26 October,2026 08:07 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist Team
Radhika Apte, Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone
Radhika Apte believes women-led films face an uphill battle at the box office, with only a handful of stars offering producers a safe bet. "A theatrical release where I am the lead would probably tank even if it's the best film. I don't have that [pull], like generally, I'm not an Alia Bhatt or Deepika Padukone where you can, at least, hope that they'll be opening (sic)." Radhika added that it is this uncertainty that often pushes her towards films led by male actors.
Gangster queens
On the work front, Radhika Apte will be seen sharing screen space with Keerthy Suresh in Akka, a period gangster series set in the 1980s in the fictional kingdom of Pernuru, where women have held power for generations. She was last seen in âLust Stories 3'
Winning Indian Idol in 2004 gave Abhijeet Sawant recognition, but not an easy entry into playback singing. "We came in and started knocking on the door, saying, âPlease give us entry, give us work'," the singer told PTI, describing an industry dominated by established singers and music directors. Returning to Indian Idol Legends Return as a contestant, Abhijeet said reality show stars also faced insecurity from industry insiders as their popularity grew. He now focuses on creating original music and collaborating with younger artistes.
Manoj Bajpayee has had enough of recounting his struggles on podcasts. Speaking at the recently concluded season of Indian Film Project in Mumbai, the actor admitted that repeatedly discussing his childhood has left him resentful of those memories. "I am done with talking about my childhood, so much so that I started hating my childhood. People romanticise my journey from a village to Mumbai, but the reality of struggling without money is far from inspiring. All the romanticism of life goes away," he added. On the work front, Manoj's Gajab Raat dropped on an OTT platform on October 23.
