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 ShahIn 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 correspondentAs 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 correspondentAnurag 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 NambiarBhumi 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 correspondentBhumi 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 correspondentActor 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 correspondentAs conversations around artificial intelligence continue to dominate creative industries, actor Bhumi Pednekkar offers a thoughtful perspective on how technology can coexist with creativity. Rather than resisting the inevitability of AI, Bhumi believes in engaging with it consciously as a tool to enhance one’s craft. Bhumi Pednekkar on embracing AI Speaking on mid-day’s Sit With Hitlist, Bhumi shared how she has been using AI while working on her on-screen characters. The actress revealed that the technology has learnt her patterns and ways of thinking. For Bhumi, the realisation was simple: “The machine knows all of us. This is inevitable. I’d rather use it for productive things in my life.” That decision led her to embrace AI in practical, time-saving ways. From drafting emails to handling routine tasks, the actor admits the technology has streamlined her workflow, especially as she balances acting with her entrepreneurial ambitions. “It’s really got a lot of useless, time-wasting, clerical things out of my life because I’ve also started my entrepreneurial journey,” she said. Her curiosity about AI, however, isn’t recent. Bhumi recalled attending an intensive course in Boston that focused entirely on artificial intelligence and its rapid evolution. “It’s evolving every day,” she noted, adding that the experience pushed her to think critically about its potential. “If I do have a disruptive tool handy, easily available to us, something that’s completely democratised society in many, many ways, then how is it that I can use it for my benefit?” Bhumi on using AI for acting Despite embracing the technology, Bhumi draws a firm line when it comes to creative ownership. Reflecting on her process during Daldal, she made it clear that scripts are off-limits. “I would never put the script into the machine because I feel like that’s just not okay. That’s going to be available for a lot of people to access because you don’t have control over that.” Instead, Bhumi uses AI carefully and selectively. Her process involves independently building character notes, motivations, and backstories before turning to technology for additional perspective. “My general process would be where I would make notes about what the character’s past is and why that character is taking the kind of decisions it’s taking, especially for a show like Daldal, which is so complex and complicated.” What emerges, she said, is a layered exchange between technology and lived experience. “Then the machine gives you a perspective, which also kind of goes into my personal traumas, which it has probably somewhere recognised.” Ultimately, the choice remains hers. “It’s my choice how much of my personal trauma I want to put into this character.”
12 February,2026 01:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFor her first film, Bhumi Pednekkar increased her weight dramatically, a choice that was rare and uncommon for a debutant leading actress. But for Bhumi, transformation has never been just a creative decision; it has been a survival strategy. Looking back at the last few years of her career, the actor admits that constant physical and emotional reinvention came at a cost. “I think I went through so many transformations that in the past few years, I kind of forgot who I actually am. How do I look? Who is this girl?” she reflects in a conversation on mid-day’s Sit With Hitlist. Bhumi on criticism around Bala In her decade-long journey, Bhumi says she has undergone drastic physical changes for her roles. “For me, the only way to survive the industry was that I needed to go through a physical transformation because no other girl was doing that,” she says. From playing a 70-year-old woman to starring in Bala, a film that confronted colour bias in Indian society, Bhumi found herself constantly shape-shifting to tell stories that mattered to her. Addressing the criticism around her being darkened instead of casting a dark-skinned actor in Bala, the actress, who is a former casting agent, says she agrees with the criticism. She admits that if she were making the film today, she would have cast a dark-skinned actor, but as an actor, she saw it as an opportunity to explore her craft. “By the end of it, it is the director’s choice. And they won’t recast you, so why would you say no?” she asks candidly. For Bhumi, saying yes was also about creating space. “Do I not want to create opportunities? I do,” she says, adding that she hopes to foster such opportunities herself when she steps into production someday. Bhumi on turning down films However, reinvention comes with difficult trade-offs. “There are already only so many opportunities that come your way. How many are you going to let go of?” she asks. Bhumi admits she has already turned down several projects, including big-budget films. “There’s enough work that I’ve said no to. Films where the budgets were around Rs 300–350 crore. But I did not align with what I was doing in those films.” She added that one also has to be practical and think about career progression. “I have to run my house, and not just run my house, I want my career to move on,” she says honestly. For Bhumi Pednekkar, the journey continues to be a constant balancing act between integrity, ambition, and survival.
12 February,2026 12:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBhumi Pednekkar recently appeared on the latest episode of Sit With Hitlist, and she had some interesting things to share from her life. She got candid about getting thrown out of film school for low attendance, paying her student loan from a Rs 7,000 starting salary, which she received from Yash Raj Films when she joined their casting team and much more. Here’s what she shared… Bhumi Pednekkar reveals her first paycheque Interestingly, Bhumi started her career as a casting director with Yash Raj Films. Recalling her first paycheque, she shares, “Getting a monthly salary of Rs 7,000 rupees when I started, for me was a lot of money. It's a blessing.” When asked what her last salary at YRF was, she revealed, “I think it was a lakh and fifty.” Talking about the job and her condition back then, she shares, “YRF happened to me at a time when I needed grounding and that's why that seven thousand rupees felt like seventy crores. I needed those seven thousand rupees to survive because I wasn't taking any money from home. My father was unwell, there was a lot going on at home, and I just felt like you don't want to add to it.” She reflected back on times she repaid her student loan of Rs 13 lakh, saying, “I had the student loan on me, it was a lot of money. It was 13 lakhs. Rs 4000 would go as my EMI, and the rest would be for my rickshaw, sev poori. I was a teenager, I was a 17-year-old, who could live on Rs 100 a day. I had rich friends, so they took care of me. They were really kind.” Bhumi recalls being thrown out of film school and bagging a job with YRF She reveals, “I was thrown out of film school, Whistling Woods, because my attendance was very poor.” Further sharing how she landed the YRF job, Bhumi recalls, “A friend of mine was the chief AD on Kurbaan and he told me YRF is starting a department, a casting department, because there were no casting directors then. Abhimanyu Ray was literally one of the first few casting directors. YRF was the first large production house or studio that dedicated a department to casting.” Recalling her interview, she shares, “I went and I had a resume that only had likeI had done my A-levels and studying simultaneously but thrown out of film school because of lack of attendance. So that doesn't say a lot about my great personality or my work ethic. I went in for this interview, and I clearly did not impress Abhimanyu sir at all and I did not get the job.” “Then two months after that interview, I got a call from Abhimanyu sir's assistant, and he said, ‘You are needed, you come. Two of the women we had hired have decided that they want to go to America and study. We need you.’ And that's how I landed the job,” she recalls.
12 February,2026 12:46 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBefore stepping into the spotlight, Bhumi Pednekkar quietly honed her craft behind the camera as a casting director at Yash Raj Films. Working closely with the studio, she witnessed and evaluated auditions of some of the industry’s biggest stars, which shaped her nuanced approach to acting. In a recent conversation on mid-day's Sit With Hitlist, the actress opened up about Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, and other actors auditioning, describing it as a surreal experience. Bhumi Pednekkar on auditioning Ranveer Singh Recalling her formative years at Yash Raj Films, Bhumi Pednekar opened up about working closely with the casting team and being directly involved in shaping debut performances, including that of Ranveer Singh. She stated, “My experience there was incredible. It was like a corporate job infused with a lot of creativity, and I had an absolute blast. I was an integral part of Ranveer’s casting process. If you see his audition BTS on YouTube, I’m the one cueing him for Band Baaja Baarat—the scene where he and Anushka fight over a colour during the wedding sequence.” Recalling her first impression of Ranveer Singh, Bhumi described his presence as instantly arresting. “I think he was just high on himself,” she said, adding that the energy in the room shifted the moment he walked in. “You’d think—he’s a newcomer coming in for an audition; where does that chutzpah come from?” She remembered him vividly in a white shirt and blue jeans, calling him unique, supremely talented, and unlike anyone she had seen before. Declaring herself a “big Ranveer Singh fan”, Bhumi praised his evolution as an actor, particularly post ’83 and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani. “I thoroughly enjoyed him in Dhurandhar—I was like, this guy can do anything. I loved him in Lootera. He’s as much a chameleon as any actor should be.” Recalling her other finds, the actress shares how she took Pankaj Tripathi, Parineeti Chopra, Vaani Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal’s auditions. Bhumi Pednekkar on Aditya Chopra Reflecting on the most influential mentor of her career, Bhumi Pednekar spoke candidly about Aditya Chopra’s impact on her life and work. “I don't think there has been any other authoritative figure in my life apart from him. He was my first boss, and that eventually turned into a mentorship. He is a genius and a visionary—he was doing shows even before OTT came into the picture. He’s chill, he has clarity, and he’s inclusive. What keeps his genius alive is the fact that he remains disconnected. The entire YRF institution operates from a place of abundance.”
12 February,2026 12:46 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
