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The Great Indian Kapil Show: AP Dhillon gets slammed for lip-syncing

Singer AP Dhillon recently appeared on The Great Indian Kapil Show alongside comedian and actor Anubhav Singh Bassi. Dhillon, who enjoys a massive fan following for his music, was asked to sing a portion of one of his popular tracks. However, the clip went viral for all the wrong reasons. The performance left the audience unimpressed, with many claiming that he lip-synced without much enthusiasm. AP Dhillon criticised for lip-syncing During the show, Kapil Sharma requested AP Dhillon to sing a few lines from his song With You. While artists are known to perform live on the show, several Reddit users slammed the singer for allegedly lip-syncing. Not just that, many netizens criticised him for not even putting effort into the lip-sync. One user wrote, “Lmfao, Kapil looking at him like ‘bro at least pretend to move your lips.’” Another commented, “Dhillon is staring straight into Kapil's soul while singing; couldn’t even lip-sync properly. Poor Kapil is horrified!” AP Dhillon debuts his new track AP Dhillon also decided to debut his latest track, Thinking of You, on The Great Indian Kapil Show. He delivered the first-ever performance of the brand-new song on the popular show, turning the studio into a concert zone. The episode was filled with fun moments. Host Kapil Sharma hilariously pointed out that expensive mobile phones and wallets were stolen during AP Dhillon's Delhi concert in December last year. “AP stage pe apna talent dikha rahe the… aur log audience mein apna talent,” Kapil joked. Replying with a witty one-liner, the rapper said, “Jisne 6 lakh diye hain, poora toh karna hai” (Whoever paid that much has to recover it somehow). For the unversed, after AP Dhillon's One of One India Tour concert in Delhi last December, several attendees complained about stolen electronic gadgets. According to reports, the crime branch caught four offenders and recovered around 40 smartphones worth several lakhs of rupees. Adding to the fun, Anubhav Singh Bassi delivered a deadpan zinger: “Dosti hui bhi nahi hai,” revealing that he had DM’d AP Dhillon on Instagram just a day before the shoot and received no reply. This sparked a hilarious bromance roast session that left the audience in splits.

12 February,2026 06:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rajpal Yadav

Rajpal Yadav's bail plea adjourned to February 16, actor to stay in jail

The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, was hearing the matter of Rajpal Yadav’s bail in the cheque bounce case. During the hearing, the court noted that the actor is in Tihar Jail today for failing to honour his commitment.  Rajpal Yadav's counsel informed the court that he was unable to get in touch with him during lunch. Subsequently, the matter was adjourned to Monday, February 16. Rajpal Yadav's bail hearing in Delhi High Court Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, during the hearing, remarked, "You did not go to jail because the Court passed an order. You have gone to jail because you have failed to comply with your own commitments to the Court. You were not giving the money because the Court asked you to, you were giving the money because you entered into a settlement." The judge observed as Yadav's lawyer said that his client was misguided about the proceedings. Justice Sharma also refuted the submission, mentioning that Yadav or his lawyers appeared before the Court over two dozen times and that he made the commitment that the money would be paid, hwoever, the statement was not honoured. "25 to 30 times you appeared in this Court, and you were assisted by a senior counsel. Your senior counsel made the statements on your behalf. Mr Yadav appeared through VC before me at least five times and said I will honour the statement made by my counsel, and if I go abroad, I will earn some money and make the payment. You are not misguided," the Court remarked. The Bench added that counsel appearing for Yadav had made contradicting statements about depositing money in the Court or giving it to the complainant. Court adjourns the case to Monday The Court then stated that it will hear the case at 2:30 PM post lunch, and in the meantime, Yadav's lawyer was asked to seek clear instructions from him. When the case was taken up once again in the afternoon session, the lawyer informed the judge that he was not able to get in touch with Yadav. The Court then adjourned the case to Monday, February 16, as per the request of Rajpal Yadav's counsel. The bench also sought the complainant's reply to the actor's bail application. The bail plea will now be heard on February 16.

12 February,2026 05:59 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Varun Dhawan

'Proud of you': Varun Dhawan recalls Salman Khan's praise for Border 2

Varun Dhawan faced significant trolling ahead of the release of his film Border 2. Before the release, his casting as Major Hoshiyar Singh Dahiya was questioned, and he was even mocked for his smile. However, all his critics went silent after the release of the Anurag Singh directorial. Amid the praise for his performance, Varun revealed that Salman Khan stood by him during the trolling phase. Varun Dhawan on Salman Khan's support On Thursday, Varun Dhawan, along with the team of Border 2, attended the film’s success press conference. When asked about being trolled and later praised for his performance, he said that everyone in the industry faces trolling. He added that he did not take it to heart and was fine with people trolling his “crooked smile.” At the press conference, he also recalled how Salman Khan supported him during that phase. “When all this was going on, I got a phone call from Salman bhai at night. He was just laughing, and he said, ‘Good things are about to come.’ His advice and belief meant a lot to me,” Varun shared. The actor said Salman also called him after the film’s release to congratulate him. Revealing what the superstar told him, Dhawan said, “When the film was released and did so well, he called me again and said, ‘I am so happy for all of you.’ Something he said that stays very close to my heart- he said, ‘I am proud of you, beta.’ It was 2 in the morning, and I just stood up on my bed. That was one of the most defining moments for me because he doesn’t praise people easily. Even his praise has a twist. He didn’t need to do that, but him saying that gave me a lot of confidence.” More about Border 2 Helmed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, J.P. Dutta and Nidhi Dutta under the banners of T-Series Films and J.P. Films. Set against the backdrop of the India–Pakistan war of 1971, the film stars Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Ahaan Shetty and Diljit Dosanjh in lead roles, along with Mona Singh, Medha Rana, Anya Singh and Sonam Bajwa in key roles. The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences and emerged as a box office success, collecting over Rs 430 crore worldwide.

12 February,2026 05:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Manoj Bajpayee in Ghooskhor Pandat

Ghooskhor Pandat row: Supreme Court orders change of title

Amid the ongoing controversy around Manoj Bajpayee's upcoming film Ghooskhor Pandat, the Supreme Court, on Thursday, ordered the makers of the Netflix film to change its title. The court observed that it was denigrative of a particular community and hence could not be permitted under the Constitution.  Supreme Court orders makers to change the name of Ghooskhor Pandat A bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna issued notice to the respondent filmmakers asking them to suggest an alternative title. The Court also directed the makers to file an affidavit indicating the proposed new name while also detailing any other changes made in compliance with its order. The matter has now been listed for further hearing on February 19. The notice was issued during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a stay on the release and screening of the film, claiming that the title and promotional material promoted caste- and religion-based stereotyping. Additionally, the PIL noted that it hurt the dignity and religious sentiments of the Brahmin community. During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna oral criticised the makers, underscoring constitutional limitations on free speech, saying, "Why should you denigrate anybody. It's against morality and public order. Being woke is one thing. But creating this kind of unrest when there is already unrest in the country. We thought filmmakers, journalists etc. they are all responsible people and are aware of exceptions and reasonable restrictions of Article 19(1)(a) (Fundamental Right of Speech and Expression)." "No section of society should be denigrated. As long as the late 40s, the framers of the Constitution were aware of the multitude of races, castes etc. So they introduced the concept of fraternity. If you use your freedom to denigrate any section of society, we can't permit it," Justice Nagarathna added. About the Ghooskhor Pandat row The PIL had sought to restrain the release of the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer, earlier titled 'Ghooskhor Pandat,' on the ground that the term 'Pandat' was being associated with corruption and bribery. The petitioner argued that such usage was defamatory and communally offensive, and that it undermined the dignity and reputation of the Brahmin community. The plea was filed by Mahender Chaturvedi, who describes himself as an Acharya devoted to the study and teaching of Indian scriptures and spiritual traditions. Through Advocate Vineet Jindal, the petition contended that the term historically signifies scholarship, ethical conduct, spiritual guidance and moral authority, and that linking it with immoral conduct amounted to stereotyping and vilification. The petition further argued that while Article 19(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech and expression, it is subject to reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) and does not extend to defamation or content that may disturb communal harmony. It also alleged violations of Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the Constitution and raised concerns about the absence of an effective regulatory mechanism for OTT platforms. Earlier, on February 10, the Delhi High Court was informed by Netflix that the producer had taken a "conscious decision" to change the film's name in light of concerns raised. The Court subsequently disposed of the petition after noting that the petitioner's grievance was confined to the title, which stood resolved following the decision to adopt an alternate name.  (With inputs from ANI)

12 February,2026 04:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ansh Chopra

Tu Yaa Main actor Ansh Chopra tags co-star Shanaya Kapoor a hardworker

Ansh Chopra, who will be seen in director Bejoy Nambiar's survival thriller, Tu Yaa Main, sat down with Mid-day to share memorable anecdotes from set, open up about his camaraderie with Adarsh Gourav and Shanaya Kapoor, and express his views on nepotism in the industry. Ansh, an actor and content creator, is best known for his Instagram page titled Bigg Nerds, where he creates comedic reels. In the film, he plays the role of Adarsh Gourav's best friend and manager. He was approached for the role by director Bejoy Nambiar, who saw his content on social media. Ansh Chopra shares how the cast pranked each other Talking about his experience on set, Ansh stated that it was extremely fun performing with Adarsh and Shanaya because they instantly made him feel comfortable during the initial ice-breaking sessions. They were also given leeway to improvise. “Bejoy sir was open to everything, and whenever we asked if we could improvise a scene, he told us to go ahead. We pranked everyone on set - Shanaya, Adarsh, Parul (Gulati).” Ansh recalled how he became the victim of a prank on his very first day on set. Shanaya and Adarsh convinced him to greet Bejoy Nambiar by touching his feet and seeking blessings. “They told me, ‘It’s your first day on set. So when you meet Bejoy sir, you have to touch his feet, because he views it as a sign of respect.’ So, during my first take, I went up to him and did just that. He was completely taken aback and told me I had been pranked.” On another instance, he was locked in his vanity van for hours by Adarsh Gourav, while the crew frantically searched for him to begin filming. Sharing how he avenged the prank, he said, “There was a scene where we were shooting with the crocodile. The crocodile was right behind Adarsh and Shanaya, but they were both facing ahead and listening to the narration. I went behind them and grabbed their legs, and they screamed hysterically. I couldn't stop laughing. They thought it was the crocodile.” Ansh shares his views on nepotism Ansh began his career as a child star. He revealed how he had a cameo in Love Sex aur Dhokha (2010), which was set to be his Bollywood debut. However, his scene didn’t make the final cut, leading to disappointment. He then made a brief appearance in the Tamil movie Thalaivaa (2013), starring Thalapathy Vijay, which he described as an amazing experience. As it became tougher to secure film roles, he turned to content creation to keep his passion for acting alive. When asked about his views on the nepotism debate, as he struggled for a meaty role like this for years while Shanaya Kapoor got to headline a film without having proven her mettle, he stresses that every individual has their own journey. Dismissing comparisons with Shanaya, he firmly states, “I know she has worked a lot on herself to reach this stage. She went to film school. She worked as an assistant director first, assisting on Gunjan Saxena, and then she got this opportunity. So, don’t think it is unfair. I believe everyone has their own journey and their own struggles.”

12 February,2026 04:03 PM IST | Mumbai | Nandini Shah
Picture Courtesy/Juventus' Instagram Account

Bollywood goes global as Juventus references Majnu Bhai's Painting in viral reel

In a crossover no one saw coming, Bollywood met international football when Juventus’ official Instagram handle shared a reel featuring the iconic ‘Majnu Bhai’ painting from Welcome. The post instantly sent fans into a frenzy, blending nostalgia, humour and global pop culture in one unexpected moment. Juventus makes a Majnu Bhai reference The reel featured two Juventus team members staring intently at the famous painting, recreating the hilarious vibe associated with the scene from Welcome. What truly caught everyone’s attention was the caption: “Majnu Bhai Ko Tag Karo.” The playful Hindi line on an international football club’s official page left Indian fans delighted and amused.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Juventus (@juventus) Within minutes, the comment section exploded with fans tagging Majnu Bhai, sharing laughing emojis, and flooding the post with dialogues and memes from the film. Many called it the “best crossover ever,” while others joked that Majnu Bhai’s art has finally received “global recognition.” Interestingly, director Anees Bazmee had earlier revealed that the now-viral painting was actually drawn by him on set just before shooting the scene. What started as a spontaneous creative decision during filming has today become an internationally recognized pop-culture symbol. The ‘Majnu Bhai’ painting became one of the most memorable comedic elements of Welcome, starring Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. Over the years, the painting has evolved into a meme sensation, often referenced in pop culture and social media banter. About Welcome 3  Welcome is a franchise which gets people rolling in laughter just with the reference of its iconic tune and audiences have been waiting with much anticipation for its third installment, a comedy spectacle that promises larger-than-life madness and non-stop laughter. Welcome to the Jungle has officially locked its theatrical release for 26th June 2026. Packed with unique humour, outrageous situations, and rib-tickling hilarious moments with a blend of high-octane action and blockbuster music, Welcome to the Jungle delivers high-energy comedy on an epic scale. Blending chaos, charm, blasts and unapologetic fun, the film is designed to be a complete laugh riot, offering audiences a joyride filled with surprises, punchlines, and unforgettable moments. Directed by Ahmed Khan, the film boasts a massive ensemble cast of over 30 actors, each a benchmark of talent and known for their excellent comic timing, a combination that is a rare sight on the big screen. Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Johnny lever, Aftab Shivdasani, Lara Dutta, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Daler Mehndi, Farida Jalal, Krishna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Kiran Kumar, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Vindu Dara Singh, Nawab Shah, Urvashi Rautela, Puneet Issar, Arjun Firoz Khan, Late Pankaj Dheer, Sudesh Berry, Hemant Pandey, Zakir Hussain, Sayaji Shinde and many more all come together to deliver an epic entertainer.

12 February,2026 03:37 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Picture Courtesy/Hussain Dalal's Instagram Account

Hussain Dalal calls O Romeo co-star Shahid Kapoor the 'finest actor of our time'

As O’ Romeo gears up for its nationwide release in just 48 hours, actor-writer Hussain Dalal has shared an emotional and deeply personal note celebrating his co-star Shahid Kapoor, calling him “one of the finest actors of our time.” Hussain Dalal praises Shahid Kapoor  While excitement around the film continues to grow, Dalal’s tribute shifts the spotlight to the collaborative journey behind the scenes. Having previously written for Shahid, Dalal expressed that acting alongside him was “a masterclass in itself.” He took to Instagram to share a still featuring himself and Shahid from the film. The caption read: “I have never met a more focused, selfless, and deeply passionate artist". Recalling a moment of uncertainty during a scene, he added, “Shahid bhai sensed it immediately. He said, ‘Tu stressed lag raha hai… let’s go through the graph of our characters together.’ While lights were being set, he sat with me like a mentor, breaking down beats, asking what I was feeling, and helping me shape our chemistry.”           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Hussain (@hussain.dalal) Dalal revealed that every scene he appears in is with Shahid Kapoor, describing the experience as an “honor” and crediting Kapoor’s generosity for helping him elevate his performance throughout the year-long shoot. “From 6 AM calls to 4:30 AM wrap-ups, he never stopped checking in, never stopped pushing me to be better,” Dalal noted, thanking Kapoor for his support, wisdom, and artistry. Shahid Kapoor responded to the post with equal warmth and love. Thanking Hussain for his kind words, he commented, "Hussain you are best Chhotu this film could have had. People will see the actor in you on 13th Feb." This illustrates the deep respect the two actors have for each other. With O’ Romeo set to soon belong to the audience, Hussain Dalal’s tribute highlights the creative synergy at the heart of the film — and reaffirms Shahid Kapoor’s reputation not just as an exceptional actor, but as a committed collaborator and mentor. Bombay HC clears O'Romeo for release In a major relief for the makers of O’ Romeo, the Bombay City Civil Court has dismissed a legal challenge seeking to restrain the release of the movie. The court's decision came after a high-stakes hearing where the Hon’ble Court weighed claims of personality and privacy rights against the fundamental right to creative expression.  Refreshing your memory, the lawsuit was initiated by the daughter of the late Hussain Shaikh. She alleged that the film’s portrayal violated her father’s privacy and reputation. However, during the hearing, it was argued that while the film had been publicly announced in late 2024, the legal challenge was only brought forward at the eleventh hour, just days before the scheduled premiere of the movie.

12 February,2026 03:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Varun Dhawan

Why Varun Dhawan's character does not wear helmet in Border 2?

Anurag Singh’s Border 2, which released in theatres on January 23, has emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. Bringing back Sunny Deol to the battlefield, the war drama opened to a terrific weekend and has since crossed the Rs 400 crore mark at the box office. But for producer and writer Nidhi Dutta, who is carrying forward the cinematic legacy of her father J.P. Dutta, numbers were never the driving force behind the film. “I have never spoken numbers. I have never said, ‘Oh, this is where I think we should do it — itna karegi, utna karegi,’” she says while talking to mid-day nealry two weeks after the film's release. “I’ve never learned that. My father’s never taught me that.” She recalls how her father J.P. Dutta once made the four-hour-long LOC Kargil, despite knowing its length would cost it shows in theatres. “That’s never been our focus,” she indicates — underscoring that storytelling has always taken precedence over commercial calculations. On the VFX Debate While Border 2 has largely been appreciated post-release, the film faced chatter around its heavy use of VFX even before it hit screens. Addressing the criticism, Dutta says the comparison with the 1997 classic is misplaced. “Everybody has been saying, ‘Border didn’t have VFX and this has too much VFX.’ But Border didn’t have the Navy. It’s not possible to go and blow up a ship in real time. So I could not have done that. I am thankful that we have VFX.” The sequel expands the war canvas to include naval operations, something she says would have been impossible to execute authentically without modern technology. “I would not have even been able to imagine the Navy as part of this if it wasn’t for the technology that I have today to create that. For me, the VFX has been a plus point. It’s been able to bring the dream to reality,” she explains. “Otherwise, how do I tell you what happened in the middle of the ocean? To my sailors, to my captain, to that ship? How do I bring that emotion to the public if I can’t create it?” Why Varun Dhawan’s character doesn’t wear a helmet All characters in Border 2 are inspired by real-life heroes. Varun Dhawan essays the role of Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya, who played a pivotal role in the 1971 war. One detail that stood out to many viewers was that Varun’s character is often seen without a helmet during combat sequences. “If you see, in most of the action, Varun isn’t wearing a helmet. This is something we did knowingly because Hoshiar Singh refused to wear a helmet. His son - who is also a colonel in the army- told us this,” Dutta reveals. “It’s a huge thing. The guy was standing in front of bullets and all the action taking place, and he didn’t wear a helmet. These details matter.” On Varun Dhawan’s casting and ‘being chosen’ Before the film’s release, Varun Dhawan’s casting had drawn scepticism in certain quarters. But Dutta stands firmly by the choice. “I was in awe when I saw Varun perform. I was like, ‘Oh my God, he just stepped into the character like crazy.’” She reveals that on the first day of shoot, her father wrote a letter to the actors-  Varun, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty. “He always says one thing, ‘You think you’re choosing, you think you’re casting, but you’re not. The heroes sitting up in heaven choose who gets into their footsteps, who’s going to be wearing their shoes and walking that path.’” “So I think they were chosen,” she added. “When I saw Varun perform the way he did, I just knew there was nobody else. Even Diljit, even Ahan,  they embodied those characters.” Interestingly, when writing the script, she instinctively felt Ahan was meant to play a naval officer. “When I wrote the story, I never thought of him in an army character. Somehow I knew the Navy had to be Ahan. There’s a certain body language naval officers have. If an army, navy and air force officer walk into a room, you’ll know where they are from, they’re completely different.”

12 February,2026 01:48 PM IST | Mumbai | Athulya Nambiar
Bhumi Pednekkar

Bhumi Pednekkar opens up about the massive failure of Lady Killer

Bhumi Pednekkar is currently riding high on the success of her latest release, Daldal. The actress, who has witnessed an illustrious career so far and continues to taste the sweetness of success, has had one film in her career which is written in history for the wrong reasons.  Bhumi starred in the 2023 film Lady Killer alongside Arjun Kapoor, which turned out to be a huge box office bomb. In fact, it is often touted as one of the biggest box-office bombs in the history of Indian cinema. When she appeared on Sit with Hitlist, she got candid about the failure of the film and made some shocking revelations. Bhumi Pednekkar recalls a lot of Lady Killer was never shot Bhumi recalls the first time she faced failure was in 2023, eight years after getting into the showbiz, where she says, “A film of mine wasn't accepted.” Notably, the film grossed only Rs 38,000 on its opening day and sold just 293 tickets nationwide. Talking of the Lady Killer, Bhumi shares, “The script that we read was a complete script, and there was a large part of that film that wasn't shot, that was put out. I wish I knew better because if I were somebody that belonged to these systems, I would have figured out a way, manoeuvred it better.” Recalling being in shock, she says, “I was in shock. I was like, ‘What is going on?’ We did not shoot about 35 per cent of the film. It's such a big mystery to me that I was suddenly just told that the film's being released.” Bhumi shares they were told about budget constraints, saying, “I think what I was told was that the film did go over budget, and it was kind of stretched out, and it went on for a long. But I don't know where do we fit in this equation because none of those things happen because of any of the actors.” Bhumi Pednekkar calls it a dark period of her life The actress further shares how it was a difficult phase of her life to get over the failure. She says, “It was a very heartbreaking time in my life. I was finished. I just didn't know how to recover from that. Because how are you going to go? Who are you going to?” Talking about whose fault the failure could possibly be, Bhumi shared, “It was just nobody's fault. It's such a khichdi in my mind. But it was a decision that the makers took at that point because they felt that was the right thing to do. It was also a time when we had not really recovered as an industry from everything we went through during COVID. These are producers who were in debt and had lost so much money. It was just a mess. “ The actress concludes, “I'm anyway just going to take it as a dark period of my life, and I've moved on.”

12 February,2026 01:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Bhumi Pednekkar

Bhumi Pednekkar opens up about Sonchiriya and Sushant Singh Rajput

Bhumi Pednekkar has delivered some of the most versatile performances in her career. Be it gaining unreasonable weight for Dum Laga Ke Haisha or playing a shooter dadi in Saandh Ki Aankh. While most of us consider these as her finest performances, she thinks otherwise. During her latest outing on Sit With Hitlist, she opened up about one of her most underrated films, Sonchiriya. She also opened up about her experience working with the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Bhumi Pednekkar about Sonchiriya Talking about her 2019 film, Bhumi shared, “We saw the kind of love that Sushant had. But clearly, that love did not translate to box office numbers at all when the movie came out.” Interestingly, Bhumi calls her role as Indumati Tomar in the film one of her finest performances. She reasons, “I'm so tough on myself as an actor that I don't enjoy anything that I do. But Sonchiriya was probably the only piece of work that I've really deeply enjoyed.” Recalling how she prepared for the role, she revealed that she trained for eight months, walking barefoot on the ground with five gharas of water on her head. She also recalled how the team helped her prepare for the role, saying, “There was a point when I was shooting Sonchiriya, and it was a very male-dominated set, and I was conditioned to feel lesser constantly for the character. And just not to feel safe, and to be like just alert all the time. It took me a very long time to get out of that character but probably one of my best experiences.” Bhumi Pednekkar on Sushant Singh Rajput Further talking about her co-star, Sushant Singh Rajput, she shared, “Also I found a great friend in Sushant there. He was just special. He was unique in many ways. Extremely knowledgeable, very learned, very earnest towards his craft. I've seen the boy physically train himself for the film.”  “He was just he was special in many ways, a great co-actor to work with. He gave me so much in every scene because most of my scenes were with him. He gave me so much fodder to feed off. You can do everything, but if you don't have a co-actor that respects you as an actor and who understands that, this probably is your moment in the scene, and you need to have it, and who's not insecure it's a blessing.” Talking about Sushant’s journey, Bhumi says, “He was a pure merit-based actor. Started with television, mainstream television, then middle-of-the-road films and then mainstream films. You don't start at the top. You keep going up,p and he got all those opportunities.”

12 February,2026 01:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Bhumi Pednekkar

Bhumi Pednekkar on being political: You need to have an opinion

Actor Bhumi Pednekkar strongly believes in having an opinion on the politics of one’s country, especially when one occupies a public platform. In a conversation with mid-day’s Sit With Hitlist, the actor opened up about her evolving political awareness, the responsibility that comes with being a public figure, and why issues like violence against women deserve far greater urgency than verdicts on stray dogs. Bhumi Pednekkar on politics When asked whether she is political, the actress said, “I think I went through a phase where I was very apolitical. But then I realised that we are a beautiful democracy, and you need to have an opinion. You need to have a stand.” She added that the responsibility is even greater when one is in the public eye. “After many years, I have tried to form some sort of an understanding of where I stand in the spectrum,” she said. Bhumi feels she has consistently used her platform through both films and social media to put across her viewpoints. “I think my films create enough noise. I’ve always used my platform to do so. I truly want to leave behind a set of movies that can be watched time and again,” she shared. Bhumi on stray dogs verdict  She added, “I do use my social media platforms to express my opinion, especially about things that are very close to me around the environment, animals, and dogs. I’m very actively part of the conversation around the judgement about picking up stray dogs.” Sharing her thoughts on the recent court verdict on removing stray dogs from the streets of Delhi, Pednekar stressed, “I have adopted quite a few, and I just don’t understand this. How is this the only solution? Especially in our country, when there are so many other issues that we are dealing with. How about picking up rapists from the road? Why don’t we start there? That is a very big problem in our country.” She further highlighted the alarming state of the country and the rising cases of violence against women. “In recent times, if you open the newspaper, you’ll always see an act of sexual violence against a woman. From a two-month-old child to an 80-year-old woman, nobody is safe. I feel like we have a lot of core issues that we need to deal with first before passing such impactful judgements on stray dogs,” she concluded.

12 February,2026 01:06 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
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