Dhurandhar has been receiving a strong response from the film industry ever since its release. Among many reviews, Hrithik Roshan’s opinion grabbed attention. While he disagreed with the film’s politics in his Instagram review, on X he praised the film’s brilliance. The contrasting views grabbed everyone’s attention. Now, director Aditya Dhar has responded to him on Twitter, promising to live up to expectations in Part 2. Aditya Dhar reacts to Hrithik’s review In his second review, which he shared on X and Instagram, Hrithik wrote, Still can't get DHURANDHAR out of my mind. Aditya Dhar Films, you are an incredible maker, man. Ranveer Official, the silent to the fierce, what a journey and so damn consistent. Akshayekhanna has always been my fav and this film is proof why. Actor Madhavan, bloody mad grace, strength, and dignity. But man bolbedibol, what you did was phenomenal, what an ACT, brilliant. A huge round of applause for everyone, especially the makeup and prosthetics department. I cant wait for Part 2, he added. Still can't get DHURANDHAR out of my mind. @AdityaDharFilms you are an incredible maker man. @RanveerOfficial the silent to the fierce what a journey and so damn consistent. #akshayekhanna has always been my fav and this film is proof why. @ActorMadhavan bloody mad grace,… — Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) December 11, 2025 Responding warmly to Hrithik’s praise-filled second post, Aditya Dhar wrote, Deeply humbled by your love for DHURANDHAR, Hrithik Sir. Every actor and every department gave more than 100 percent, and your appreciation is a huge boost for the whole team. Thank you for celebrating their craft. Part 2 is coming and we’ll try our best to live up to this encouragement. Hrithik took to his Instagram Stories to pen a note, saying, I love cinema, I love people who climb into a vortex and let the story take control, spin them, shake them until what they want to say is purged out of them onto that screen. DHURANDHAR is an example of that. Loved the storytelling. Its cinema. I may disagree with the politics of it, and argue about the responsibilities us filmmakers should bear as citizens of the world. Nevertheless, I cant ignore how much I loved and learned from this one as a student of cinema. Amazing, the War 2 actor added. About Dhurandhar The film is said to be inspired by real-life events, focusing on geopolitical tensions and covert operations carried out by India’s RAW. It particularly highlights Operation Lyari, a crackdown by the Pakistani government targeting gangs and criminal networks in Karachi’s Lyari area. The film also stars Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi, and Saumya Tandon in pivotal roles. Released on December 5, 2025, the makers have confirmed that the sequel, Dhurandhar 2, will hit theatres on March 19, 2026.
13 December,2025 09:11 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA winning reunion Punjabi singer and actor, Diljit Dosanjh has officially confirmed that his second collaboration with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has been wrapped up. The film’s team was shooting the final schedule in Punjab. The actor posted a video on Instagram on December 12, giving fans a glimpse into his daily routine on set and subtly revealing that the duo is back together after the massive success of Amar Singh Chamkila (2024). In the vlog, Diljit is seen filming sequences in front of a green screen and interacting warmly with Imtiaz and the film’s crew. mid-day had earlier reported that this venture is a period romantic drama set against the backdrop of India’s partition. The movie also stars Naseeruddin Shah, Sharvari, and Vedang Raina (A deep love story in the making, October 11). Unaffected by setbacks Actor Ranveer Singh’s spy thriller Dhurandhar has been blocked from release in six Gulf countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. According to reports, authorities in these regions raised concerns over what was viewed as “anti-Pakistan” messaging. The movie has also drawn criticism from Pakistani critics and social media users who claim that the movie has numerous factual inaccuracies and the makers have taken creative liberties. However, according to reports, Aditya Dhar’s directorial venture has already earned Rs 313 crore globally.
13 December,2025 08:04 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamThe third season of The Family Man showed us that Shreya Dhanwanthary can be one hell of an intelligence officer in a spy thriller. Can she be just as good in a comedy? That’s what she has tried to find out with The Great Shamsuddin Family, which dropped on JioHotstar on December 12. “It’s my first comedic role. The film’s team had more faith in me than I had in myself [to pull this off]. So far, I’ve only done heavy-handed, serious roles, and it’s a privilege to be slotted in that category. But I want to show people that there are other things we can do, because as actors, we tend to get typecast,” she says, happy to find a place in Anusha Rizvi’s directorial venture that also stars Kritika Kamra and Juhi Babbar. Shreya Dhanwanthary Typecasting isn’t the only practice in the industry that irks Dhanwanthary. Having spent six years in Hindi cinema, the actor is cognisant of the pressure that the industry puts on artistes to chase “social media numbers”. “I have a healthy relationship with social media. This race [of wanting more followers] is never-ending because if you chase numbers, you’ll never be satisfied. Having said that, I realise the reality of people getting cast based on their social media numbers, which is foolish. It reflects the larger deterioration of art in our society. You are making choices based on something that’s ephemeral. It’s problematic,” she says.
13 December,2025 07:54 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaColombian cinematographer Juan Carlos Gil’s entry into White, the biopic on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, began with a message that arrived two years ago. Director Montoo Bassi had reached out to him after watching several of his projects, most notably the third season of Narcos. “He understood my intentions with documentary-style storytelling,” recalls Gil. Juan Carlos Gil The cinematographer formed an immediate emotional connect with White. After all, the thriller — with Vikrant Massey stepping into Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s shoes — focuses on the spiritual leader’s role in resolving Colombia’s 52-year civil war. “It’s a story in my city. The movie starts in Cali. All the situations [depicted] happened for years in my country. For any Colombian, it’s an important story. Initially, I didn’t know anything about the Art of Living, or the relation between Gurudev and the peace process. But when I read a lot, I realised this is a new way for peace processes and non-violence in my country.” To determine the tone of ‘White’, Gil revisited major political films, including ‘Argentina, 1985’, which was Argentina’s official entry to the 2023 Oscars for Best International Feature Film White went on floors in Colombia in September. Before that, Gil, who had watched barely “two or three” Hindi films, did a crash course of sorts to understand the visual language of Indian cinema. “Montoo recommended a lot of movies with Vikrant. I saw around six or seven movies, including RRR [2022] and 12th Fail [2023],” he says with a smile. Pedro Pascal in ‘Narcos 3’ Three weeks of filming in the South American country was followed by another schedule in Bengaluru, India. Gil says the Colombia leg was especially demanding for Massey. “Vikrant is a talented actor, but it was very intense. He spent around five hours every day for make-up and hair. After that, he had to do the scene — that’s another 12 hours! He was generous about the job, and with the crew in Colombia.”
13 December,2025 07:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuMumbai is hardly the place one associates with jungles. But trust director Ahmed Khan to turn parts of the city into dense forests for Welcome to the Jungle. mid-day has learnt that on December 5, the director began shooting the climax that will play out across five venues — Film City, Royal Palms, Borivali, and two locations in Aarey Colony. The production team, led by Shailesh Mahadik, has built sets depicting wilderness. (From left) Arshad Warsi, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Disha Patani also feature in the ensemble comedy The original plan was to film the climax of the ensemble comedy — starring Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Raveena Tandon, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Lara Dutta, Paresh Rawal, Tusshar Kapoor, and others — in the forests of Uttar Pradesh. A source revealed, “But the biting cold was a deterrent. Plus, the production team realised it’d be logistically impractical to shoot in the forests with a 34-member cast and 500-strong unit. Given the kind of stunts involved, Ahmed and producer Firoz A Nadiadwala decided to relocate the shoot to Mumbai.” Raveena Tandon After this leg is complete, the director will travel to North India to capture wide shots in the jungles. Khan told mid-day, “It’s wonderful that we’re shooting the climax now. Getting so many actors together was the only challenge, but once on sets, it’s a party.” An introductory song featuring the entire cast will be filmed in the second week of January, after which it will be a wrap
13 December,2025 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRDirector: Anukalp GoswamiActors: Kapil Sharma, Tridha ChoudhuryRating: 1 star The point of a sequel is you must, ideally, recall, if not actually care for the original, i.e. Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon (KKPK)— let alone whether it was a hit, hence fit for this theatrical revival. The latter’s unlikely. It would’ve made the then debutant lead actor, still India’s top TV stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma’s career in the movies, as a result.It’s been exactly a decade since. From my expressed memory of the film (that is its review then), Abbas-Mustan’s KKPK — sex-comedy about a filthy rich husband, with three frisky housewives — was a semi-fine guilty snigger, for a home-view, at best, if you could get past its crappy, cardboard aesthetics. My only visual memory of the movie is the three wives simultaneously waving goodbye to the same hero, from their separate balconies. There’s a shot like that in this second part too, that’s been produced by Abbas-Mustan, instead of the ’90s blockbuster duo directing it this time on. And which, I believe, has emerged from the writer-director Anukalp Goswami having cracked an idea to build a franchise around. That’s what’s got everyone, from Kapil, cast and crew excited to re-hit the floor. What’s that big idea? That there’s a Hindu boy (Kapil), in love with a Muslim girl. Neither family approves of their marriage. They could elope, I guess. But the Hindu boy converts to Islam, and that’s good enough for him to marry his Muslim girlfriend — who’s a runaway bride, still. Why? She thought she was being married off to someone else. The dad (Vipin Sharma) wanted to surprise her at the wedding. What? The hero’s family hits him on his head, and marries him off to a Hindu girl, the same night. The same boy, from Bhopal, meets a Christian girl at a church wedding, and marries her too, because her groom ran away. So, now we have the crazy lead Mohan with two aliases, Mehmood and Michael — switching between three performatively Muslim, Christian, Hindu households, instead of even once wondering, where his actual girlfriend has disappeared to! Why’s he entertaining three dumb behenjis in the bikini state of Goa, dancing with Honey Singh, honeymooning with them, simultaneously? You might think I’m giving away the entire film’s plot? No. All of this, as set-up, occurs within the first 20-40 minutes of the 140! How do you entertain this Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, from hereon — kaiko? Well, not that hard to screw logic, damn the idea, if there’s a Govinda-like ’90s, early 2000s style hero, adlibbing his way through boisterous mannerisms, smart one-liners, and quick comebacks. For instance, through Instagram reels, I sense a sure resurgence of even the Priyadarshan comedy, Garam Masala (2005), about Akshay Kumar rotating between three air-hostess girlfriends! KKPK 2 is similarly centred on Kapil Sharma, with Navjyot Singh Sidhu, his laugh-mate from The Great Indian Kapil Show, offering an odd sorta voice-narration. The state-run bar Wind and Waves in Bhopal has been renamed Kap’s Café. Mercifully, the thoroughly replaceable leading ladies in the movie aren’t crossdressers. Couple of issues: Kapil feels quite whittled down as the chick-magnet hero for such a madcap comedy. There are better gags on an average episode of his sketch-comedy show. Yes, there are a few fine sermons on ‘sarv dharma sambhaav’ (equal respect for all religions). But that’s in the Indian Constitution. Would rather read it there. Everybody should read the Constitution!
12 December,2025 10:20 PM IST | Mumbai | Mayank ShekharDays after Jaya Bachchan’s controversial remark against paparazzi sparked a debate in the industry, actress Huma Qureshi has now broken her silence on the paparazzi culture. She stated that paparazzi is important for the ecosystem, noting that everyone is simply doing their job. Huma went on to admit that celebs call paparazzi to promote a film or get visibility. Huma Qureshi opens up about her relationship with paparazzi During a conversation with India Today, Huma described her relationship with the paparazzi as “very healthy." She said, “I think they are also important. I won’t lie, but we use them when we need to promote our films or bring a certain aspect of our lives into the public eye. There have been times when we needed to promote our films, so we invited them to premieres. When we want to be spotted somewhere, we call them. I don’t want to put all the blame on them." Ellaborating on her equation with the paps she said it has evolved over time. He shares how whenever she isn’t looking her best or doesn’t want to get clicked, she simply requests them not to take a picture of her, and they oblige. She added, “Maybe it hasn’t been the same for others. There have been times when they’ve taken pictures of me from bad angles. But now I stop them and tell them not to do that." Huma further continued, “If you want to intrude on my privacy, you will ask questions that I won’t find appropriate. Or I might be wearing a certain dress, and you’ll try to capture it from a particular angle, which isn’t right. There’s a limit, which I think people should never cross. But we do cross that line, that’s the reality. I’m not saying anything new. As a female actress, I have experienced all of this. Someone asked me a very inappropriate question during a press conference." The Maharani 4 actress concluded saying, “My philosophy is simple: don’t misbehave and don’t let others misbehave." Jaya Bachchan's remark on paparazzi Jaya Bachchan, during an interview with Barkha Dutt, was asked about her views on paparazzi culture. To this, the veteran actor shared, “You know, it’s very strange. My relationship with the media is fantastic. I am the product of media. But my relationship with paparazzi is zero. Who are these people? Are they trained to represent the people of this country? You call them media? I come from the media. My father was a journalist. I have tremendous respect for such people." She further added, “But yeh jo bahar gande, tight pant pehenke, haath mein mobile leke (those who wear cheap tight pants and hold a mobile in their hand), they think just because they have a mobile, they can take your picture and say what they want. And the kind of comments they pass! What kind of people are these people? Kahan se aate hain, kis tarah ka education hai? Kya background hai? Will they represent us? Just because they can get through to YouTube or whatever social platform?"
12 December,2025 09:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentShah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, made his directorial debut in 2025 with the series The Ba***ds of Bollywood. The show became an instant hit, and fans loved it for its storytelling, performances and digs at the showbiz. However, now, Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2 co-star, Alyy Khan, has expressed his disatisfaction over the show. Alyy Khan slams Aryan Khan's The Ba***ds of Bollywood The British-Pakistani actor was seen on the ARY podcast wherein he voiced his opinion saying, “Recently maine Aryan ka kaam dekha The Ba***ds of Bollywood mein, mujhe bohot ajeeb laga. Ek toh family ke saath aap dekh nahi sakte hain kyunki language itni ajeeb hai. Aur uss language ki koi justification bhi nahi thi, aur jiss level ke log dekh rahe thay aap, kya woh aise sadak chap language use karte hai (Recently, I watched Aryan’s work in The Ba***ds of Bollywood, and I found it very strange. You cannot watch it with family because the language is so unusual. And at the level of the people being portrayed in the show, do they actually use such street-level language)?" He went on to add, “Mujhe kabhi kabhi lagta hai ki eyeballs ke liye, ratings ke liye, iss tarah ke informed decisions liye jaate hai. Wohi cheez kehne ki bohot tareeke hote hai. Aur agar gaali dene bhi hai, toh closeup ki tarah honi chahiye na. Ki jab chahiye tab bolo aap, that’s when you get the impact. Agar har jumle mein woh aa rahi hai toh cringe hai woh, boriyat ho jaati hai (Sometimes it seems to me that such decisions are made just for eyeballs, for ratings. There are many ways to convey the same thing. And if you want to use expletives, it should be like a close-up, say it when it matters, that’s when it has an impact. If every sentence has it, it becomes cringeworthy and boring)." About Alyy Khan For the unversed, Alyy Khan is a British-Pakistani actor and host. He has worked in Hollywood, Bollywood, and Lollywood films as well as television series. He is best known for his roles in films like A Mighty Heart, Traitor, Don 2, 3 Bahadur, Actor in Law, and Mogul Mowgli. His parallel lead role in the telefilm Anjuman is also well-known.
12 December,2025 08:56 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAs Mumbai’s AQI (Air Quality Index) continues to deteriorate with each passing day, singer Armaan Malik recently voiced his concerns, stating that he was very much worried about Mumbai’s poor AQI, noting that people have been falling sick. He penned a couple of posts on X, urging Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to 'figure out a strategic plan' to control the poor AQI in the city. Notably, on December 12 morning, the AQI crossed 150 due to dust and smog in the air of the city. Armaan Malik about Mumbai's worsening AQI In his first X post, Armaan Malik highlighted how people’s health has been affected by pollution in Mumbai. He wrote, “Mumbai’s air feels heavier every day. I’ve seen more people fall sick this month than ever before, and it’s not the weather… it’s the air. The smog. The dust. The reality we’re breathing. From kids to elders, everyone is coughing or struggling. How are we expected to live, work or feel safe like this? This deserves immediate attention from those in charge. We can’t air-purify our way out of a crisis. We need real solutions now.” Armaan Malik went on to add how he loves Mumbai a lot and wants to continue staying here for the rest of his life. He wrote, “I love my city and my country deeply, and I want to continue living, working, and growing here because this place is home. All I’m hoping for is that the authorities can take necessary steps to help make our living conditions healthier and more sustainable for everyone. When basic necessities and overall quality of life improve, people feel rooted and confident about building their future right here. That’s all any of us really want.” Armaan Malik's appeal to BMC In a trailing post on X, the singer added, "mybmc, this is a humble request – can you please look into this and figure out a strategic plan - coz this affects ALL OF US. Including the people (and families) working for your organisation.” .@mybmc, this is a humble request - can you please look into this and figure out a strategic plan - coz this affects ALL OF US. Including the people (and families) working for your organisation. https://t.co/W0d0lVm6p1 — ARMAAN ✦ (@ArmaanMalik22) December 12, 2025 Hi posts are now going viral on social media, with netizens agreeing with his thoughts. Several users have also asked him to visit Delhi, which currently has the worst AQI.
12 December,2025 08:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Assam Police, which is probing the death of popular singer Zubeen Garg, on Friday filed a 12,000-page chargesheet before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Guwahati. The chargesheet was submitted by a team of SIT led by Rosie Kalita. Chargesheet filed in Zubeen Garg case In the chargesheet, the SIT charged murder under Section 103 of BNS against four accused - Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta. SIT Chief and Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta told ANI that the main chargesheet is around 2500 pages and including other documents the volume of the chargesheet is around 12,000 pages. "Section 103 of BNS has charged against four accused persons - Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta. Section 3(6), 3(7), 3(8), 61(2), 103(1), 316(5) of BNS charges against Siddharth Sharma, 3(6), 3(7), 3(8), 61(2), 103(1), 308(2), 318(4), 238 of BNS charges against Shyamkanu Mahanta, 3(6), 3(7), 3(8), 61(2), 103(1), 316(5) of BNS against Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, 3(6), 3(7), 3(8), 61(2), 103(1), 238 of BNS against Amritprava Mahanta. On the other hand, Section 105 of BNS charges against Sandipan Garg, Section 61(2), 316(5) charges against each Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya," Munna Prasad Gupta said. The SIT team submitted various documents, technical and electronic evidences along with chargesheet. The SIT team had recorded statements from around 300 people during its investigation. On October 21, the SIT team, led by Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta, met Singapore authorities regarding the case. So far, the SIT has recorded statements from over 300 individuals. During the probe, the SIT has arrested seven people, including main event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Zubeen's manager Siddharth Sharma, his cousin Sandipan Garg, bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, co-singer Amritprava Mahanta, and Zubeen's PSOs Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya. All the accused are currently in jail. Assam CM reacts to Chargesheet filing Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday asserted that the promise made to the people of the state in connection with singer Zubeen Garg's death has been fulfilled with the filing of the charge sheet by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) within the stipulated time frame. "We had taken the responsibility of ensuring justice to Zubeen Garg and we fulfilled this with the SIT submitting the charge sheet within a record time in the court today," Sarma said on the sidelines of a programme in Kokrajhar. (with inputs from agencies)
12 December,2025 08:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentNaveen Kaushik, fondly known as Donga in the hit film Dhurandhar, has been winning praise for stepping into a world far removed from the urban boss roles he has played for nearly 15 years. In an exclusive chat with mid-day, the actor opened up about his journey, his long-standing desire to explore grittier characters, and how the film became a deeply personal milestone. Kaushik began by reflecting on the professional mould he had been boxed into. “I’ve spent almost 15 years doing roles that were based on office bosses… because the first big part I ever did was Rocket Singh, where I played Ranveer Kapoor’s manager,” he said. That early image created a perception he struggled to break. “The work centred around offices, bosses, authority-type figures… and people weren’t able to see me in a role like this before.” The turning point arrived when casting director Mukesh Chhabra called him for Dhurandhar. Kaushik recalls, “He said, Listen, there is another part… I want you to go meet Aditya because I feel this part is perfect for you. It’s got everything you’ve been wanting to do — action, comedy, roughness, a dark side.” A single meeting with director Aditya Dharr sealed it. Kaushik was blown away by the character’s depth. “Right there and then, I said, So I’m doing this film.” The name ‘Donga’ and its roots Even his character’s quirky name had an unexpectedly funny origin. “I asked him why the name Donga… I know Donga in Punjabi means a big bowl to put food in. My character is slightly roundish… so is it because he looks like a round bowl?” Kaushik recalls asking. “He gave me a slight smile and said, yeah, that’s the reason.” The actor praised the detailed world-building. “Before the film came to any actor, everything was worked out — names, nicknames, places they go to.” A set that felt real The recreated Lyari in Bangkok reminded Kaushik of his childhood. “I grew up in old Delhi… I could feel the grime, the heat, the narrowness, the claustrophobia of the gullies.” He added, “There are sets that look fake, sets that look real, and then sets that feel real. This one actually felt real.” From angithis with real fire to food smells wafting through the alleys, the environment pulled the actors into character completely. For Kaushik, the film’s sequences evoked memories of the 26/11 attacks, the Parliament attack and the Kandahar hijacking. “A lot of us born in the 80s and 90s saw it unfold on TV. We wanted to do something but felt helpless.” Acting in Dhurandhar was cathartic. “This is our tribute to the people who suffered… I’m doing my little part to make you hate me as the character, so you can feel the rage we felt.” The dream action sequence with Akshaye Khanna Kaushik’s favourite moment? The heroic action sequence where Donga almost saves Akshaye Khanna. “It was a dream come true… I’d never gotten the opportunity to do something really gritty.” The team ensured he felt confident in every stunt. “Even if you make a mistake, we have backups… We’ll do it again.” His improvised battle cries even got Aditya’s approval. “He came to me with a sly smile… he said, That looks good, keep it up.” Now that the “boss” stereotype has been shattered, Kaushik hopes the industry sees his true range. “I really want to spread my wings… something unique, something interesting.” Genres he’s eyeing? “I am damn scared of horror… I watch horror movies on mute. But I want to try something in horror. And more action… maybe an army movie. Murder mysteries, too.” With Dhurandhar, Naveen Kaushik has finally stepped into the world he always wanted, raw, intense and authentic. And if his performance as Donga is any indication, this is just the beginning of a long-awaited second act.
12 December,2025 06:27 PM IST | Mumbai | Shruti SampatADVERTISEMENT
