When Sooraj Barjatya first came to offer her 'Maine Pyar Kiya', Bhagyashree genuinely presumed he was a prospective groom coming with a marriage proposal! Fast forward 37 years later, when Riteish Deshmukh approached her for 'Raja Shivaji', she said yes without even waiting for a narration. In this exclusive episode of Mid-Day Entertainment presents The Bombay Film Story, Bollywood's OG national crush charts her incredible 37-year journey in cinema. From her iconic debut alongside Salman Khan to playing royalty on screen and off it, Bhagyashree opens up about life, fame, and her upcoming historical epic.

From the heartbreak of Laila Majnu to the gritty madness of Vishal Bhardwaj’s O’Romeo, Avinash Tiwary has seen it all. In Episode 23 of Bombay Film Story, he sits down with Mayank Shekhar to map out his incredible journey. Avinash reveals the "Kashmir Café" story—the grassroots movement that turned a 2018 box-office struggle into a 2024/25 cult phenomenon. He also gives us a masterclass on playing a villain, explaining how his character Jalal in O’Romeo draws inspiration from legendary icons like Mogambo and Langda Tyagi.

Did you know that Neha Dhupia was almost named Nirvana, until her parents decided to name her after Deepti Naval’s character in Chashme Buddoor? Or that she made her acting debut in a Japanese film way before she forayed into Bollywood? Plug in as Dhupia – no filter, no bullsh*t, and all fun – talks about hustling her way from Miss India winner to an actor to a podcaster, and acing every role.

Why did Shilpa Rao change her name from Apeksha at 15? How did a scratch recording of Tose Naina turn into a timeless Hindi film song? From growing up in Jamshedpur to meeting Hariharan at 13, plug in as the Grammy-nominated singer traces her journey to becoming one of Bollywood’s most distinctive voices—and explains why music, for her, is connected to maths too!

It’s impossible to imagine anyone other than Abhishek Banerjee as Janaa of Stree. But what if we told you the actor was initially rejected for the role? Or that his goofy act in the comedy made Sudip Sharma cast him as the violent Hathoda Tyagi in Paatal Lok? Plug in as Banerjee talks about taking the long route to success, from an aspiring actor to casting director to an unconventional hero in Stolen.

Did you know that Ali Fazal wore his own shirt in the 3 Idiots song and asked the film's team to "raffu" it? Or that he lost out on Homeland to do a forgettable Hindi film? In a freewheeling chat, the actor takes us from Mirzapur to Hollywood, from being launched by Shah Rukh Khan to working with Gerard Butler and his buddy Judi Dench

Why did Ishaan Khatter make a short film of sorts as an audition for filmmaker Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds? Why did his half-brother Shahid Kapoor refuse to rope him in as an intern for Udta Punjab? Plug in as Khatter breaks down how he went from being A Suitable Boy to a thirst trap in The Royals, and hustled from Hindi cinema to Hollywood, all in seven years!

Did you know that Gajraj Rao initially worked as a journalist, interviewing Yash Chopra and Mehmood? Or that the actor, who became Internet’s favourite father thanks to TVF’s Tech Conversations with Dad, wanted to abandon the shoot midway? Plug in as Rao charts his journey, from being a little-known actor who would be mistaken for Loy of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy fame to becoming hero, post Badhaai Ho.

How did Boman Irani go from waiting on Shashi Kapoor and Dilip Kumar at the Taj, to co-writing with an Oscar winner? How did he begin his third career, acting, at 40 and fourth, direction, in his 60s? Plug in as Irani talks about his love for movies that began at Alexandra Cinema and took him to the big screen

Who suggested that Rakesh Roshan name all his films with the letter ‘K’? Why did the director travel around the world before beginning the shoot of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai with son Hrithik Roshan? Plug in as Roshan traces his journey from a not-so-successful actor to a blockbuster filmmaker and star maker

From Bhikhu Mhatre in Satya (1998) to Joy Bag in Despatch (2024), actor Manoj Bajpayee takes you through his Mumbai madness — both personal, and onscreen; especially exploring this city as the crime scene, from his first hit, to his last film. Plug in, as we have fun with the Family Man, discussing everything, including the good ol’ Delhi-Mumbai debate!

Did you know that a "broke" Guneet Monga Kapoor had e-mailed Richard Branson and Ratan Tata, requesting them to sponsor her maiden trip to Oscars in 2010? Or that she had sold her Delhi house to finance Monsoon Shootout? Plug into our latest episode as she breaks down the hustle, heartbreak and jugaad it takes to go from indie producer to two-time Oscar winner.

Did you know that Hansal Mehta was to direct Gangs of Wasseypur before Anurag Kashyap? Or that he left Mumbai after a spate of flops and resurrected his flagging career with Shahid from the outskirts of Lonavala? Plug in as Lootere creator Hansal, with his filmmaker-son Jai, charts his journey from helming TV’s most popular cookery show to delivering one of Indian OTT’s biggest series in Scam 1992.

How did a home in a rough Mumbai neighbourhood propel Sonali Bendre’s acting career? How did she land Humma humma, the mother of all item songs? Plug into our latest episode as the actor takes us back to the ’90s when a star’s X-factor was as important as talent, and actresses sometimes needed to “dumb themselves down” as a survival tactic.

Which director was the first to call Prosenjit Chatterjee after watching Jubilee? Which Hindi film did he turn down, only for it to be picked up by Salman Khan? Plug in to our Durga Puja special episode where we have an “adda” with Bengal’s biggest star, as he takes us from Kolkata’s Park Street to Chembur’s RK Studios and Juhu’s Sun-n-Sand

How did filmmaker Jag Mundhra’s daughter reveal Yash Chopra’s son, Yashraj scion, Aditya, actually exists? What was it like to be the last to interview Rishi Kapoor, for the Netflix series, The Romantics? How did Oscar nominated filmmaker Smriti Mundhra find ‘Sima Aunty’ for Indian Matchmaking? Plug in for more!

There are movies, and then there are 'B' movies. What's the difference between the two? Vasan Bala, film-buffs' ultimate filmmaker, and director of docu-series, Cinema Marte Dam Tak, walks us through secret bylanes, the stars, and the auteurs of Bollywood's C-grade cinema, that peaked in the late 1990s!

One of the very few Indian actors to become an international star, Kabir Bedi engages in a candid conversation about his journey in Bollywood, stardom in Italy, his friendship with the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and more!

Versatile and award winning cinematographer Ravi K Chandran opens up about his journey in making era-defining films like Dil Chahta Hai, Black, Fanaa, Yuva, and more.

From being the stock comedian, to training actors across genres/generations, from iconic performances in Rafoo Chakkar, Bawarchi, Satte Pe Satte, to becoming professional dancer and mime, veteran actor Paintal relives 70s Bollywood, and beyond.

From playing second fiddle in art and commercial cinema, to a bona fide star at 60 from Gandhi, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, 'Choli Ke Peeche' in Khalnayak, to Badhaai Ho and Masaba Masaba-Neena Gupta takes you through her personal/career highs and lows!

Sham Kaushal, Bollywood's top action director from a pind in Punjab, and chawls of Bombay, with 130+ major films to his credit. Sneak-peek into famous action sequences from movies like Black Friday, Slumdog Millionaire, Om Shanti Om, and much, much more!

From Rangeela to Aag, uncover stories behind the making of RGV's Bombay cinema. The maverick director and producer indulges the listeners with priceless anecdotes from some of his best known works in Bombay and films.