scheduled for release on October 2, later shifted to December 25, and has now been set for a solo release on January 1. Commenting on the change, Amitabh wrote humorously on his blog, “IKKIS pehle PACCHIS (25) ko thi, ab hogi CHHABBIS (26), pehli (1) ko; kuch jyotish vidya wale kahe, bhai, shagun hai accha, chale chalo, bas chale chalo!!” Directed by Sriram Raghavan, Ikkis is a war drama based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India–Pakistan War. The film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Simar Bhatia. Agastya previously made his acting debut with Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies. Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan continues to host the latest season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Hindi adaptation of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which airs on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.
22 December,2025 12:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, continues to cause mass destruction at the Indian box office. From its storyline to Akshaye Khanna’s viral FA9LA dance, everything about the film is grabbing attention. Apart from Flipperachi’s hit, Krystle D’Souza and Ayesha Khan’s Shararat is also the masses’ favourite. However, choreographer Vijay Ganguly recently revealed Tamannaah Bhatia was the first choice for the song. He even shared why Aditya Dhar rejected her. Vijay Ganguly on Tamannaah not being part of Dhurandhar Speaking to Filmygyan, Vijay shared that he had suggested Tamannaah’s name for the song, but Aditya had something else in mind and rejected the idea. He said, “Aditya was very clear that he did not want what people call an item song, something that went out of the story. If it were just about one girl, it would have taken attention away from the story. That’s why there are two girls, not one. He didn’t want the attention to be about this one person. If it was Tamannaah, it would’ve been about her and not the story." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ayesha Khan (@ayeshaakhan_official) Vijay further continued and said, “Jo ho raha tha film mein, there was a lot going on, and if you go away from the story, then the song is just a cut-to song." Krystle and Ayesha on Dhurandhar success Ayesha Khan shared a series of behind-the-scenes pictures from the set. In the caption, she wrote, “Am I a part of Dhurandhar??? Someone please pinch me!!! I watched the movie yesterday and I have no words to describe the world that Aditya Dhar has created!!! Fifteen minutes into the film and you forget that the ‘ACTORS’ are ‘STARS’. All you see is the world and the characters Aditya sir and team have built!!" Krystle shared that the overwhelming love coming her way has been deeply heartening. She revealed that her inbox has been flooded with dance reels, covers, and screenshots. About Dhurandhar Written and directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar draws inspiration from real-life geopolitical events and covert RAW operations, particularly those connected to Operation Lyari. The film features Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna in key roles, alongside Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun. Dhurandhar Part 2 is slated for release on March 19, 2026. Talking about the box office, the film has surpassed Rs 800 crore in global earnings. In India, the movie has amassed a net total of Rs 555.5 crore. With this, Dhurandhar secured a place in the top ten Indian films of all time, dethroning Animal. The film continues to maintain momentum amid James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire & Ash release.
22 December,2025 11:18 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAs Welcome completed 18 years since its release, Anil Kapoor looked back at the film with gratitude and nostalgia. He paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Feroz Khan. Recalling the impact of Khan’s iconic character RDX, Kapoor shared how the veteran actor brought unmatched energy and gravitas to the film, turning the role into one of its biggest highlights. In his post, the Mr. India actor credited Feroz Khan for lifting the film with his power-packed performance. 18 years of Welcome.This one’s for Feroz Khan Saab 🤍Welcome wasn’t Welcome without RDX, just like Mr. India wasn’t complete without Mogambo.both are irreplaceable period 🫡 pic.twitter.com/wmSmSFLwBX — Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) December 21, 2025 On Sunday, Anil Kapoor took to his X handle and shared images from the comedy drama. In the throwback clicks, he can be seen striking poses with Feroz Khan and Nana Patekar. The first monochrome image dates back to 1986 and shows the late actor standing with his arms wrapped around Anil. The next shots are from their scenes together in Welcome. For the caption, Kapoor wrote, “18 years of Welcome. This one’s for Feroz Khan Saab Welcome wasn’t Welcome without RDX, just like Mr. India wasn’t complete without Mogambo. both are irreplaceable period.” Anil Kapoor added, “I remember hearing the script and wondering how it would land. Picture yaha ruk jati hai baith jati hain. Anees bhai said, 'Chinta mat karo… Feroz Saab picture utha lenge'. And he did. RDX lifted the film. This film. this character, this madness. magic.” Welcome, the 2007 Hindi-language romantic comedy from India, was co-written and directed by Anees Bazmee. The film was loosely inspired by the 1999 English comedy Mickey Blue Eyes. It featured an ensemble cast led by Feroz Khan along with Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, and Mallika Sherawat. Sunil Shetty and Malaika Arora also appeared in special roles. Welcome also marked the last on-screen appearance of Feroz Khan, who passed away two years later after battling lung cancer. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 December,2025 11:04 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSAhead of the December 25 release of Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, the censor board has asked for several modifications. The film, starring Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday, has been directed by Sameer Vidwans. The rom-com has been cleared by the CBFC with a handful of changes. CBFC suggested changes for TMMTMTTM As per reports in Bollywood Hungama, TMMTMTTM was passed with a U/A 16+ certificate. The Examining Committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) asked for three cuts to the film. The makers were asked to reduce a sexually suggestive scene in the first half of the film. Accordingly, 15 seconds of the scene were censored. Secondly, the makers were asked to mute and remove obscene words from the dialogue as well as the subtitles. Lastly, the CBFC members instructed the makers to mute and remove abbreviations of obscene expressions in a scene in the second half. The length of the film, as mentioned on the censor certificate, is 145.41 minutes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KARTIK AARYAN (@kartikaaryan) About TMMTMTTM Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri is directed by Sameer Vidwans and produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, and Bhumika Tewari. The film will be released in theatres on December 25, coinciding with Christmas. It also features Neena Gupta, Jackie Shroff, and Tiku Talsania in supporting roles. The trailer of the film opens with Kartik introducing himself as Ray and Ananya as Rumi. They meet on a vacation and stay at the same place, eventually becoming friends and falling in love. However, the story takes an emotional twist. Kartik and Ananya’s upcoming movies On the work front, Kartik will star in the upcoming Hindi fantasy-comedy film Naagzilla, where he plays an Ichchadhari Naag. This film is also backed by Dharma Productions. Apart from this, he has Anurag Basu’s Tu Meri Zindagi Hai with Sreeleela. Sources revealed to mid-day that the makers chose this title as it distances the project enough from the Aashiqui franchise. The movie is being positioned as a big-ticket summer romance, with the team aiming for a May 1 release. Meanwhile, Ananya will star alongside Lakshya in Chand Mera Dil.
22 December,2025 10:30 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSinger and composer Armaan Malik penned a heartfelt note on social media as he marked 18 years in the music industry. Commemorating the special occasion, Armaan decided to take a trip down memory lane and uploaded a picture from his first professional photoshoot before stepping into the entertainment industry on the Stories section of his Instagram handle. Expressing gratitude for his journey, he wrote on the photo-sharing app, "18 years in the music industry today! This was my first professional photoshoot, before my debut Bollywood song. Grateful for my journey, always (Red heart emoji) (sic)". In another social media post, Armaan thanked all those who have stood by him during his journey. "18 years flew by real quick!! Just feeling thankful for all my angels who’ve been part of this ride from day one. Your love never goes unnoticed. Onwards and upwards" (sic)," he wrote. Armaan made his debut as a child singer back in 2007 with the song Bum Bum Bole for Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par. In 2011, he made his primary on-screen appearance in the film Kaccha Limboo. Ever since then, he has delivered some memorable numbers that remain at the top of the charts of music lovers. As we wrap up 2025, Armaan called it one of the most difficult years of his life. He shared that the year gone by forced him to see himself and others in a new light and gave birth to a new version of him. The singer shared on social media, "Putting work and accomplishments aside, this has been the most difficult year of my life and I know I am not alone in that. This year forced me to see myself and others with a clarity that broke me open and gave birth to someone new. (sic)" "In the Year of the Snake, I shed an entire skin and stepped into a new version of myself. Welcoming new energy and healing as we step into the light of the sun and into the new year: 2026," he added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 December,2025 10:25 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSJust days ahead of the release of the war film Ikkis, actor Sunny Deol remembered his father, legendary actor Dharmendra, as he shared a behind-the-scenes video from the movie, where the 'He-Man' will be seen in a posthumous appearance. Sunny Deol posted a video on Instagram from the final day of the shoot. The clip shows Dharmendra speaking on set about his time working on the film and sharing his thoughts on its message. In the video, Dharmendra spoke about how he wanted the film to reach audiences across borders and shared that he felt "happily sad" on the last day of shooting. Talking about the film, the late actor said, "I think India and Pakistan both should see the film. I'm a bit happily sad today, the last day of shooting. I love you all. If I made any mistakes, please forgive me." Along with the video, Sunny added a caption that read, "A smile that lit up the darkness. Generosity without limits. Love for my papa is deeply rooted in our hearts. He has blessed us with his final film, Ikkis. Let's celebrate him in movie halls this New Year." Take a look View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sunny Deol (@iamsunnydeol) Directed by Sriram Raghavan, Ikkis is a war biopic based on Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. The film stars Agastya Nanda in the lead, alongside Jaideep Ahlawat, Suhasini Mulay, Sikander Kher, and Rahul Dev. Nanda and Dharmendra's war drama Ikkis, initially scheduled for December 25, will now release on January 1, 2026. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 December,2025 10:19 AM IST | Mumbai | ANIMexican actor Dario Yazbek Bernal, known widely for his role in Netflix’s The House of Flowers, recently wrapped up the shoot of White in India. With Vikrant Massey stepping into the role of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Montoo Bassi’s directorial venture will chronicle the spiritual leader’s involvement in Colombia’s peace process. “At its core, the film is driven by a sincere emotion. It simply says: this is what happened, and this is how forgiveness becomes possible,” explains the actor over a phone call. He believes that in a world marked by polarisation, White arrives at a crucial moment. “The film is saying something that we’ve forgotten how to do: listen.” (L) Vikrant Massey plays (R) Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the thriller That it also brought Bernal to India is another incentive. The film had its second schedule in Bengaluru through November and early December. Having spent eight weeks in India, Bernal reflects, “It’s not just Eat Pray Love! It’s complex, welcoming, overwhelming, and deeply fascinating.” The actor is equally pleased to work with co-star Massey, someone who surrendered to the story as much as he did. He says, “It fascinates me when actors from different cultures come together. Actors share a universal language. We’re driven by curiosity about people, places, and cultures. I learned a lot from him.” Did you know? Darío Yazbek Bernal is the half-brother of acclaimed actor Gael García Bernal of ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ fame
22 December,2025 08:29 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuNo funding for ‘Stree’ Dinesh Vijan Producer Dinesh Vijan has revealed that Shraddha Kapoor’s Stree (2018) was made without external backing as financiers were unwilling to support the project. Speaking to PTI, he shared, “When we made Stree, no one was funding me, so I had to make it on my own,” adding that several felt the film’s title “would not work”. The horror-comedy movie went on to become a sleeper hit, later spawning a sequel in 2024. Reflecting on the journey, Vijan noted that the experience has made him more confident about backing unique and unconventional ideas. Calling a spade a spade Mohit Suri Filmmaker Mohit Suri recently called out fellow directors for complaining about dwindling theatrical audiences while rarely visiting cinemas themselves. In an interaction with THR India, Mohit, whose Saiyaara was one of the most successful films this year, reacted when Cactus Pears director Rohan Kanawade admitted he had not watched many recent releases in theatres. Shaking his head, Mohit said, “We all cry about theatres, but you all don’t go to theatres. All of you are crying that no one goes to the theatres. I go every weekend for whichever film releases.” PM on the roll (L-R) Unni Mukundan and Kranthi Kumar CH on the set of ‘Maa Vande’; (right) the film’s poster The makers of Maa Vande, a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi starring Unni Mukundan, commenced filming with a traditional pooja on the first day of the shoot in Mumbai, on December 21. Sharing visuals from the ceremony on social media, the team marked the beginning of the project, which was announced on Modi’s birthday in September. Described as a biographical drama, the movie aims to chronicle the leader’s formative journey. The film, directed by Kranthi Kumar CH, is set for a 2026 release.
22 December,2025 08:16 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamTo an entire generation, if not more, Sonu Nigam has been the voice of Bollywood. They grew up on the singer’s different numbers and moods — as he serenaded them with Suraj Hua Maddham, made them dance with Bijuriya, or reflected their heartbreak in Tanhayee. Now, the lucky ones are reliving their favourite singer’s magic, as Nigam is on a seven-city tour with Satrangi Re. mid-day caught up with the artiste days before his Ahmedabad show on December 21, as he opened up on how such concerts are demanding as well as gratifying. Excerpts from the interview. In the Satrangi Re concert series, you’re performing for three hours at a stretch. Is this the first time you’re fronting a show without additional performers? It’s the first time that I have sung non-stop for three hours without any added singer or a break. Earlier, I did private concerts that lasted as long, but they were unplanned and happened because of people’s requests. What made you extend your Hyderabad show by 30 minutes?We had planned to extend the show because when we did the two-and-a-half hour show in Mumbai, we realised I didn’t have time to sing eight popular songs. I wanted to include them in the Hyderabad concert. While it’s not possible to include all the beautiful songs of my career, it’s my duty to incorporate at least some of the best. Considering you had sprained your back earlier this year, how demanding are such concerts physically?I sprained my back in February, and am fine now — no spasm or sprain. My job is musical, but also athletic. I have to take care of my fitness level. Sometimes I catch infections because of the weather or pollution, like I have right now, but I keep a check on my health and vocal prowess. What do you do before stepping onto the stage for a show?On the day of the shows, I don’t meet people or go out, however beautiful the place may be. For people, the show starts at 7 pm, but for me, it starts when I wake up. I start getting ready mentally, practice on my tanpura, and work out for an hour at the gym. Before the concert, I hold hands with my entire team, thank God and the audience as they are the reason that I am here. In my mind, it is a huge circle of people holding hands. I’m a little mad like that (laughs). Mohammed Rafi On December 27, Sonu Nigam will pay tribute to the legend, Mohammed Rafi, with a unique concert, ‘Sonu Nigam: Sau Saal Pehle – Rafi Sonu Ek Saath’, in Dubai. The singer shares, “It’s a different concept, which I need to do in India too [at some point].”
22 December,2025 08:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRADVERTISEMENT
