When the teaser of ‘Prahaar’, which sees Rajkummar Rao step into the shoes of renowned prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, dropped in late June, the makers announced an August 7 release. With the first 10 days of August having gone by, we’ve heard that director Avinash Arun’s feature is now eyeing a September 4 outing. But with that window comes competition.

‘Mirzapur: The Movie’, which marks the big-screen transition of Prime Video’s popular crime drama ‘Mirzapur’ led by Pankaj Tripathi, has already locked September 4 as its release date. An insider said, “That makes the decision tricky for the makers of ‘Prahaar’. ‘Mirzapur’ has three seasons of streaming history behind it and an established fan base. The question within trade circles is how much of that digital fandom will convert into a paid theatrical audience.”

The makers of ‘Prahaar’, which focuses on Nikam’s high-profile case against terrorist Ajmal Kasab after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, are expected to announce the new release date soon. A source shared, “They are looking at a September window. They will announce in a week or so after they gauge the response to ‘Mirzapur’ trailer.”

Ravi Kishan may not have set out to become the internet’s latest obsession, but social media had other plans. The actor and Member of Parliament has lately found himself at the centre of a meme frenzy, with his expressions, dance moves and distinctive dialogue delivery on podcasts and interviews becoming fodder for countless viral posts. From ‘Pehchaan or Paisa? Paisaan! Money follows… my braatheer’ and ‘Hmmmmmm… better do it!’ to ‘Jaldi, the late!’, Kishan’s every move seems to be finding a new audience online.

We caught up with Kishan, who, in his inimitable style, sums up the phenomenon simply: “I don’t do it… it happens, brother!”

He shares, “Yeh kuch alag hi khel chal raha hai, yeh pagalpan hai! Shravan month is on and when Mahadev showers his blessings, this happens. It has never happened before for anyone in this country.”

For Kishan, perhaps the most surprising part is that none of this was planned. “The best part is that this is happening organically. Even the BJP handle, Delhi Police and Maharashtra Government have made memes. I am personally following it all and dropping a ‘like’ as well,” he says.

The 57-year-old credits Gen Z for it all: “No one has discovered me before. Gen Z has accepted me as their own. I really want to thank them and salute their creativity.”

Kishan believes the connection goes beyond the memes and viral clips. “Out of love, they call me Lord Ravi, God Ravi, today’s Osho and whatnot! They love real people; they connect with my imperfections, which makes them feel I am one amongst them. Everyone makes mistakes, so do I and I accept it as well. Main dil se bolta hoon aur meri sacchai logon ko pasand aa rahi hai,” he ends.

With the trailer of director Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana already generating buzz, actor Chetan Hansraj, 54, sees the project as a defining chapter in his career. The actor, who plays Raja Mali, the maternal grandfather of Ravana, says the experience has been unlike any other in his career.

Speaking about his role and working alongside actor Yash (who plays Ravana), he says, “Raja Mali is an important character that went down in history, and my scenes with Yash are pure fire. He is such a delight on screen, and these two characters complement each other wonderfully. It was huge for me.”

The actor also reveals that his association with the film expanded beyond Raja Mali. “After my part was wrapped, I was offered six motion-capture characters, including one of Ravana’s brothers and a demon,” he reveals.

At a time when a large number of audiences prefer to watch films on OTT , the actor says that Ramayana is made for a big-screen experience. “It’s for IMAX, at least the silver screen. Watching it on small screens and mobile phones kills half the effort,” he says.

After the trailer launch, social media erupted into comparisons with previous adaptations of the Hindu epic such as Adipurush (2023) and Ramanand Sagar’s TV series, debating CGI and demon creature designs.

Addressing the debate, Hansraj says, “We have the best action directors from Hollywood and Bollywood, and technicians on board, like Terry Notary... Makers today want to give the best cinematic experience, and that’s a vision we should understand. People who once see it on the right medium will forget all these comparisons, I am sure.”

On Sunday, singer Sonu Nigam shared a video of himself crooning late singer Mohammed Rafi’s Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki (Dulari, 1949) while lying on an operating table undergoing surgery. The unusual moment left fans concerned and wondering what had happened. Nigam now tells us that the surgery was related to a recurring growth on his left ring finger.

“It’s been happening for some time. I had a surgery four months back to remove it, but it has come back again. I think it’s got to do with my arthritis,” he shares.

Explaining how he ended up singing during the procedure, the 53-year-old says, “Dr Nilesh Sathbhai is an admirer of mine and he was playing my songs during the surgery. There were some songs playing without vocals, so I just started singing. It happened organically. They enjoyed it and said it has never happened that a patient is singing for the doctors while they operate.”

Nigam says he was the one who suggested that the doctors record the moment: “I told them they could record it as a memory if they wanted.”

Despite the health setback, the singer says he has no plans to slow down. “After the surgery, on Thursday, I went for the launch of my song Chunni. So I have been on the move even after the surgery, and I am not on a break.”

Actor-filmmaker Mohanlal had to cancel his show in Sydney on Saturday night after failing to secure his Australian visa in time.

In a video message posted by the organisers on Saturday, the actor expressed regret over missing the show, saying he did not know how to explain the situation. Speaking in Malayalam, he said, “I don’t know how to express my grief. I am in a very sad situation. It has been almost 50 years since I entered the film industry. Perhaps, I am the actor from India who has performed in the most number of shows.”

The 66-year-old added that he was unaware of what had caused the delay in the visa process. “For the first time in my life, I did not get my visa. I don’t know how it happened. It could be a technical or clerical mistake or an AI-generated issue. I am taking all the blame on myself. I am telling you that it is my fault. I am very sorry about it,” he said.

Kayal Events, the organizers, also posted a note on Instagram announcing that the event had been postponed. They clarified that Mohanlal’s visa had not been rejected and remained under consideration by the relevant authorities.

They added, “All other artists are already in Sydney but the event cannot proceed without the main artist. Further details, including the new event details and ticket holder options, will be updated.”

For Grammy-nominated artiste Raja Kumari, India has always held a special place in her heart. In the Capital on Friday for Dhaagon Ki Sargam, a National Handloom Day event by the Ministry of Textiles and the FDCI, the rapper-singer opened up about her roots, craft and her love for local street food.

Dressed in an embroidered silk ensemble with schoolgirl braids and metallic charms, she shared, “You can put a modernist twist on an Indian aesthetic, and it still feels rooted.” For Kumari, handloom isn’t just for sarees. “Seeing it styled with jeans today shows how versatile it is. It cements how incredible our textile history has always been, and I’m so happy to see this renaissance,” she said.

Born in California to a Telugu family, Kumari’s decision to build her career in India was set in motion early on. “My father left India in the ’70s for the US. I’m a result of the American dream, but my dream was always to come back,” she reflected, citing the film Swades (2004) as a turning point. “Living in America, I was upcycling my mother’s old sarees to recreate India,” she said.

The 40-year-old also shared that navigating the two worlds shaped both her perspective and music. “In America, they’d say, ‘You’re not American, you’re Indian’, while in India they say I’m not Indian enough. But the rest of the world only sees an Indian girl. It’s about standing in that power.”

With a decade in the industry behind her, her advice to rising musicians is simple, stop copying the West: “We tend to ‘copy-paste’ whatever works once, but young artists need to tell genuine stories. The West is actually looking to the East to find purpose.”

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur is reviving his 1983 classic, Masoom, for the new audience in a new way, with Masoom: The Next Generation. Veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi have already been confirmed to be reprising their roles from the original film, and now HT City has exclusively learnt that another original cast member has come on board — Jugal Hansraj, who played Rahul, Naseeruddin Shah's onscreen son.

Jugal Hansraj made his acting debut as a child actor with Masoom alongside actor Urmila Matondkar. He played the innocent Rahul, whose entry into a typical family changes its dynamics forever. More than four decades after the film's release, Hansraj is now reuniting with his first director, Shekhar Kapur, as well as Shah and Azmi.

Speaking about the reunion, Kapur tells us, “There is something profoundly beautiful about coming home, not to a place, but to a story that has stayed alive in people's hearts for decades. Jugal was just a young boy when we made Masoom, and today, welcoming him back as an accomplished actor is both emotional and deeply fulfilling. Reuniting him with Naseer and Shabana is a reminder that some relationships transcend cinema. As we begin this new chapter, I hope audiences experience the same honesty, tenderness, and emotional truth that made Masoom so enduring.”

Hansraj resonates with the sentiment as he shares that he felt so happy when Kapur called him to offer the new film.

“Masoom has been a part of my life, my identity, for as long as I can remember. Even after all these years, I’m still that ‘Masoom boy.’ It’s been more than 40 years since the film was released, but people still remember the film with so much affection. I constantly get stopped by people even here in New York, and I’m told with a warm smile that their kids or grandkids listen to ‘lakdi ki kathi’. They meet me like I’m a member of their own family. I’m glad that I can be a part of this special family again. It’s like life coming full circle,” he shares with us.

Masoom: The Next Generation is a spiritual sequel to Masoom and will explore changing family dynamics, identity, and relationships across generations. Apart from the three actors, the film will also feature an ensemble cast including Manoj Bajpayee, Nithya Menen, and Kapur's daughter, Kaveri Kapur. Composer A. R. Rahman has come on board to compose the music and co-produce the project.

Actor Ranvir Shorey has been facing backlash since Wednesday after his crude response to an X user was called misogynistic. It began after a light-hearted reel of Shorey dancing with his Khosla Ka Ghosla 2 (KKG) co-stars Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Parveen Dabas crossed 100 million views on Instagram. When an X user reposted it with a dig at him, Shorey hit back. Since the account carried a woman’s display picture, several users accused him of targeting a woman.

Shorey rejects the criticism: “There is no such reply on my timeline. I reply to trolls in the language they speak in, and I will not be apologetic about it. The user you are mentioning is a known toxic and abusive account, whose real gender and age are unknown to me. The kind of language that account uses is more important than if the profile picture is of a girl or boy. If girls can be gutter-mouthed, then they should be ready to hear the same kind of replies too.”

The controversy soon widened, with users bringing up his personal life, including his marriage with actor Konkona Sen Sharma, which ended in 2020, while another alleged he had once been rude to a theatre staffer over a popcorn bucket. Calling them “simply haters”, Shorey says, “Those are simply haters. This entire incident was triggered by the hate towards just a funny 15-second reel that I made with the KKG team that went hugely viral! I have never misbehaved with anyone unless they have misbehaved with me first. And I am under no moral, ethical or legal obligation to take any abuse or hate lying down. From men or women. I am done with this episode. I would rather think about the next reel.”

For nearly 20 years, Mumbai has been home to actor Richa Chadha. It is the city that gave her a career, a family and countless memories. Yet, while putting together her new production, she realised that she barely knew it. She discovered a second-century BC Buddhist stupa hidden on the city’s outskirts. She revisited Gilbert Hill, the 65-million-year-old volcanic formation that most Mumbaikars pass without a second glance. She learnt how the city’s seven islands became one — how decisions made centuries ago still dictate the Mumbai we inhabit today, and found herself listening to communities whose stories rarely make it into history books.

That journey has now become Musafiri, an 8-part travel and culture series that premieres on August 15. The non-fiction series is charmed by the lesson known parts of Mumbai. Across eight episodes, Chadha speaks to historians, researchers, heritage enthusiasts and local communities to uncover the city’s overlooked histories and sub-cultures — from the Adivasi communities of Aarey and the Armenian churches of Mumbai to places that have quietly survived modernisation.

For Chadha, however, the project began long before a camera was switched on. “I have had this document that I have been working on and collating for a long time, maybe since just after college. Between 10 and 15 years, I have been collecting data about the unique things about our country. I have always thought India needs to be looked at the way we look at Europe culturally. Every place has a different language, a different set of beliefs, different textiles, and different local heritage. I wanted to go into not a fancy place, but exactly where I am right now and start from here. That’s why the first season is in Bombay.”

The more she researched, the more she realised that familiarity often breeds ignorance. “If I’ve lived here longer than I have in any other city, what does this city say to me? It speaks to you in different ways. It makes space for you. I have a lot of love for it and I wanted to see what about it could be preserved. Some of the foundations for the city we experience today in 2026 were actually laid in 1666.”

But Musafiri is careful not to become another heritage documentary. Chadha deliberately avoided the stories that have already been told.

“I’ve tried very much to stay away from things that have been done a lot in Bombay. Perspective is very interesting and important to me. It’s not only just history; it’s also culture. It’s also about living history. It’s also about archiving what remains. You’re going to Aarey and meeting people from the Waghoba community. But to see people actually worship the tiger, and understand how their livelihoods and ecosystems are built around that love for nature, that becomes very interesting. So it’s not just history. It’s also culture.”

Ironically, it was motherhood that convinced Chadha the project couldn’t remain a folder of research notes. “When I became a mother, I realized my childhood was so different from my daughter’s. Even though I live in a society where she has access to a park, to play areas, to the beach, everything has changed because of technology. After the postpartum haze settled, I kept wondering whether anybody would even read the essays I wanted to write ten years from now. So I thought, what can I do to visually preserve some of this fast-developing, fast-changing city?

Some of these facets may simply disappear. Earlier, buildings were made to last. Today they’re often built to be redeveloped. I wanted to archive what remains.”

The larger ambition, however, extends far beyond Mumbai. “I want Indians to rediscover India, particularly young Indians, Gen Z, and rediscover the ethos of India to see what they can make of it.”

She worries that somewhere along the way, Indians have drifted away from their own histories, languages and literature. “I honestly feel we know very little. Colonialism affected us very deeply. It’s not just about 200 years of slavery; it’s about what it did culturally. What happens to literature if people stop reading in their own languages? What happens to that inheritance?”

It is impossible not to think of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown while watching Musafiri, a comparison Chadha herself embraces, albeit cautiously.

“I did think of Anthony Bourdain because he was such a fascinating connoisseur of culture and food. I loved Parts Unknown. But I’m not Anthony Bourdain. What I admired was that he approached situations with a lot of love. This show is about looking at the diversity of India through a contemporary lens and reacquainting Indians with their own country.”

Musafiri is also the second production from Chadha and Ali Fazal’s banner Pushing Buttons, but unlike the studio’s previous outing, the actor was involved in every stage of its creation, from conceiving and writing the series to hosting it herself. She was equally clear about where it should be released. Instead of opting for a streaming platform, Chadha chose YouTube to ensure the series remained accessible.

“I wanted people to have access to it free of cost. Without a paywall or without a subscription, at least for the beginning. Also, when we were growing up, we had so many travel, chat and food shows that were really about culture. I wanted to make something in that spirit,” she says, adding, “I’m also nervous because this is the first time I’m doing it. I’ve come out after hibernation. But it’s just me taking my bag and a camera and going into the city, the way I’d want my viewers to.”

For an actor whose career has largely involved inhabiting fictional worlds, Musafiri offered something unexpectedly liberating.

“As an actor, you’re mostly playing somebody else’s character and mouthing somebody else’s lines. Here, I get to walk into Dharavi, have a cup of tea with someone I’ve never met, sit in their home and simply have a conversation. I love this country and I love the people of this country. If I had to sum up the show, I would say it’s about people, places and love.”

For a city that often races past its own history, perhaps slowing down is the most important journey of all.

Well-known filmmaker Shakeel  Noorani, 73, who has written, produced and directed films including Bade Dil Wala (1999) and Joru Ka Ghulam (2000), has been arrested by the Malvani Police in connection with a alleged rape and sexual assault case filed by a 33-year-old actress.

The police have alleged that Noorani sexually assaulted the woman after calling her to his Malvani residence on the pretext of discussing an upcoming film project. The case also involves allegations of administering a sedative and subsequently threatening the woman with an alleged video. According to police sources, Noorani was traced to a farmhouse in Medha, Satara district, and arrested in the early hours of August 8 before being brought to Mumbai.

The Malvani Police have registered a case under Sections 64(2)(M), 123, 351(2) and 88 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the sources, the actress first met Noorani at an entertainment award event in Lokhandwala in 2016. She alleged that Noorani, who had directed Bade Dil Wala and Joru Ka Ghulam, spoke to her about an upcoming project and asked her to contact him for work.

The woman in the FIR alleged that she later visited his Malvani residence to read a script. According to her complaint, Noorani allegedly gave her a drink after which fell  unconscious.

She alleged that when she regained consciousness, Noorani showed her a video on his mobile phone and allegedly threatened to circulate it if she approached the police or informed her family.

The actress further alleged that Noorani subsequently used the purported video to threaten her and sexually assault her repeatedly and on multiple occasions.

The survivor’s account gets even more distressing as she has further alleged that Noorani repeatedly gave her contraceptive pills following the alleged sexual encounters.

According to the sources, the woman returned to Mumbai in 2026 while seeking financial assistance for medical treatment. 

During the investigation, police allegedly learnt that Noorani was staying at a farmhouse in the Medha area of Satara district. A local police team located him and took him to Medha Police Station, following which Malvani Police officials reached Satara and formally arrested him. According to the police, Noorani was medically examined at the Rural Hospital in Medha before being brought to Mumbai.

Advocate Vikas Singh Goar, representing Noorani, has maintained that his client has been falsely implicated. “The allegations made by the actress are yet to be established before a court, and the investigation is underway. Noorani is presumed innocent unless proven guilty,” he said. 

Police sought his custody to further investigate the allegations, recover and examine the alleged video and ascertain whether the alleged offences took place at other locations. The Borivili holiday court “remanded Noorani in police custody till August 12”.