Have you heard? Malaika calls out society’s double standards on divorce; Saif Ali Khan wraps up Haiwaan

Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora

Unequal rules of divorce

Model, actor, and reality show host Malaika Arora has criticised society's double standards around divorce and remarriage. Addressing society's bias against women, she said, "Today, if a man decides to move on - get a divorce, marry someone half his age - it's like, ‘Wow, what a man!' But when a woman does it, she is questioned. [People say], ‘Why would she do something like that? Doesn't she have sense?'" She highlighted that men are often congratulated for such decisions, while women face harsh judgment. Malaika and Arbaaz Khan, who had tied the knot in 2002, divorced in 2017. The two have a 23-year-old son Arhaan. Arbaaz is now married to Sshura Khan and recently embraced parenthood again as the couple welcomed baby girl Sipaara.

And that's how you wrap it!

(L-R) Director Priyadarshan with his leading men Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan. Pics/Instagram

The makers of Haiwaan, on December 8, announced that the Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan-led film has wrapped its shoot. The team marked the completion of Priyadarshan's directorial venture with a celebratory post on Instagram, which saw the cast cutting a cake. The final schedule was conducted at St Xavier's College in Mumbai, a location that left actor Saiyami Kher emotional. She said that shooting at her alma mater felt "like coming back home" and "a full-circle moment". Also featuring Sharib Hashmi, the thriller now moves into post-production ahead of its 2026 release.

Larger than life, or nothing

Jeethu Joseph

Filmmaker Jeethu Joseph has said that many actors today, whether in Bollywood or the South film industry, are worried about their public image and want roles that present them as larger-than-life heroes - a challenge that he faced with his recent directorial venture Mirage. The director, known for the Drishyam franchise in Malayalam, noted that actors are worried that if they take on grey or negative roles, the audience might reject them. "Not just in Bollywood, many actors here [Malayalam cinema] are stuck in their image. That's the problem. They're scared that if they do a negative character, the audience will hate them," he said.