President of the Bengaluru city district unit of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) - a pro-Kannada organisation lodged a police complaint against singer Sonu Nigam, saying that his statements have deeply hurt the sentiments of the Kannadiga community, incited hatred among various linguistic communities in Karnataka, and are likely to provoke violence. This complaint was lodged against the renowned singer Sonu Nigam for allegedly making objectionable and emotionally provocative statements during a musical event held on April 25- 26 at East Point College of Engineering and Technology, Virgonagar, Bengaluru, which falls under your police station's jurisdiction. Dharmaraj A, President of the Bengaluru City District Unit of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, submitted the complaint. "This complaint is lodged against the renowned singer Shri Sonu Nigam for making objectionable and emotionally provocative statements during a musical event held on April 25, 26, at East Point College of Engineering and Technology, Virgonagar, Bengaluru, which falls under your police station's jurisdiction. His statements have deeply hurt the sentiments of the Kannadiga community, incited hatred among various linguistic communities in Karnataka, and are likely to provoke violence. A video of Shri Sonu Nigam's statement has gone viral, causing widespread outrage among millions of Kannadigas across the state," reads the complaint. "On April 25, 26, during a musical event at East Point College, it is reported that a student requested Sonu Nigam to sing a Kannada song. In response, Nigam made an objectionable statement, saying, "Kannada, Kannada, Kannada, this is exactly why the incident happened in Pahalgam." He referenced the terrorist attack that occurred in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, where 26 tourists were killed. By linking a simple request to sing a Kannada song to a terrorist act, Nigam insulted the Kannadiga community and equated their cultural pride and linguistic identity with violence and intolerance," the complaint further said. These statements were recorded in a video that has gone viral on social media and has been reported by various news channels, leading to widespread anger among Kannadigas and raising concerns about potential attacks on Kannadigas in different parts of the country. "Shri Sonu Nigam's statements are objectionable, divisive, and harmful to communal harmony. They violate the following sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023." The complaint further reads, "Sonu Nigam's statements have caused severe distress to the Kannadiga community. By equating a simple cultural request to sing a Kannada song with a terrorist act, Shri Nigam has portrayed Kannadigas as intolerant or violent, which is contrary to their peace-loving and harmonious nature. His statement risks sparking linguistic unrest in Karnataka, a state known for its diversity. Coming from a public figure like Shri Sonu Nigam, who has a vast following, such statements create a negative perception of Kannadigas and foster division among communities, endangering communal harmony." "In this regard, I request that a complaint be registered against Shri Sonu Nigam under BNS Sections 352(1), 351(2), and 353 for promoting enmity, criminal defamation, and outraging linguistic sentiments, and that appropriate legal action be taken. I urge you to thoroughly investigate this incident, collect video evidence from the event, and record statements from witnesses present at East Point College on April 30, 2025, to ensure justice for the Kannadiga community and prevent such divisive statements in the future. "I am ready to fully cooperate during the investigation and provide additional information if required. I kindly request that you take immediate action on this serious offense to safeguard the harmony and unity of our society. Yours faithfully, Dharmaraj A., District President, Bengaluru District, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Bengaluru." Kannadigas and Kannada cinema artists are outraged against the singer on social media. Pro-Kannada organizations have demanded that Sonu Nigam apologize. The insistence on banning them has also been heard. Sonu Nigam has shown a lot of love for Kannada, so some of the fans also said that he must be given one more chance to apologize instead of banning. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 May,2025 08:12 AM IST | Bengaluru (Karnataka) | ANINirmal Kapoor, the mother of Anil Kapoor, Boney Kapoor, and Sanjay Kapoor passed away on April 2 at the age of 90. As the unfortunate news broke on the internet, several members of the film fraternity reached Nirmal's residence in Mumbai to offer their condolences to the Kapoor family. Filmmaker Karan Johar, veteran actor Anupam Kher, Rani Mukherjee, Jackie Shroff, Tabu, Raveena Tandon, Rasha Thadani, Ananya Pandey, Suhana Khan were spotted at Anil Kapoor's mother's home to pay their respect. Additionally, directors Rajkumar Santoshi and Anees Bazmee also visited the residence to offer their condolences. Also, celebrated writer Javed Akhtar, along with Rumi Jaffery and yesteryear actress Padmini Kolhapure were seen coming out of Nirmal's residence. Janhvi Kapoor, her rumored beau Shikhar Pahariya, Shanaya Kapoor, and Anshula Kapoor were also seen at the premises, along with other members of the Kapoor clan. If the reports are to be believed, Nirmal's last rites will take place tomorrow May 3 at the Pawan Hans Crematorium, Mumbai. However, no official confirmation from the family members has been received yet. According to Dr Santosh Shetty, CEO and Executive Director of the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, Nirmal passed away peacefully at the hospital around 5.25 pm on Friday. Nirmal was reportedly in and out of the hospitals in the recent past because of age-related issues. She is survived by her three sons- Boney, Anil, and Sanjay, and daughter Reena Marwah, who is married to the founder of AAFT in NOIDA, Sandeep Marwah. Nirmal was married to well-known film producer Surinder Kapoor. She is also the grandmother of Arjun Kapoor, Anshula Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor, and Mohit Marwah. Nirmal celebrated her 90th birthday in September 2024, and Anil, Boney, and Sanjay penned heartfelt birthday wishes for their mother. They also shared some unseen family photographs with her on Instagram. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 May,2025 08:09 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSBollywood actors Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor, and film producer Boney Kapoor's mother, Nirmal Kapoor, passed away at 90. According to reports, she breathed her last at 5:45 PM on Friday at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. She had been facing difficulties on the health front for the past couple of months. She is survived by her three sons, a daughter, and their families. Nirmal was the grandmother of actors Arjun Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Mohit Marwah, Harshvardhan Kapoor, and Shanaya Kapoor. Sandeep Marwah is her son-in-law. Kapoor family at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital In the videos shared by the paparazzi, Boney and Shanaya were spotted at the hospital along with Rhea Kapoor's husband and filmmaker Karan Boolani. Janhvi was also spotted with her boyfriend, Shikhar Pahariya. Nirmal Kapoor's funeral will take place on Saturday, May 3, at 11:30 AM at Vile Parle Crematorium, Pawan Hans, S.V. Road, Mumbai, as per the details shared by the Kapoor family. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) Family issues statement Kapoor family issues statement after the demise of Nirmala Kapoor. Boney Kapoor took to his social media to share the news of his mother's passing, attaching the family's heartfelt message. The filmmaker shared a picture that included a photograph of young Nirmala along with a statement that reads, "Passed away peacefully on the 2nd of May, 2025, surrounded by her beloved family. She lived a full and joyful life, leaving behind four devoted children, loving daughters-in-law, a caring son-in-law, eleven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and a lifetime of treasured memories." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Boney.kapoor (@boney.kapoor) The note further concluded, "Her generous spirit and boundless love touched all who knew her. She will remain in our hearts—forever cherished, forever missed. Boney, Anil, Reena, Sanjay, Sunita, Sandeep, Maheep, Mohit, Akshay, Sonam, Arjun, Rhea, Harshvardhan, Anshula, Janhvi, Shanaya, Khushi, Jahaan, Antara, Anand, Aashita, Karan, Thea, Vayu, Ayra, Yuvaan." Sharing the statement, Boney captioned it, “Maa (pensive face emoji).” Soon after his post, several social media users left condolences.
03 May,2025 07:59 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIs it happening? Is it not? For over a year, Saif Ali Khan has been in talks with filmmaker Priyadarshan to adapt the Malayalam movie, Oppam (2016), for the Hindi audience. Now, the actor’s plan has finally materialised. Last week, the makers issued a public notice in a film trade magazine, announcing that they have acquired the adaptation rights of the Mohanlal-starrer that was helmed by Priyadarshan. With this, the actor-director duo has set the stage for their remake, which, mid-day has learnt, will go on floors by the year-end. Priyadarshan So, what exactly is the Malayalam action thriller all about? Produced by Antony Perumbavoor, it tells the story of Mohanlal’s Jayaraman, who is visually challenged, but has a heightened sense of smell, hearing, and touch. When a retired judge is murdered by a man he had wrongly put behind bars, Jayaraman takes it upon himself to protect the judge’s daughter. An insider shares that Khan was in talks with Priyadarshan and Oppam’s producers since 2023. “In the months that followed, Saif began shooting for Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, and Priyadarshan got busy with his movies. Now, the actor has not only acquired the rights, but also chalked out the shoot dates. The director has started working on the script. The shoot will begin by 2025-end after Saif completes director Rahul Dholakia’s next, and Priyadarshan wraps up Bhooth Bangla with Akshay Kumar and Tabu,” reveals the insider. (From left) Meenakshi and Mohanlal in Oppam Joining Khan in the remake as the antagonist would be Bobby Deol, who is enjoying a successful second innings in Bollywood. Interestingly, Samuthirakani, who portrayed the villain in the original, is also expected to play a pivotal role. But before the cast faces the camera, Khan will dive into intense prep. A key part of the prep would be picking up Kalaripayattu. The source adds, “Saif will take a two-month break after Rahul’s movie, during which he will undergo workshops on playing a blind character. After that, he will head out to Kerala to train in Kalaripayattu, as his character is shown as a skilled martial artist. Saif and Bobby will also sport distinct looks in the movie.”
03 May,2025 07:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRRaid 2U/A: Drama, thrillerDir: Raj Kumar GuptaCast: Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Vaani KapoorRating: 3/5 Not that Raid 2 has a sutradhaar (narrator) — but a cute, portly prison inmate, Tau, played by Saurabh Shukla, appears at regular intervals, to drop truth bombs. One such is to a flunky cop in jail, who sucks up to him: “Lamba kheloge. Chaatne ki kala hai [tumme], chaato, Girdhari!” Making the point about how a sure-shot way to tell a middling underling is they make up for their mediocrity,by lauding their supposed superior, always. Likewise, he suggests, politicians never get caught for their crimes. Unless, it’s an inside job. Who is this Tau, otherwise unrelated to the rest of the film? For that, you will have to vividly remember Raj Kumar Gupta’s Raid (2018), the prequel to this picture. Which was essentially about an income tax (IT) raid, set in 1981, Lucknow, netting a top UP don. That was Saurabh Shukla (Rameshwar Singh/Rajaji/Tau). Raid was based on a true story, detailing what perhaps still remains the longest IT raid conducted on a private individual. By the looks of it (and I could be wrong here), Raid 2 isn’t adapted from an actual episode.Or at least not one such, anyway; maybe a bunch of them. What remains in common, of course, is Ajay Devgn as the IT sleuth, in hot pursuit of black money, hidden by a prominent/popular heartland politician. It’s been eight years since. The prime minister is evidently VP Singh (it was Indira Gandhi in the first part). The lead character, it seems, has got himself a new wife (Vaani Kapoor switched over from Ileana D’Cruz)! But his reason of existence remains the same. This gent is Amay Patnaik that in itself is such a non-filmy name — with Devgn, in shirt, trousers, Relaxo-type floaters, hardly ever allowing his heroic swag to overwhelm this government-servant character—that, as an audience, you subconsciously stay with his sincerity, all through. And he never lets you down onscreen. What’s kinda unclear to me is the size of his opponent. In the sense that the film starts off in Rajasthan, 1989, with the action shifting to a town called Bhoj, where the honest sarkari hero is on his 74th transfer. If I’m not mistaken, Bhoj is a small-town in Karnataka. This one is perhaps fictional — lorded over by one man, who runs/owns practically the entire town, including its people. Riteish Deshmukh smartly plays this excessively sober politician (as most politicians actually are) — so powerful, that the state government runs on his borrowed MLAs; while, if I saw right, he’s also a member of parliament! In the real world, this would be a mismatched David vs Goliath kinda story. What follows, however, is a Tom & Jerry chase, with both protagonist and antagonist inevitably turning a corner — turning the film, in turn, into a proper thriller. Raid 2 is an action-packed film. Yet, not one knuckle gets broken, with neither lead-bloke swinging in the air, in multiple directions! It’sthe form of sorted theatrical writing that we seem to be progressively moving away from — heading instead towards stunts for stunts’ sake. You needn’t pour blood to hold people’s attention, right? And director Gupta (No One Killed Jessica, Aamir) gets this right. So far as the genre is concerned, it’s certainly a comeback of sorts for him since India’s Most Wanted (2019). Which, in a similarly realisticspace, felt relatively underwhelming. What was the impact of the OG Raid? One tends to over-judge movies by their consumer reviews, and more so, box-office numbers. I recently met a young Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, who actually joined the service, because he was so influenced by this pic’s prequel! Would you imagine? I’ve got to learn a lot more about how honest IRS officers operate from him. And my sense is, as bureaucrats like Amay in this movie show — they do have the freedom to act (against the immeasurably corrupt). In some cases, there may not be much freedom after the act! Going back to ‘truth bomb’ Tau’s line in this film, when the lead character has been suspended from service for going after a big cat, “For a khuddar/self-respecting man, worse than going to jail is living off your parents-in-law!” Amay does. Why have I incessantly compared this sequel to the original that was so much more an indoorsy, talkie drama, though? Because the filmmakers expect you to — repeating so many of the tropes/characters, as tributes, that some may feel like they’re like watching a rehash, or the second season of the same show. They aren’t mistaken in their view. It could also be a compliment. But this stuff is suitably different in its sameness. It belongs more to post-pandemic cinemas of 2025. As in, written as two distinct halves — separated by an item song, and an interval. Wherein the second instalment is more about unleashing a separate lot of characters for comedy, thriller, mystery… Bloating up the script a bit much after half-time, hence — to make it all the more accessible to wider audiences. Yes, it’s a stretch. But all of it serving the purpose of popular entertainment. So, no sweat. No sweat at all!
03 May,2025 07:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Mayank ShekharThe winning spirit Prabhas and Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone is all set to make a comeback after her maternity break and seems like she is going to be all packed till the end of 2026. Along with King with Shah Rukh Khan. Now she will apparently also star in Telugu star Prabhas’s Spirit, which is being directed by filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The two stars had earlier collaborated for Kalki 2898 AD (2024). According to reports, Deepika seems to be keen on Spirit for its well-written and nuanced female lead role. However, reports suggest that she had initially turned down the offer due to her pregnancy, but agreed after the shooting timeline was revised in a way that she could get back on sets after completing her maternity break. The film will reportedly go into production in October, with a release planned for the first half of 2027. She is also prepping for the second instalment of Kalki. Running to the bank Shraddha Kapoor After the success of Stree 2 (2024), Shraddha Kapoor seems to be flooded with offers. For her next, she has apparently signed a standalone woman-led film with producer Ektaa Kapoor. We have learnt that the project will be helmed by Rahi Anil Barve and will go on floors in the second half of 2025. According to reports, Shraddha is commanding a fee of R17 crore for the film. A boost for content makers Ashwini Vaishnaw At the summit, the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) was launched to place India on the global Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) map. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The institute has already commenced operations.” The IICT is being set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with global tech players like NVIDIA, Google, and Apple on board. The institute will have cutting-edge facilities, including gaming and animation labs, and virtual production set-up. A 10-acre dedicated campus at Film City is planned for phase two. Vaishnaw added, “It is poised to create vast opportunities for young creators, technologists, and entrepreneurs.”
03 May,2025 07:06 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamAfter reports of Shah Rukh Khan and Kiara Advani making their MET Gala debut surfaced in the media, it seems like global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas might also make a magnificent return to the prestigious fashion event on May 5. The former Miss World will sashay in style at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York after giving it a miss last year. Priyanka Chopra to mark her glorious return to the MET A source informed Mid-day, Priyanka will attend the MET Gala 2025 with Olivier Rousteing of Balmain. She is expected to don a powerful couture look, styled with an exquisite piece from Bvlgari’s newest high jewellery collection. A perfect blend of cinematic royalty and fashion authority. According to People magazine, this year, the event will celebrate the theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' inspired by Monica L. Miller's book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. The exhibit will feature a range of garments, paintings, photographs, and more, exploring the indelible style of Black men in the context of dandyism. Priyanka to be honoured at 4th annual Gold House Gala Priyanka will be felicitated alongside Jon M. Chu, Megan Thee Stallion, and Ang Lee. This year, the Gold Gala will take place on May 10 at the Music Centre in Downtown Los Angeles. Over 600 guests are expected to convene. Priyanka will receive the inaugural Global Vanguard Honor for her unprecedented 25-year career bridging Asian Pacific and Western cultures through acclaimed work across Hindi cinema and Hollywood, as well as her continual elevation of underrepresented voices. Priyanka Chopra’s work front Priyanka is finally gearing up for her comeback to the Indian screens. She will star in SS Rajamouli’s untitled next with Mahesh Babu. ‘SSMB29’ will mark the former Miss World’s return to Indian cinema after six years. She was last seen in the 2019 film The Sky Is Pink. On the Hollywood end, Priyanka is busy filming the next season of her series 'Citadel' also has other exciting projects lined up, including 'Heads of State' alongside Idris Elba and John Cena, as well as a role as a 19th-century Caribbean pirate in 'The Bluff'.
02 May,2025 05:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent“Why is Bollywood failing at the box office?” is a question that echoes in every corner of the Hindi film industry today. Barring a few hits— one can count on their fingertips— Bollywood continues to struggle to get on its feet after suffering the Covid-19-caused blow five years ago. Inadvertently, it has become a talking point at the ongoing WAVES Summit, where superstars and producers Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan have shared solutions to the problem. Aamir Khan bats for more theatres A day after Shah Rukh called for an increase in the number of cinema halls in India, Aamir broke down how it’s unfortunate that for a hugely populated country like India, there were at most 10,000 screens available to watch movies. “In the US, which is one-third of our population, they have 40,000 screens, and China has 90,000 screens! In the 10,000 that we have, half are in the South and the other in the rest of the country. So for a Hindi film, there are only 5000 screens available,” he said. Aamir said it’s shocking that for a cinema-loving country, several districts have no theatres. “Our biggest hits over the years have had a footfall of merely three and a half crore people, which is just two percent of our population. So, where is the remaining 98 percent watching our films? We need to have a lot more theatres in India. There are so many districts that don't have a single theatre to watch films. So, I am from a place which has no cinema halls. I might read about a film online, but I will never get to watch it. This is one of our biggest issues, which we have been facing over the decades. India's huge potential can be realised if we have that many screens," he said. Need a longer window between theatrical and OTT releases Not just that, Aamir feels the industry needs to look at another business model, which he calls “faulty”. The actor spoke about the need for a longer window between theatrical and OTT release of a film. Aamir said the current window of eight weeks makes no sense to him as it only encourages the audience to wait for two months after a film’s release to catch it on an OTT platform, which he/she has already subscribed to for a year. “Earlier, films would come to theatres, and a year after that on satellite. Then it became eight months, and later six months. So, I had a choice. I can either watch films in theatres or wait six months and watch on satellite. Now, what’s happening is, let’s take this bottle in my hand, and imagine you are told, ‘Please buy this bottle right now or I will drop the bottle at your home after eight weeks.’ This is a business model we are currently following. If I have to be honest to my audience while marketing my film, I have to tell them, ‘Guys, my film is releasing, but all those people who have bought subscriptions to a particular OTT platform have already bought my film. They don’t need to come to the theatres. Those who are not on any OTT platform, please come and watch my film.’ This is the communication I will have to have with my audience, and it’s very awkward. So, this window between theatrical and OTT release is too small. You are killing your own business. In a price-sensitive country like India, this is a big deal. We need to look into it,” he said. Aamir said it doesn’t matter whether a film is good or bad; it will be killed by the current business model. “When we (film artistes) meet, we have this discussion, 'Why are our films not doing well?' I say, ‘Hello! You are telling your audience to not come.’ The quality of the film is a separate topic. Whether your film is good or bad, this business model doesn’t make sense to me. If I make a very good film, this business model still doesn’t make sense to me. The current business model is faulty.”
02 May,2025 05:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Indian movie business is struggling, with fewer people going to theatres to watch films. Instead, audiences often choose to wait for a movie to release on an OTT platform. And then come films like Oppenheimer, which break all records and force theatre chains to run extra midnight shows. Given that even the stocks of AMC have dropped significantly over time, it was only fitting to question the man behind one of the biggest hits in recent times. During the WAVES Summit 2025, Mayank Shekhar moderated a session where he questioned one of Hollywood’s GOAT producers and the man who backed Oppenheimer, Charles Roven, about the declining theatre market. Charles Roven on fewer people going to theatres In response, Roven asserted that he usually doesn’t make films based on whether they will be released in theatres or go directly to an OTT streaming platform. Addressing the issue, he stated: "This is probably obvious, but your business is so just inside India, and my business is so around the world that the model is completely different. All of you make movies or content and decide how you're going to get it exhibited—sometimes as you're financing it, and sometimes after you've financed it. Everything I do starts out with the intention that I want to show it around the world. I don't think that's where you guys come from." Aamir Khan was quick to jump into the conversation and agree, "No, we don’t. You're absolutely right." Charles further added that he believes India should be looking at the world and figuring out a way forward. About Charles Roven ‘Oppenheimer’ Charles Roven produced Oppenheimer, which was not only a huge box-office success but also a critics’ favourite. The gripping tale of hard work, determination, and ambition—directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., and more—earned widespread acclaim. It won eight awards at the Golden Globes, including Best Drama Motion Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture. At the BAFTA Film Awards, Oppenheimer secured seven wins, including Best Film and Best Director. Additionally, it triumphed across eight categories at the Critics’ Choice Awards 2024.
02 May,2025 03:59 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentKareena Kapoor Khan has reiterated several times that unlike her contemporaries, she doesn't harbour Hollywood aspirations. At the ongoing WAVES Summit, Kareena made a strong case for her indifference towards the prospect of an international career. The actor recalled the moment when legendary Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg spoke to her about 2013 blockbuster 3 Idiots. "Steven Spielberg was eating in the same restaurant as me. This was many moons ago, when 3 Idiots had just released. He came upto me and said, 'Are you the girl from this Indian movie about three students?' I said, 'Yes, that's me.' He said, 'My God! I love that movie!' I didn't have to act in an English film for him to see it. He watched 3 Idiots!" she said at a panel discussion, moderated by filmmaker-friend Karan Johar. When Johar reminded her of her famous quote from a Koffee with Karan episode, where she said, "Sab bus pakad ke Hollywood jaa rahe hain," referring to Bollywood actors making their international debut, Kareena laughed and said, "Main yehi hoon. I love my Indian movies and working in them. I love dancing to Hindi songs and speaking Hindi dialogues. 'Bhatinda ki Sikhni hun (a dialogue from Jab We Met),' acha lagta hai baar baar bolna." Johar then invoked her another dialogue from the 2007 Imtiaz Ali-directorial, which said, "Main apni favourite hun." To which, she replied, "Every girl and woman should always say this line, 'Mai apni favourite hun.'"
02 May,2025 03:16 PM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaNamit Malhotra, visionary producer behind the much-anticipated Ramayana, shared today that the planned unveiling of the film’s first glimpse at Waves 2025 has been postponed due to the ongoing situation in Pahalgam. The film starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash was to launch the first asset at the event today. “We planned to launch Ramayana glimpse today at Waves 2025, but postponed it due to Pahalgam,” he said. Namit Malhotra shares deets on Ramayana Malhotra is extremely satisfied with the Nitesh Tiwari film, which soon goes into the filming of its second part. The film is being developed using advanced VFX and real-time AI lip-sync. “Ramayana is a story meant for the world,” said Malhotra, while speaking to the press in Mumbai. “We are leveraging cutting-edge technology to make it truly global, not just through dubbing or subtitles, but by achieving authentic lip-sync in multiple languages. Our aim is to make audiences across the globe feel as though it was made in their own language.” Malhotra emphasized the team wants to honour the spirit of the epic while using modern tools to reach hearts worldwide. “Ramayana deserves to be localized — to be told in every tongue, in every corner of the world.” Ramayana set to be released in two parts Last year, Malhotra, who has previously worked on several high-profile Hollywood projects including 'Dune' and 'Inception', shared that the film was set to release in two parts. The epic saga will feature Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram. Sai Pallavi will star as Sita, and Yash as Ravana, with the first installment slated for release in 2026, and the second part will release in 2027. In a heartfelt message accompanying the film's first poster, he wrote, "More than a decade ago, I embarked on a noble quest to bring this epic that has ruled billions of hearts for over 5000 years to the big screen. And today, I am thrilled to see it taking shape beautifully as our teams work tirelessly with only one purpose: to present the most authentic, sacred, and visually stunning adaptation of our history, our truth, and our culture - our RAMAYANA--for people across the world." Nitesh Tiwari is known for his work on Dangal and Chhichhore.
02 May,2025 03:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
