Shining brighter for them We love Shah Rukh Khan when he is witty, and we adore him when he is debonair — but when the Badshah gets emotional, he simply steals your heart. Fans felt their heartstrings tug as, at a glitzy Dubai event with close friend Farah Khan — where a commercial tower was launched in his name — the 60-year-old spoke about losing his parents at a young age. “I thought they had become stars in the sky, they would not be able to see me,” he said, adding that the grief pushed him to “work harder to become a bigger person.” Reflecting on recent milestones — a bronze Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge statue in London and a National Award — he shared that he wanted to grow “so big on Earth” that his parents could see him “from heaven.” Ruling the roost Aaryan Khan, Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday Love is clearly in the air for Saiyaara. The film, starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, has surged to the top of IMDb’s list as the most popular Indian film of 2025. Meanwhile, Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, leads the rankings among Indian web series, IMDb announced on Wednesday (December 10). The platform, which tracks films, television, and creators, said its annual list reflects page views from more than 250 million monthly global visitors.
11 December,2025 07:46 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamGurinder Chadha is set to bring her British musical comedy, Christmas Karma, to Indian theatres on December 12. Ahead of its release, the filmmaker screened the Kunal Nayyar-starrer for her friends in the Hindi film industry. So, when we met her, we couldn’t help but ask if she had plans to make a Bollywood film. The bad news is that she doesn’t have an immediate plan, but the good news is that she already has an inspiration, should she make one. “I enjoyed Rocky Aur Rani [Kii Prem Kahaani, 2023]. I even messaged Karan [Johar, director], saying, ‘Karan, I spent 13 pounds to see your film. I loved it.’ He sent me a voice note thanking me. I would be happy to do something like that. But I always have some Western panga [in my films]. So, I will put that in the story,” she laughed. A still from ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ In Mumbai, the filmmaker met many Bollywood artistes, some of whom she keeps in touch with when she is at home in the UK. The director shared that she messages her Bride and Prejudice (2004) actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan “time and again”. There’s another Indian artiste the filmmaker couldn’t stop gushing over — Diljit Dosanjh. Chadha shared that she recently met the singer and actor for the first time, and the two bonded over mutual admiration for their work. “Diljit asked to meet me the last time he was in London, so I did. It was lovely. He had watched all my films. He is another diaspora force. It doesn’t matter what you throw at him, he [bounces] back,” she said.
11 December,2025 07:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaWhat’s not to love about styling five of Bollywood’s most good-looking men — Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, and Sanjay Dutt? But with Dhurandhar, costume designer Smriti Chauhan had a bigger responsibility — to stay true to the world of Lyari, in which director Aditya Dhar’s spy actioner is set. The costume designer says that rigorous research by Dhar and Ojas Gautam, director’s assistant, preceded the styling. “Aditya and his team couldn’t conduct field research because the world they created was Pakistan,” she begins. So, they settled for the next best thing. “They did deep research — mostly online, and referred to many books. For the underground parties of the Karachi underworld shown in the film, [we referred to the] raid videos online. Many are available on YouTube. YouTube and Getty videos were circulated among teams so that all departments could get as much information possible,” Chauhan recalls. The director was certain of a few things that had to be depicted through outfits. Chauhan cites an example, “Lyari’s love for football had to be shown. So, Mukka, one of the gang members, is seen in football jerseys quite a few times.” With the story set in Lyari, Chauhan says Pathanis dominated the style palette. “But each Pathani has different shoulder pleats, bottom cuts, and fits. Pairing them with waistcoats, jackets, shawls also helped in differentiating them.” Ranveer Singh as Hamza AliHamza is spontaneous. So, I depicted that spontaneity in his silhouettes, like a sharply tailored kurta layered under a distressed jacket. The raw detailing reflects his volatile energy. R Madhavan as Ajay SanyalHis character is inspired by Ajit Doval. Since Doval is usually seen in suits, we gave Madhavan variations of suits with breakdowns over time — broader cuts in the ’90s, then slimmer cuts. Sanjay Dutt as Chaudhary AslamWe stayed true to the real-life figure’s white Pathani, unbuttoned cuffs, and gruff texture. His hair and beard styling reflect this as well. Arjun Rampal as Major IqbalHis character is rugged and grunge, yet an ISI Army General. To reflect that, we fused military design with coarse, rugged fabrics, switching between safari suits and Pathanis, based on the scene in question. Akshaye Khanna as Rahman DakaitRahman is calm on the surface, but with depth like a still pond. I gave him darker colours like black and navy. They reflect his character’s gravitas.
11 December,2025 07:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuBollywood actor Salman Khan has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights. The plea is scheduled to be heard on Thursday by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora. Salman Khan moves Delhi HC Khan has moved the high court seeking to restrain various social media platforms and e-commerce websites from unauthorisedly using his name, images, persona and likeness and to protect his personality rights. The right to publicity, popularly known as personality rights, is the right to protect, control and profit from one's image, name or likeness. Bollywood seeks personality protection rights Recently, Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, his mother Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgn, filmmaker Karan Johar, singer Kumar Sanu, Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, 'Art of Living' founder Ravi Shankar, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary and podcaster Raj Shamani also approached the high court seeking protection of their personality and publicity rights, and the court granted them interim relief. In 2024, Jackie Shroff had secured protection against the commercial exploitation of his name, images, and popular catchphrases “Jackie", “Jaggu Dada", and “bhidu". The court restrained the unauthorised sale of merchandise and use of his likeness in advertisements. In a similar case in 2023, the Delhi High Court had restrained several websites and platforms from exploiting Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor’s name, image, voice and signature catchphrase “jhakaas" for commercial gain without his consent. In another landmark ruling in 2022, the Delhi High Court had restrained the “world at large" from exploiting Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s name, image, voice, or any of his personality attributes without prior authorisation. Telugu actor NTR Rao Junior has also approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of his personality rights. The court is yet to pass an order on his plea. Salman Khan's work front The actor was last seen in the film Sikandar directed by AR Murugadoss. The film also starred Rashmika Mandanna. However, it failed to impress the audience and the numbers reflected at the box office. The actor will next be seen in the film Battle of Galwan where he plays a soldier. The makers are expected to drop first look from the film on Khan's 60th birthday later this month. (with inputs from PTI)
10 December,2025 08:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAbhishek Bachchan has addressed the rumours circulating on the internet about the status of his relationship with his wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. For years, speculation has suggested that not all is well between the couple, who share a daughter. However, the two have consistently refrained from confirming or denying any reports about their marriage. Recently, the Dhoom actor spoke about how his daughter reacts to such rumours, revealing that his 14-year-old daughter does not own a phone and is away from all the noise on social media. How Aaradhya reacts to rumours about Abhishek and Aishwarya In an interview with PeepingMoon, when asked if Aaradhya is aware of the rumours surrounding her parents, he said she likely isn’t, as she doesn’t have a phone. “I hope not. She’s a very mature girl. She’s a wonderful girl, and her mother has done a wonderful job. I don’t think she’s aware, and it’s not part of her priority. She doesn’t have a phone; she’s 14. If her friends want to get in touch with her, they have to call her mother’s phone. That’s something we decided on a long time ago.” Bachchan added that even though she doesn’t own a phone, she does have access to the internet. However, she has no interest in reading rumours about her parents. “She’s more interested in doing her homework; she loves school. I don’t think she would search our names on Google. She won’t believe anything; her mother has taught her not to believe everything she reads. Like my parents were with me, we’re completely honest within the family. So there’s never been an occasion where anybody needs to question anyone,” he added. About Aishwarya and Abhishek For years, reports have suggested that not all is well between Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai, who married in 2007. They welcomed their daughter Aaradhya in November 2011. While the couple often shared happy pictures, rumours of tension escalated last year when they started making separate public appearances. Reports even claimed they were not living together—rumours further fuelled by Abhishek’s absence from certain family events. However, in recent months, the couple has put these rumours to rest. From dancing together on “Kajra Re” to attending Ashutosh Gowariker’s wedding and recently vacationing together, they have dispelled separation speculations.They recently also attended Dharmendra's prayer meet together.
10 December,2025 07:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBollywood star Akshay Kumar recently watched the newly released film Dhurandhar and showered praise on the team. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film features Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi in key roles. Inspired by real events, Dhurandhar follows the story of an Indian spy sent to infiltrate Pakistani gangs and report their plans to harm India. Akshay Kumar lauds Dhurandhar On Wednesday, Kumar took to X to share his thoughts on the film. He wrote, “Watched Dhurandhar and I’m blown away. What a gripping tale, and you’ve simply nailed it, AdityaDharFilms. We need our stories to be told in a hard-hitting way, and I’m so glad the audiences are giving the film all the love it deserves.” Watched Dhurandhar and I’m blown away. What a gripping tale and you’ve simply nailed it @AdityaDharFilms . We need our stories to be told in a hard-hitting way and I’m so glad the audiences are giving the film all the love it deserves. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 10, 2025 Dhurandhar has been receiving overwhelming love at the box office. Despite its 3-hour-34-minute runtime, the film continues to attract audiences to theatres. It opened with Rs 28.60 crore at the Indian box office and crossed the Rs 100-crore mark in its first weekend. The film earned Rs 33.10 crore on Saturday and Rs 44.80 crore on Sunday. It maintained its momentum during weekdays, collecting Rs 24.3 crore on Monday and Rs 28.6 crore on Tuesday—matching its day-one numbers. Dhurandhar OTT rights sold for a whopping amount According to a Bollywood Hungama report, the film has closed a massive deal for its OTT rights. Netflix has acquired the streaming rights for both parts for a staggering Rs 130 crore. A source told the portal, “Netflix has paid Rs 130 crore for the streaming rights of Dhurandhar. This includes both parts, which means about Rs 65 crore each for Dhurandhar Part 1 and Part 2.” The source added, “This is a huge figure in today’s times when OTT prices have crashed. It is also a significant milestone for Ranveer Singh—his biggest OTT deal yet if both parts are counted.” About Dhurandhar Dhurandhar revolves around Intelligence Bureau Chief Ajay Sanyal, played by R. Madhavan, who leads a high-stakes mission in Pakistan to dismantle a terror network. Ranveer Singh plays a Punjabi youth recruited from prison and trained to infiltrate Karachi’s criminal underworld. The film also stars Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, and R. Madhavan in pivotal roles. Released on December 5, 2025, the makers have confirmed that the sequel, Dhurandhar 2, will hit theatres on March 19, 2026. It is produced by Aditya Dhar and his brother Lokesh Dhar under B62 Studios, along with Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios.
10 December,2025 07:22 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBollywood actor Kartik Aaryan, who is currently at the Red Sea Film Festival, has been making the most of his visit by catching up with some of the most renowned Hollywood celebs. A day after setting the internet abuzz with his selfie with Johnny Depp, he recently shared a video from his meeting with the legendary filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. Kartik Aaryan meets Darren Aronofsky On Wednesday, Kartik took to his Instagram to share a video featuring himself with the filmmaker. In the video, the two can be seen sharing fun moments over "a cup of chai." Darren says, "My old friend Kartik, we want to say hello to all of his fans. You know, I've been to India a few times. And one of my favorite actors is right here. I think he's going to be a big star in India. In America, we're big fanl think India will learn from us soon". View this post on Instagram A post shared by KARTIK AARYAN (@kartikaaryan) He then asked the actor, "You're going to bring me to India?" To which Kartik replied, "I'm going to bring you to India". The filmmaker went on to ask, "What type of movie (we should work on)". Kartik said, "I think we need a song and dance. I want to do a commercial movie with you". Sharing the video, Kartik wrote in the caption, "Aaryanofsky Brothers". Darren then commented on the post, writing, "Should we announce our collab here?", which further sparked curiosity. About Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky is known for his intense, psychologically driven storytelling and visually stylised approach. His breakout came with Requiem for a Dream', praised for its raw portrayal of addiction. Aronofsky continued exploring extreme emotional states in films like The Wrestler, Black Swan, and Mother, often blending realism with surreal, symbolic imagery. His work is marked by bold editing, immersive sound design, and visceral performances. Aronofsky remains one of contemporary cinema's most provocative and distinctive directors. Earlier, Kartik Aaryan had shared a fun selfie with Hollywood star Johnny Depp. Kartik will next be seen in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, a romantic-comedy film by Sameer Vidwans. The film also stars Ananya Panday, Neena Gupta, Jackie Shroff and Tiku Talsania. The film was shot in Croatia, Rajasthan, and Mumbai for 57 days. (With inputs from IANS)
10 December,2025 06:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSachet-Parampara came to Instagram earlier today to criticise composer Amaal Mallik for saying that the song Bekhayali originated with Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Kabir Singh. Sachet-Parampara posted a video on Instagram, saying it was past time for them to speak up. In the caption, they wrote, "Warning. This video could have been a 10-second video, also proving all rumours false, but for our mental peace, exposing some people was very important. amaal mallik SHAME ON YOU AMAAL MALIK." The pair responded to Amaal Mallik's repeated charges that his song Bekhayali was stolen. Sachet and Parampara accuse Amaal of misinterpreting Bekhayali's origin In the video, they said: "Hello everyone, our names are Sachet and Parampara, and we're here to discuss something that has grown quite serious. This concerns Mr Amaal Mallik. Actually, we never expected to have to clarify all of this, but it is something we made entirely. We're talking about Bekhayali, which Amaal Mallik claims he created some time ago." View this post on Instagram A post shared by सचेत टंडन (@sachettandonofficial) They further refuted Amaal's claims that industry favouritism may have played a part, pointing out that they had no prior relationship with T-Series before Kabir Singh, although Amaal had been with the company since 2015. In response to his claim that someone had shared Amaal's song with them over WhatsApp, they questioned why anyone would favour them as outsiders. The duo also posted screenshots of Amaal's conversations, claiming that he complimented them following the song's release and even stated that he was "waiting" for it. They also stated that they did not have his phone number at first and that Amaal was the one who contacted him. Sachet and Parampara demand an apology Sachet-Parampara expressed disappointment, stating that they never expected such an attitude from Amaal, noting that he had complimented Bekhayali in person, calling it "fab" and dismissing Kabir Singh as "nothing" during an engagement at the T-Series office. They stated that both versions of Bekhayali were created in front of Shahid Kapoor and Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and that they had "all the proof." The duo accused Amaal of making unsubstantiated media remarks and manipulating his fans. They also criticised his inclination to blame the industry, arguing that success is decided by constant hard effort rather than insider-outsider storylines. They stressed that all of their work, including songs like Har Har Mahadev, is original, and advised Amaal not to make any false claims. They stated that they were willing to take legal action if required. Sachet-Parampara finished by requesting a public apology, stating that Amaal's allegations had tarnished their reputation. They also stated that they always accept professional defeats with grace and continue to strive for improvement rather than criticising others.
10 December,2025 05:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentNeeraj Ghaywan’s directorial Homebound has received appreciation from across the world and is also India’s official entry to the Oscars. The film has now been watched by superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who shared his admiration for it. Based on a true story, the film stars Vishal Jethwa, Ishaan Khatter, and Janhvi Kapoor in key roles. Shah Rukh Khan praises Homebound On Wednesday, Shah Rukh Khan took to social media to praise Homebound. He wrote on X, “Homebound is gentle, honest and soulful. Lots of love and big hugs to the phenomenal team for creating something so human and engaging. You have won hearts world over by making something truly special.” Responding to his post, Neeraj wrote, “Thank you, iamsrk! This means the world to me!!” He further quoted a line from Shah Rukh’s Swades: “Apne hi paani mein pighal jaana barf ka muqaddar hota hai.” Homebound Plot Homebound follows childhood friends Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), whose shared dream of joining the police force shapes their lives. Janhvi Kapoor adds emotional depth to a story rooted in friendship, duty, and the challenges faced by young India.Neeraj Ghaywan describes the film as “inspired by a true story of friendship” and an exploration of “connection and compassion as forms of quiet resistance.” Neeraj Ghaywan recently revealed that he changed the film’s ending from what happened in real life. Responding to a user on X, he explained: “In real life, crueler things happened to the actual people. Mohammed Saiyub left for Dubai and did not take up education as shown in the film — a privilege many don’t recognise. Amrit’s rotting body was allowed to be transported only after three days, when the Covid test came back negative.” Explaining why he didn’t stick to the original ending, he said, “I believe in empathy and hope, and that’s why the ending differs from actual events. But I couldn’t stray too far from their lived reality. It would have been a disservice to hundreds of Saiyubs (Shoaib) and Amrits (Chandan), and to Basharat Peer’s original story. Hope can’t be manufactured to assuage our urban guilt, in my opinion.”
10 December,2025 05:46 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSonu Nigam left the audience stunned once again with his version of the classic qawwali Yeh Ishq Ishq Hai in Dhruandhar. The singer recently shared he stor behind the song, revealing that he sang the song just hours after singing at Dharmendra's prayer meet. Sonu Nigam shares the story behind recording the song Sonu Nigam's version of Yeh Ishq Ishq Hai has a big role in closing the movie. What adds to the charm is that until the film was released, many did not know that the song existed, since all promotional materials used the version sung by Shashwat Sachdev, Shahzad Ali, Subhadeep Das Chowdhury and Armaan Khan. Sonu, during an interaction with Zoom, revealed how the song came to him out of nowhere. He shared, "It actually came as a surprise. I got a call when I was touring in the US. Shashwat and Aditya wanted me to sing some lines and send them. They didn't call me back, so I thought maybe the plan was cancelled. Then, when I was heading back to Mumbai, they said they'd like to record it immediately because the movie was about to release." He further shared, "After singing 20 songs at Dharam ji's prayer meet, I went to YRF studio and recorded the Dhurandhar song for them. I knew the qawwali by heart, but not these parts which I sang." Recalling why recreating the song was a challenge, Sonu revealed, "The scale of this track is two semitones higher than the original one. As it is, Rafi saab sings at such a high note, and I had to sing two notes higher. I was a little skeptical I might not be able to sing that high, especially because I hadn't slept, was jetlagged and already fatigued because of performing at Dharam ji's prayer meet. But, it just came out so beautifully." Sonu Nigam about the song Interestingly, the original Yeh Ishq Ishq belongs to the 1960 film Barsaat Ki Raat, written by Sahir Ludhianavi, composed by legendary Roshan, in the voice of singing greats Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi, SD Batish and Sudha Malhotra. "The original is very long. And singing it again, especially for something so energetic as what Shashwat made, and even higher than the original scale was a big, big challenge," he added. Explaining why the new version is unique, Sonu says, "The uniqueness of the song is its meter. It's not the normal meter of a song. Some words are extended, some words are taken before beat or after beat. I knew the song but not the paragraphs I've sung. So I had to relearn and adjust to them because Dhurandhar is twice the speed of the original. It was high-pitched, and needed a lot of power."
10 December,2025 05:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDirected by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar released in theatres on December 5. Starring Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, and Akshaye Khanna in prominent roles, the espionage drama is inspired by real events and has generated significant conversation on social media. Saumya Tandon, who plays Rahman Dakhait’s (Akshaye Khanna) wife, has stepped in to defend the film against claims of being misogynistic. Saumya Tandon defends Dhurandhar The discussion began when a user on X accused the film of promoting misogyny. The post criticised Bollywood actors and alleged that the movie glorifies aggression and toxic masculinity. Another user countered the accusations, pointing out scenes where female characters slap men without retaliation, stating the criticism seemed baseless and unrelated to the film. Saumya then quote-tweeted this defence, writing, “Agreed. In the universe Dhurandhar is set in, with the societal norms the director chose to depict, it is a male-dominated world, yet the women are treated with dignity. They aren’t beaten, objectified, or shown as one of many wives, even though that society could have allowed it. It’s important to remember we’re dealing with a very different world.” She added that the film’s narrative does not allow female characters to sport glamorous looks or break into beach dance numbers.“Sorry that the grain of this story doesn’t allow for glamorous heroines singing songs on exotic beaches — that may work for other scripts, but not in this one. That said, as an actor, I do hope I also get opportunities to be part of women-centric narratives,” she wrote. Dhurandhar OTT rights sold for a whopping price According to a Bollywood Hungama report, the film has closed a massive deal for its OTT rights. The streaming rights of Dhurandhar have been sold to streaming giant Netflix for a whopping Rs 130 crore for both parts. Sources reportedly told the portal, “Netflix has paid Rs. 130 crores for the streaming rights of Dhurandhar. This includes both parts. Hence, one can say that the rights were sold for around Rs. 65 crores each for Dhurandhar Part 1 and Part 2." Further, the source added, “Nevertheless, this is a huge figure in today’s times when the OTT prices have crashed. Also, it is a significant shot-in-the-arm for Ranveer Singh. This is his biggest OTT deal yet, if we count the amount given to both parts of Dhurandhar."
10 December,2025 05:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
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