Love acting, but... Superstar Aamir Khan recently said that though he enjoys acting the most, it is not possible to be a part of every film that comes his way, and that’s why he takes on the role of a producer on such projects. Aamir recently attended an event in New Delhi, where he was asked why he has chosen to step back from leading roles and instead appear in cameos or take on projects as a producer. To which, he said, “Production mein apna alag maza hai. Although I enjoy acting more, I can’t do every film by myself.” Talking about work, Aamir is rumoured to do a superhero film with Lokesh Kanagaraj. Rising graphic violence in movies not ok Radhika Apte Actor Radhika Apte has spoken out against the rising level of graphic violence in Indian films and series, calling it “deeply disturbing”. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, she said, “I am deeply disturbed by the violence at the moment that is selling as entertainment. I don’t want to be bringing up a child in a world where that is entertainment.” She criticised filmmakers for confusing shock value with storytelling, adding, “I don’t need to see the chopping. That is not storytelling.” Actor, chef, and ChatGPT (L-R) Radhika Pandit and Yash Kannada star Yash and his wife, actor Radhika Pandit marked their ninth wedding anniversary on December 9, with Radhika sharing a heartfelt Instagram post that quickly charmed fans. The video opened with a picture of the couple “lost in each other’s eyes”, followed by AI-generated images showing Yash as her “personal bodyguard, ChatGPT, chef, personal photographer, mentor, DJ, doctor, calculator, stress buster, and peace”. She captioned it, “You are, and always will be my answer to everything.” Fans flooded the comments section of the post calling them “sandalwood couple”. Getting used to negativity Prajakta Koli Content creator and actor Prajakta Koli says she has grown “thick-skinned” after more than a decade of dealing with negativity and “baseless hate” online. Prajakta, who began at 21 and is now 32, said her formative years unfolded publicly, making her accustomed to relentless scrutiny. “I’ve become used to baseless hate, so it doesn’t affect me that much,” she told PTI in an interview, adding that constructive criticism still matters to her. The actor noted she never attended film school and learned “on the job”, which often leaves her feeling overwhelmed when she is on a set. Despite the pressures, she said she trusts her audience: “If something doesn’t work out, they won’t leave me. They’ll tell me.” On the work front, Prajakta will be seen in Kunal Kemmu’s web show Single Papa.
12 December,2025 07:46 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamDanish Pandor’s first meeting itself with filmmaker Aditya Dhar marked the beginning of his prep to become Uzair Baloch in Dhurandhar. Grateful to find a place in the Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal-starrer, the actor knew he would have to be armed with intense prep to play the real-life Pakistani gangster. “Aditya sir had done five to six years of research. He gave me the research material, which included videos of Uzair Baloch,” he recalls. As Pandor watched Baloch’s interviews, he understood that the key to embracing the character lay in perfecting the dialect prevalent among the Baloch population in Karachi. “I went through all the interviews available on YouTube. In Karachi, people speak Urdu with a touch of Punjabi. I worked with a dialect coach to perfect that,” he shares. Closer to the shoot, the director conducted a 20-day workshop to ease them into the dialect. “All of us — Ranveer bhai, Sara [Arjun], and Rakesh sir [Bedi] — needed to have the same twang when our characters conversed with each other.” Things Danish Pandor learnt from Ranveer Singh: “He makes everyone feel so important. Secondly, his dedication towards his craft and concentrating on his work [is remarkable]. Also, in our one-and-a-half year journey, I never saw his spirits dim.”
12 December,2025 07:40 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaWith Saali Mohabbat that premières today, Radhika Apte returns with yet another unconventional story. That is what the actor has continuously sought with her projects — be it the all-women drama, Parched (2015), or the black comedy, Monica O My Darling (2022). “Creatively, we need to be more fearless. There’s this stupid notion floating around — yeh kaam nahin karega, woh karega — and it’s clearly not true. We need to stop fearing stories before we even tell them,” says the actor, in her signature candid style. (From left) Tisca Chopra, Jyoti Deshpande, and Manish Malhotra with Radhika Apte. Pics/Instagram, Youtube That’s not the only change she is hoping to see. Ask her about an immediate thing she’d change about the industry, and she says, “Work ethics. We need basics like punctuality, payments on time, lunch breaks, and proper shifts. Our business is so consuming that people barely have lives outside of it. That needs to shift.” A still from Raat Akeli Hai 2 What doesn’t shift is Apte’s love for complex characters. In the Zee5 film, which also stars Divyenndu and marks the directorial debut of actor Tisca Chopra, Apte plays Smita, a homemaker who is the primary suspect in her husband’s murder. It isn’t lost on her that she is constantly drawn to morally ambiguous characters. “You cannot judge your characters. You have to love every single one you play, and for that, you need tremendous empathy. Acting has made me more empathetic. You start looking at people with compassion. When someone says, ‘I did this,’ you instinctively ask, ‘Why?’” It helped that Chopra had the answers to all her questions. “Tisca was to originally play her, so she had a connection with Smita. I came in from the outside. So, I scrutinised the character more, and Tisca was always on Smita’s side,” she laughs. Did you know? Tisca Chopra, who turns feature film director with ‘Saali Mohabbat’, was to originally play the role essayed by Radhika Apte
12 December,2025 07:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuNow you see her, now you don’t. That sums up the quick trip Shabana Azmi made from London to Mumbai on December 10, to honour the commitment she had made to her alma mater, Queen Mary School, in Grant Road. The senior actor had promised the school authorities that she would perform her play, Broken Images, on the institution’s 150th anniversary celebration. Even as it clashed with the ongoing shoot of her English film, Azmi stuck to her word. A source said on Thursday, “Shabana has been shooting for an undisclosed film in Worcestershire in England from November 29. In the past few days, her shooting schedule changed, and to her dismay, it clashed with her school’s anniversary celebration. But the thorough professional that she is, she flew down for a day. She landed in Mumbai on the night of December 10, performed Broken Images on the evening of December 11, and within hours, she will head back to London.” When mid-day contacted Azmi ahead of the performance, she said this is the least she could do for her school, which played an instrumental role in shaping her. “It was difficult, but I slept on the flight to beat the jet lag. The best years of my life were spent in school, and I can never dream of letting them down,” said the 75-year-old actor. The joy of performing on stage was another incentive. Having successfully straddled theatre and movies for five decades, Azmi believes each tests the artiste in its own way. “The adrenaline that flows during a live performance requires sharp focus. In films, during a tight close-up, you can’t fake it because you’ll be caught. So, both have their own challenges. I was three months old when my mother Shaukat Kaifi would carry me to her Prithvi Theatre rehearsals. My love for theatre has come to me by osmosis,” she smiled.
12 December,2025 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRVeteran actor and BJP MP Hema Malini hosted a prayer meeting on Thursday in Delhi for her husband and the late film icon, Dharmendra, who died on November 24 at the age of 89 after a brief illness. The gathering was held at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre on Janpath, New Delhi, and began at around 3.30 pm. After prayer meets in Mumbai, Hema Malini organised the meet along with her daughters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol, and her son-in-law, Vaibhav Vohra. Dignitaries attend Dharmendra's prayer meet in Delhi The prayer meet marked a second memorial gathering for the legendary actorheld by Hema Malini. It witnessed the attendance of several political leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister of Railways and Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of State Jitendra Singh, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prahlad Joshi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and BJP MPs Kangana Ranaut, Harsh Malhotra and Bansuri Swaraj. Esha Deol's ex-husband, businessman Bharat Takhtani, was also present at the prayer meet. Notably, along with Hema Malini, Dharmendra's eldest son, actor Sunny Deol, had also hosted a separate prayer meeting for Dharmendra on November 27. This was attended by Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Tiger Shroff, Vidya Balan, Anil Sharma, Utkarsh Sharma, Aryan Khan, Vivek Oberoi and Suresh Oberoi. Hema Malini's emotional speech Hema Malini addressed the crowd at the prayer meet by delivering an emotional speech remembering her late husband. She said, "Aaj ki is prarthana sabha mein aap sab ka swagat karte hue, main bahut hi bhavuk ho rahi hoon. Maine kabhi nahi socha tha ki meri zindagi mein aisa ek pal aayega, jab mujhe bhi yeh shok sabha rakhni padegi, woh bhi mere Dharam ji ke liye. The whole world is mourning his passing, but for me, it is an inconsolable shock, the breaking of a companionship that stood the test of time." Amit Shah's speech Amit Shah also remembered the legendary actor in his speech at the prayer meet saying, “I never had a personal meeting with Dharmendra ji. Once he called me when Hema ji became an MP. He had written a letter… He was worried that Hema ji should win from her constituency with a good vote margin - he mentioned this in the letter - and that’s exactly what happened; Hema ji won by a very good margin.” “Dharmendra ji was a man with a very clean and pure heart. Today, I have come here as a fan of Dharmendra ji; I have not come here as the Home Minister. Dharmendra ji entered the film industry at a time when there wasn’t much money, nor the kind of luxury we see today. Through sheer hard work and dedication, he achieved that stature. The same person who could play a character like the one in Sholay could also play a completely different kind of role in Chupke Chupke,” he added. Amit Shah concluded saying, “I have watched many of Dharmendra ji’s films that are connected with patriotism. I have watched his film Aankhen many times. Even back then, it felt as though this was a true patriot; this wasn’t just acting. The whole world knows that Dharm ji was a farmer’s son and loved the country deeply. Even at the age of 90, Dharmendra ji’s departure is a great loss. May God grant peace to his noble soul. Vande Mataram!”
11 December,2025 10:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndian actor and festival favourite Rahul Bhat took to social media to share an emotional note as his widely acclaimed film Kennedy finally finds a limited release on Letterboxd Video on Demand, becoming the first and only Indian film to do so across 26 countries. Rahul Bhat on Kennedy OTT release Reflecting on the film’s journey, Bhat wrote, “It started from here… Kennedy premiered at cannesfilmfestival, and though it never saw a release in India, it refused to be stopped. This film carved its own destiny.” He recalled how the film travelled across continents and cultures, winning hearts at every festival it touched. “Festival after festival, continent after continent… the love only grew.” In a powerful line addressing the challenges the film faced, he added, “To those who tried to hold this film back: You couldn’t stop it then, and you can’t stop it now. Muddai lakh bura chahe toh kya hota hai, wahi hota hai jo manzoor-e-khuda hota hai.” Calling it a historic moment, Bhat announced that Kennedy now stands as the only Indian film available on Letterboxd’s global VOD platform. “A film that was never allowed to come home… is now being embraced by the world,” he wrote. On Instagram, Rahul Bhat shared an emotional post along with the director Anurag Kashyap and co-star Sunny Leone in collaboration. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rahul Bhat (@itsrahulbhat) Bhat calls Kennedy's release a statement For Bhat, this milestone is more than a digital release — it’s a statement. “This is more than a release. This is a movement. This is the power of cinema.”He continued, “You cannot dim a light that destiny itself protects. This is not just a milestone. This is cinema choosing its own path — the power of truth, of passion, of art that refuses to bow.” Ending on a note of gratitude, he thanked the global support the film has received, “With gratitude in my heart — to every festival, every audience, every voice that stood by us — thank you for giving Kennedy the flight it deserved.” Kennedy, directed by Anurag Kashyap and headlined by Rahul Bhat, first premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and has since travelled to several major festivals worldwide, earning rave reviews along the way — even without an Indian theatrical release.
11 December,2025 07:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe roaring success of Dhurandhar has set new trends and benchmarks for Bollywood, at the box office as well as in terms of filmmaking. Amid this, an alleged tweet of director Siddharth Anand has gone viral on social media, wherein he seemingly took a dig at South Indian film producer Naga Vamsi over the success of the film. He deleted the tweet later. However, a Reddit user shared the screenshot of the tweet, which is now going viral. Did Siddharth Anand take a dig at Naga Vamsi? In the screenshot, Siddharth seemingly replied to a tweet with Vamsi's picture and wrote, "Where is this guy?" Siddharth took a sarcastic jibe and replied to the tweet, writing, "Somewhere not getting sleep." Siddharth Anand deleted this tweetbyu/saurabhagarwal8 inBollyBlindsNGossip Notably, a few days ago, Siddharth had showered praises on Dhurandhar in his tweet. He wrote, "DHURANDHAR is nasha. It stays for long with you. It doesn’t leave you. You crave for wanting more. It is a prime example of EVERY damn department performing to their peak! How! How? Because the director AdityaDharFilms propelled all of them with his conviction. And his passion. Which shows in every frame. There are some scenes that are executed like a seasoned maestro. Each performance, all of them, has just submitted and allowed their best to be extracted. I’m going to go again. And I don’t remember wanting to see a film again in the theatres for years.. so happy!! Kudos team DHURANDHAR! (sic)." About the Naga Vamsi controversy For the unversed, last year, during a roundtable interview with Galatta Plus, Naga Vamsi told Boney Kapoor, “This might sound harsh, but we South Indians have changed the way you look at cinema — even for Bollywood. Because you guys were stuck in making films for Bandra and Juhu. But now, with films like RRR, Baahubali, Animal, and Jawan. These have kind of changed your version." Boney reacted to his remark, giving him a befitting reply, to which Vamsi said, "We just rediscovered Hindi cinema because of these mass, huge event films." After the video of the roundtable went viral, Vamsi was heavily trolled for insulting a senior producer like Boney Kapoor.
11 December,2025 07:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBollywood actor Akshaye Khanna is all the rage on social media after the release of Dhurandhar. The Aditya Dhar-directorial has been having a dream run at the box office. Clips of Khanna's entry in the film as Rahman Dakhait has gone viral on social media. Not just Dhurandhar, Khanna also had a hit in Chhaava earlier this year where he played Emperor Aurangzeb. Akshaye Khanna on acting aspirations Back in 2020, Khanna had spoken to mid-day about harbouring the ambition to become an actor way before his teenage years. "I always knew this is what I wanted to do. But more than that, I never saw myself being able to do anything other than be an actor," he said revealing that he was never good at academics. "I think it was more from seeing my father (Vinod Khanna). I spent a lot of time going to work with him as a kid, which influenced me a lot. I did amateur theatre in school, but I am not a fan. I have huge stage fright. Still do. The first hurdle to cross was telling parents. Once I did that, then it was, kind of, out of my hands! Because dad said he wanted to make a film for me. I have always been naive in life — unable to plan things. Still am. I just go with the flow," he added. He also clarified that he did not want to be a star. "I didn't say I wanted to be a movie star. I wanted to be an actor. But if you are a successful actor, then you're a star," he said. Akshaye on pre-mature balding During the interview, the actor was also asked if his premature balding took a hit at his confidence levels. "Well, because it started happening to me at such a young age, it was like a pianist losing his fingers. It almost felt like that to me, in those days. Till you really come to terms with it, and then it starts bothering you less." "It's like, I suppose, waking up one morning and saying, "Oh shit, I can't read!" So it would affect you, right? Or you get up in the morning and your knees are paining, and the pain just won't go away. You take a Combiflam for pain relief, and you might realise you need a knee surgery at a very young age. And you might be a sportsperson, so it is heartbreaking. You might lose a year or two of your career. So, as I said, it is like a pianist losing his fingers. Because the way you look as an actor is very important," he added. Khanna further said, "And especially this part (pointing to the face upwards). [Balding] at 19 or 20 is devastating. It can mentally like kill you. But, as I said, it is like anything else — someone needs glasses, someone needs something else... It's up to you, and what you are comfortable with doing [about it]."
11 December,2025 07:41 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAfter dominating the box office and emerging as one of the biggest romantic blockbusters in recent years, Saiyaara is going to have its world television premiere on Sony MAX. The film is set to reach a wider audience and touch even more hearts across the country. Saiyaara has grossed approximately ₹581 crore worldwide, with around ₹412 crore from the Indian box office and ₹169 crore from overseas markets, making it not just one of the biggest hits of the year, but also the biggest love story of the decade. Saiyaara to make TV premiere Directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Yash Raj Films, the musical romantic drama captivated viewers with its heartfelt performances and soulful storytelling. Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda's performances struck a chord with audiences and quickly turned them into popular heartthrobs and breakout stars right after the film’s release. Sony MAX announced the premiere on its Instagram handle, announcing that the film will air exclusively on Sony MAX on 20th December at 8:00 PM. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sony MAX (@sonymax) Why Saiyaara clicked with the audience Indian audiences have always gravitated towards great love stories, returning to them time and again for the emotions they bring alive on screen. Saiyaara taps straight into that longing with a romance that believes in staying, reviving audiences’ appetite for old-school, emotionally rich love stories. It follows Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday), a passionate musician, and Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda), a gentle, soft-spoken poet, whose paths cross through a shared love for music and art. When Krissh discovers that Vaani is battling Alzheimer’s, his love for her doesn’t waver… instead, he chooses to stand by her, underlining the film’s central idea that true love goes beyond all hardships. The film’s music stays with you long after it’s over, with the title track becoming a viral hit! The film's gentle and soulful romantic tunes came like a breath of fresh air and resonated with all age groups. With Christmas around the corner, Saiyaara makes for the perfect watch… warm, emotional and romantic. Whether you’re revisiting the film or watching it for the first time, this world television premiere on Sony MAX is one you definitely wouldn’t want to miss! The film is set to premiere on Sony Max on December 20 at 8 pm.
11 December,2025 05:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBollywood actress Mona Singh is on a remarkable run, delivering one impressive performance after another, and her next project adds yet another exciting chapter to her evolving filmography. After earning widespread praise for her powerful roles in recent years, especially The Ba***ds of Bollywood, the actress now steps into a quirky, comedic world with Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, the upcoming spy comedy backed by Aamir Khan Films. Aamir Khan to play Mona Singh's father The film marks the directorial debut of actor-comedian Vir Das, who also plays the lead alongside Mona. Known for her versatility and ability to effortlessly shift between drama and comedy, Mona is set to bring a fresh charm to this eccentric espionage entertainer. What makes the film even more fascinating is her on-screen reunion with Aamir Khan—this time with a twist fans didn’t see coming. After playing his mother in Laal Singh Chaddha, Mona will now be seen as his daughter in Happy Patel. Aamir himself plays a key character in the film. Sharing the fun details at an event, Aamir said, “Happy Patel is coming in January. It is a comedy film. It features Vir Das and Mona Singh. Mona Singh is the one who played the role of my mother in LSC (Laal Singh Chadha), now I am playing her father in Happy Patel.” With Mona at the center of the narrative, Vir Das bringing his signature humour behind and in front of the camera, and Aamir Khan joining in on the madness, Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos promises to be an entertaining ride. As Mona Singh continues to spread her magic and choose projects that break patterns and offer her new shades to explore, this January release looks set to add another standout performance to her stellar streak. Imran Khan's comeback The announcement video of Happy Patel also featured a glimpse of actor Imran Khan who has been teasing his comeback for a long time now. He will reunite with Danish Aslam, the director of Break Ke Baad, which was released 15 years ago, later this month. In a recent interview, Imran discussed his comeback project and his co-star, Bhumi Pednekar. During a chat with the Hindustan Times, Iman Khan described his future project as "a natural progression."' He said, “The movie is just like what the team of Break Ke Baad would be doing 15 years later in life. It’s a natural progression. Danish and I now have a collective life experience. He’s been married, I’ve been through a divorce. It’s just the film we should make 15 years later. This is very much a personal project that came from the creative urge of wanting to tell a story and working with dear friends. The shoot is complete, and it’s in post-production. We are looking at releasing it once the streaming platform decides on the date.”
11 December,2025 05:27 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSunita Ahuja is known for her candid and unfiltered opinions. Actor Govinda's wife recently opened up about one of the most painful phases of her life, losing her three-month-old daughter. She shared that the baby was born prematurely after the birth of her first daughter, Tina Ahuja. She also reflected on how the loss affected her. Sunita Ahuja recalls losing her three-month-old daughter During her appearance in a recent YouTube conversation with Usha Kakade, Sunita shared the tragic incident candidly, calling it the toughest moment she has ever lived through. For the unversed, the couple, who married in 1987, had kept their relationship under wraps for a while until after the birth of their first daughter, Tina. Sharing the story, Sunita revealed that her second daughter was born prematurely and struggled with severe health complications after birth. “When my second daughter was born, she was born prematurely. She was in my arms for three months, but her lungs didn’t develop properly. One night, she couldn’t breathe, and she passed away in my arms. That was extremely difficult for me. I could have had two daughters and a son today,” she recalled. Sunita went on to share that the events leading up to the premature delivery had a stark contrast to her first, smooth pregnancy. She also admitted she was unaware of the risks and as a result, exerted herself unknowingly during frequent travel with Govinda while carrying the second baby. Earlier in a 2024 interview, Sunita had spoken about her second daughter, saying, “She was born at eight months, but we lost her after three months. I was travelling too much with Govinda. I didn’t know that I shouldn’t have done heavy lifting. I carried heavy chocolate bags from Singapore, and my water burst when I reached Mumbai." Govinda and Sunita Ahuja After tying the knot in 1987, Givinda and Sunita welcomed their first child, daughter Tina Ahuja, in 1989. The couple later welcomed their son, Yashvardhan, in 1997. Tina has already appeared in films, while Yashvardhan is expected to make his acting debut soon. The couple has often been in the spotlight owing to their personal and professional journeys. There have been reports of trouble in their marriage, too, which they have addressed and denied.
11 December,2025 05:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
