The unit of director Srikanth Odela's eagerly awaited action entertainer The Paradise, featuring Telugu star Nani in the lead, has now begun shooting Aaya Sher, actor Nani's introduction song in the film on a massive set erected here in the city. Sources in the film unit say that Nani is turning up the heat on the sets of his ambitious film The Paradise. Shooting, they point out, is progressing at a brisk pace. The team has started filming Nani's explosive introduction song titled Aaya Sher on a colossal set, swarming with hundreds of dancers. Music director Anirudh Ravichander is believed to have delivered an electrifying mass number packed with grit and high-adrenaline vibes, perfectly tuned to suit Nani's raw, uninhibited dance style. Choreographer Sudhan, who recently worked on Vijay's Jana Nayagan, is believed to have incorporated sharp, dynamic moves to elevate the song into a goosebump-inducing spectacle. It may be recalled that only recently, the makers of the film had disclosed that actor Sampoornesh Babu plays a character called Biryani in the film. The film has triggered huge expectations among fans and film buffs for a number of reasons. Many of the fans believe The Paradise will turn out to be yet another cinematic spectacle from Srikanth Odela, showcasing his distinctive vision. For the unaware, Srikanth Odela previously served as an assistant director to ace director Sukumar in Nannaku Prematho and Rangasthalam. He made his directorial debut with Dasara, which featured Nani in the lead. The film garnered critical acclaim and became a box office success, crossing the Rs 100 crore mark. Now, Odela and Nani have teamed up again for The Paradise. Well-known Bollywood actor Raghav Juyal too is a part of The Paradise. It may be recalled that the makers of the film had welcomed actor Raghav Juyal on board the film's unit last year. Also, actor Raghav Juyal, who is basking in the success of Bads of Bollywood, has already announced that he will be changing his look for the film. Backed by SLV Cinemas, The Paradise is set for a grand release on March 26, 2026. It is to release in eight languages, namely Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, English, Spanish, Bengali, Kannada, and Malayalam. 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
10 February,2026 09:40 AM IST | Hyderabad | IANSThe legal troubles surrounding Rajpal Yadav took a serious turn. After the Delhi High Court rejected his extension plea in connection with his conviction in cheque-bounce cases, the actor on Thursday surrendered before the Tihar Jail authorities. According to a recent report, Rajpal made an emotional statement moments before surrendering to the authorities. Rajpal Yadav records statement ahead of surrendering According to a report by NewsX, Rajpal Yadav broke down while addressing the situation shortly before surrendering. As quoted, he said, “Sir, kya karoon? Mere paas paise nahin hain. Aur koi upaay nahin dikhta… Sir, yahan hum sab akele hain. There are no friends. I have to deal with this crisis on my own.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rajpal Naurang Yadav (@rajpalofficial) About Rajpal Yadav’s cheque-bounce case The legal trouble dates back to 2010, when Rajpal Yadav reportedly took a loan of around Rs 5 crore for his production venture Ata Pata Laapata. Over the years, due to accumulated interest, penalties and delayed payments, the outstanding amount swelled to nearly Rs 9 crore. To settle the dues, Yadav issued cheques that later bounced, triggering criminal proceedings. In April 2018, a Magistrate’s Court convicted Rajpal Yadav and his wife under Section 138 of the Act and sentenced them to six months’ imprisonment. In June 2024, the high court had temporarily suspended his conviction, subject to him adopting “sincere and genuine measures” to explore the possibility of reaching an amicable settlement with the opposite party. Rajpal Yadav breaches court order In the order passed on February 2, while directing him to surrender by 4 pm on February 4, the high court observed that Yadav’s conduct deserved to be deprecated as he repeatedly breached his undertakings to the court to repay the amount to the complainant. The court noted that Yadav was required to make a payment of Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him and directed that the amount already deposited with the Registrar General of the high court be released in favour of the complainant. In October 2025, two demand drafts of Rs 75 lakh were deposited with the Registrar General, and an amount of Rs 9 crore remained payable, it noted in the order. On February 4, the court refused to extend the deadline given to Yadav to surrender before jail authorities.
10 February,2026 09:38 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMale dominance Sandeep Reddy Vanga is now making ‘Spirit’ Actor Shahid Kapoor has revealed that Sandeep Reddy Vanga once considered bringing together ‘Kabir Singh’ (2019) and Ranvijay Singh of ‘Animal’ (2023) together on screen. While promoting his upcoming film ‘O’Romeo’, Shahid said that the director had approached him during the making of ‘Animal’ for a cameo. “When ‘Animal’ was being made, Sandeep came to meet me. He wanted one scene of Kabir to be there, but it couldn’t happen,” the actor shared. He added that scheduling issues and other factors stalled the plan, saying, “Both those characters belong to him; that world is his.” Earlier, Vanga had said that he dropped the idea to avoid “cameo desperation”. Icon for a reason Usha Uthup Director Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller Dhurandhar (2025) has revived the iconic song Rambha Ho, originally sung by Usha Uthup in Armaan (1981). Reacting to its comeback, Usha said, “Somebody sent me the link. So I said, ‘Wow! What is this! It’s fabulous.’ I’m not one of those people who feels bad somebody else sang this. I’m very happy. For it to come back with such a bang is amazing and Madhubanti [Bagchi] has sung it very well,” she said in a radio interview. Cheering in love A video of newlyweds, actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu and filmmaker Raj Nidimoru enthusiastically cheering for their pickleball team has gone viral on social media. The clip captures the duo in high spirits on the sidelines, drawing attention from fans who were quick to praise their infectious energy and visible camaraderie.
10 February,2026 08:17 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamSunny Leone has been hosting the dating reality show Splitsvilla for several seasons. But never before has a season been “absolutely cuckoo, crazy, and bananas”. “I don’t know what happened. Everybody in the creative and production team went crazy,” laughs Leone, referring to the constant twists in the 16th season. The creative aspect and the contestants in this instalment, Leone shares, were too much to handle. “I can’t even tell you how many pep talks and counselling sessions I had with the contestants this season,” says Leone. She adds that it was emotionally challenging for both the contestants and her. “I am sensitive to violence. So, I wanted to help the boys and girls grow as individuals, without resorting to [unfavourable] behaviour. They are young kids, so they’re [bound] to make mistakes,” she says. (L-R) Uorfi Javed and Sunny Leone In a recent episode, Leone scolded contestant Himanshu Arora for his insolent behaviour towards Uorfi Javed during an interaction. Leone, who is particularly protective of Javed, shares that it was important to school them. “I don’t want people to mess with Uorfi. Himanshu had spoken awfully to her when she was only doing her job. Lines should not be crossed.” 10Number of ‘Splitsvilla’ seasons hosted by Sunny Leone
10 February,2026 07:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaThere are films that create noise over the release weekend and then fade away. Boman Irani is glad that his directorial debut, The Mehta Boys (2025), hasn’t been one of them. As the father-son drama completed a year of release on February 7, the first-time director told mid-day that to him, the movie’s enduring emotional connect has mattered far more than any conventional metric of success. “People keep discovering it, revisiting it, and talking about how it resonated with them. That is gratifying. The film is about relationships we all recognise,” he said. Pics/AFP, Getty Images, Youtube, Instagram Irani not only helmed The Mehta Boys, but also played the aged father trying to fix his strained relationship with his son, essayed by Avinash Tiwary. Was going behind the camera a radical shift from facing it? “The biggest difference was that for the first time, the creative vision — the tonality, framing, and visual language — was in my control,” he reflected. Now, he is back in front of the camera for Khosla Ka Ghosla 2. While Dibakar Banerjee hasn’t returned to the director’s chair, the original cast members have reprised their roles. “The new director is doing a fantastic job. The spirit of the story is intact,” said the actor. Is the ‘3 Idiots’ sequel happening? Boman Irani, who played the eccentric Viru Sahastrabuddhe in the 2009 comedy, said he has no concrete information, before adding, “Whatever Rajkumar Hirani [director] chooses to do, I’ll be there for him.” ‘The Mehta Boys’ premièred at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival in September 2024
10 February,2026 07:43 AM IST | Mumbai | Komal RJ PanchalLots of Pankaj Tripathis of the next five years are here,” said Pankaj himself, introducing the play, La-ilaaj, directed by Faiz Mohammed Khan, at Bandra’s Rangsharda auditorium, late Sunday night. The play’s been produced by Pankaj, with his wife, Mridula Tripathi. And the actor as the female lead was their daughter, young Aashi Tripathi. Present in the audience were some of Pankaj’s co-stars from the series, Mirzapur: Shweta Tripathi and Rasika Dugal. A mention of the show in the play had the audience in splits. (L-R) Omkar Patil and Aashi Tripathi. Pics/By Special Arrangement What did we think of the play? A fine, fun, rustic musical with the quality of onstage singing so stellar that it felt as if it was pre-recorded. Especially, from the male lead (Omkar Patil). Young Aashi did a dance number that seemed an evocative ode to Umrao Jaan (1981). The surprise package was still Pankaj in the third/final act, coolly encouraging the fresh cast, including the new talented Tripathi in town!
10 February,2026 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamIt was love at first read for Mihir Ahuja with Shabad — Reet Aur Riwaaz, in which he plays a boy whose football dreams clash with his father’s hopes of him becoming a singer. But the actor knew the role would demand intense prep, since he was to play a guy with a stammer. Ahuja shares, “My speech therapist [made me understand] that there can be multiple reasons for the stammer. It can be PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder], family pressure, or trauma. My character is an amalgamation of all the [cases] I studied, thanks to the speech therapist.” The actor, 27, also had to shed kilos to look younger in the ZEE5 series. He recalls, “Jayati Pandya, the showrunner, was not convinced about [casting me] because the role was of a 16-year-old. I asked her to give me a month, and I lost around six-seven kilos in that period.”
10 February,2026 07:29 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaHave you ever wondered what the three principal characters of ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ (2011) would be like in their 40s, years after their famous trip across Spain? It’s something filmmaker Zoya Akhtar is wondering about. The buzz in the industry circles is that the filmmaker has completed the first draft of the hit’s sequel, which is likely to be her next directorial venture. Abhay Deol, Hrithik Roshan, and Farhan Akhtar in the film From what we’ve heard, the sequel revisits the core trio — essayed by Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol — years later, reflecting on their evolving friendships, mid-life choices, and unresolved dreams. An insider told mid-day, “Zoya has finally locked a draft she is happy with. She was always clear that a sequel to ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ would only happen if it had something new to say. It’s not a nostalgic rehash; the film acknowledges the time elapsed and the changes that have taken place in the three men’s lives.” Meanwhile, the other Akhtar sibling, Farhan, is keen to roll his long-in-the-works road trip film, ‘Jee Le Zaraa’. Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, and Alia Bhatt have been attached to the project since its 2021 announcement While no announcement has been made, discussions are said to be underway with the male leads. The insider added, “The intent is to reunite the boys, but it all depends on alignment of dates.” If things go as planned, the sequel to ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ will roll only later this year after Zoya Akhtar’s banner wraps ‘Dahaad 2’ shoot
10 February,2026 07:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuHrithik Roshan's Krrish 4 has seemingly hit yet another hurdle. The superhero film has been in the pre-production stage and does not seem to be going on floors anytime soon. If the latest reports are to be believed, Krrish 4 has now been put on hold as Hrithik and Aditya Chopra are not mutually agreeing on the budget. Reasons for Krrish 4 delay Notably, Hrithik Roshan will be making his directorial debut with the fourth instalment of the superhero franchise. As a result, he is envisioning the film on a massive budget, while the Yash Raj Films head is not keen on the budget proposed by Hrithik. According to a Bollywood Hungama report, Hrithik wants Krrish 4 to be made on a budget close to Rs 500 crore. He believes that the film needs grand visuals, strong VFX, and large action set pieces to satisfy audience expectations, especially at a global level. However, Aditya Chopra is of the opinion that the budget should be controlled and capped at around Rs 350 crore. The YRF head thinks that a tighter budget will help manage risks and ensure better returns at the box office. Following several rounds of discussions, the two have reportedly decided to put the project on the back burner for now. That being said, the film has not been shelved, but just paused until a clear agreement is reached. Hrithik Roshan looking at another studios Meanwhile, reports also suggest that Hrithik is reportedly in talks with different studios to see if someone else is willing to produce the film on the budget he has in mind. Simultaneously, he is also reworking the script and reviewing Aditya Chopra's feedback seriously. Additionally, Hrithik is planning to take up another film as an actor before fully committing to Krrish 4. Reportedly, he has even heard several scripts and is close to finalising one. Likewise, an official announcement about his next acting project is expected to be made soon. For now, Krrish 4 will not go on floors in 2026 as planned. Things will only start moving if Aditya Chopra agrees to increase the budget, or Hrithik moves ahead with a new producer.
09 February,2026 08:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentKaran Johar is one filmmaker whose name inevitably comes up when discussing fashion in Indian cinema. Over the years, his films have delivered iconic costumes that have not only stood the test of time but also set major fashion trends. Beyond his films, Johar himself is known for his distinctive personal style and willingness to experiment with fashion. Karan Johar on what happens to used sarees In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Karan spoke about sustainable fashion and revealed what happens to costumes once a film’s shoot is completed. Talking about their fate, he shared, “The saris go into our godown. And then they get used in other movies.” When asked whether audiences notice costumes being repeated across films, Johar confidently responded, “You won’t know it. And a lot of it is worn; there are extras wearing it all the time.” He clarified that while iconic costumes are preserved to avoid recognition, most outfits are constantly recycled. “Everything gets used in other movies — it’s constantly recycled. And my wardrobe is used all the time for films,” he said. Johar added that whenever stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania works on a project, she has full access to his personal wardrobe due to their close friendship. Ananya wore Karan's clothes in Call Me Bae Revealing an interesting detail, Johar shared that much of what Ananya Panday wears in the Amazon Prime Video series Call Me Bae actually comes from his own closet. “She’d come for Call Me Bae to pick up the clothes. What she does is genius. You won’t notice that Ananya Panday is wearing a lot of my clothes, because she puts it together so efficiently and beautifully,” he explained. He added that Anaita often jokes that his closet is “the best shop in the world,” frequently picking up jackets, sweatshirts, and bags. When asked whether he gets all his clothes back, Johar admitted that some do go missing, but it rarely bothers him. “No. Some just get lost. But I don’t even know. Half the time I’ve given her things that still have tags on them. I’m a compulsive retail maniac — it’s a disease. I need rehab to stop shopping,” he said candidly.
09 February,2026 07:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentNitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash, is one of the most anticipated projects. The magnum opus has been making it to the headlines because of its cast and scale. Recently, Vikrant Massey shut down reports claiming he was to play the role of Meghanad in the film. And now, Tamil star Vijay Sethupathi has revealed that he is not a part of the film. Earlier reports suggested that the Farzi actor plays the role of Vibhishana in Ramayana. Vijay Sethupathi denies being a part of Ramayana According to Bollywood Hungama, Vijay Sethupathi dismissed the rumours while talking to senior journalist Subhash K Jha. Vijay said, “No, sir. I am not a part of this project. No clue where this is coming from.” Earlier reports emerged suggesting Raghav Juyal had been roped in to play the role of Meghanad in the film, replacing Vikrant Massey, who was initially playoing the role. On Sunday, Vikrant took to social media to clarify, saying, "Ok. To put the rumours to rest. I never was a part of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayan. The many media portals reporting about my supposed 'replacement' should've done the requisite background check. Disappointing. Nonetheless, wishing everyone a part of the movie all the very best. Love (sic)." About Ramayana While the lead cast of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana is confirmed, other actors who are confirmed to be a part of Ramayana are Sunny Deol (Hanuman), Ravi Dubey (Laxman), Arun Govil (Dashrath), Lara Dutta (Kaikeyi), Indira Krishnan (Kausalya), and Kunal Kapoor (Indra). Meanwhile, there are even reports of Rakul Preet Singh, Kajal Aggarwal, Mohit Raina, Adinath Kothare, and many other actors also being a part of the film. However, these have not been confirmed yet. Ramayana will be released in two parts. Ramayana Part 1 is set to hit the big screens on Diwali this year. Last year, the makers had shared a glimpse of the film. If recent reports are to be believed, the makers could unveil a teaser of the film on Rama Navami March 27, this year. On the other hand, Ramayana Part 2 will release on Diwali 2027.
09 February,2026 06:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
