The song Sarke Chunar from KD The Devil has sparked controversy, from backlash over its lyrics to a reported fatwa against actor Nora Fatehi, who features in the track. Amid allegations that the outrage was orchestrated for publicity, director Prem has denied any such intent.

“I don’t want any controversy. Mine is an emotional film, and the song is meant to be something people dance to at parties. It’s been well received in Karnataka and Kerala. Why would I want controversy?” he says.

Prem explains that while he wrote the original Kannada lyrics, the Hindi version was translated by lyricist Raqueeb Alam. He admits he was unaware of the specific wording that later drew criticism. “Everything went smoothly with the Kannada original. I didn’t understand the Hindi words used in translation as I am not fluent in the language. I come from a village where phrases like ‘neeche mat gira, uthao’ are part of everyday speech, it’s Janapada,” he adds.

The filmmaker says the contentious lines have now been revised and the updated version will be sent to the Censor Board. Expressing regret, he says, “If anyone is hurt, I am very sorry. Our big film faced a small lyrics issue, but it has been blown out of proportion. There are so many larger problems in the world, war hai, LPG gas ki problem hai toh kyun ek gaane pe itni badi controversy kar di?”

Horror is a genre Ajay Devgn knows inside out, having explored it with Bhoot (2003), Kaal (2005), and Shaitaan (2024). But there’s something else about his next horror film with director Rohit Jugraj that has us excited.

mid-day has learnt that the actor will play a character with grey shades in the offering.

Before this, Devgn essayed a grey character in Kaal. A source told us, “Almost 21 years after that horror film, Ajay will play a dark character again in Rohit’s movie. Set in London, the story will have the superstar essaying a brooding and intense character with supernatural powers. He will sport a distinct look in the film. So, he wants to complete his pending assignments before the project rolls.” 

The actor is currently shooting for Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal 5 with co-stars Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Kunal Kemmu, Tusshar Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, and Shreyas Talpade in Mumbai. While the comedy has him booked till May, June will be dedicated to the patch shoot of Drishyam 3. Only in July will he step into Jugraj’s supernatural world.

The source added, “Rohit has begun pre-production on the film. He will call action on it in July and plans to wrap it by the last quarter of 2026. Ajay is also finalizing another movie, which he plans to start by November-December.”

Pehchaan kaun?: Mashhoor Amrohi in the film; (right) former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. Pics/X, AFP

How did Aditya Dhar convince Nawaz Sharif to act in Dhurandhar: The Revenge?’ That and many other memes are circulating online, as the audience can’t get enough of the striking similarity between the character of Nawab Shafiq and the former Pakistan prime minister on whom the role is modelled.

What does actor Mashhoor Amrohi, who played Nawab Shafiq in the action drama, think of it? Well, he is still in disbelief that his two-scene role has garnered so much attention.

“For me, the biggest compliment is that nobody believes it is me. Some are saying that it’s AI. I had not anticipated this kind of adulation. There are memes and pictures all over the internet,” exclaimed Amrohi, the grandson of late filmmaker Kamal Amrohi.

Look at the actor and you’ll find no resemblance with Sharif. But filmmaker Dhar and casting director Mukesh Chhabra felt he would be perfect to play the former Pakistan prime minister. Becoming him naturally entailed a lot of work.

Amrohi recalled, “When we sat for the first make-up test, we didn’t quite achieve what the director wanted. We had to depict the [same] body weight, face, and ageing. Preetisheel [Singh, make-up artiste] went all out — I sat through more than eight hours of make-up daily for four days. For the weight, I had a bodysuit with a paunch.”

A new star kid faced the camera on March 23. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s son Subhan Nadiadwala’s maiden film, helmed by Shashank Khaitan of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) fame, went on floors on Monday at an under-construction building near DN Nagar in Andheri. mid-day had earlier reported that the love story has been titled Aisi Deewangi, a nod to the memorable song from Deewana (1992) that starred Sajid’s late wife Divya Bharti (Tera naam rakh diya, June 18).

According to sources, the first day of shooting involved an action sequence that saw the debutant take on nearly 60 trained fighters.

A source close to the production revealed, “Sajid sir wants to introduce Subhan as a full-fledged big-screen hero, who is adept at both action and romance. The director mounted a stylised action block for the opening day. It was a physically demanding shoot for someone who hasn’t done this before, but Subhan had been training for months for this sequence.”

Besides an extensive leg in Mumbai, the film will also be shot in Manali.

This isn’t Shashank Khaitan’s first brush with a newcomer. He previously directed ‘Dhadak’ (2018), which launched Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor in Hindi cinema.

An almost four-hour runtime has enabled filmmaker Aditya Dhar to tell an expansive story in Dhurandhar The Revenge. But it looks like the Ranveer Singh-starrer has arrived in theatres with a trim. Dongri Ke Sultan, a song that was recorded by singer Mujtaba Aziz Naza and shot on a grand scale in South Mumbai last year, has gone missing from the action drama’s final cut.

When mid-day reached out to Naza, he shared that the song was conceived of as part of a celebratory sequence where Singh’s character Hamza returns to his den after winning the local elections. “We had shot three songs — Dongri Ke Sultan, and [the cover of] Jumma Chumma De De, and Apni Toh Jaise Taise. The set-up was elaborate — Ranveer and Rakesh Bedi were shown in a car, while there was a band on a truck performing. We shot the song over a day,” recalled the singer.

The sequence itself was mounted on a lavish scale. “That scene was actually when Ranveer was coming back from winning the election. There was a lot of fun and a lot of audience. There were at least 10 cars. We shot this in South Mumbai one day last Ramadan (2025),” he recalls.

He added, “My whole group was there. My brother Munir was there. It was an amazing set-up. We had a band on a truck, drummers in front of us, and a car ahead with Ranveer and Rakesh Bedi. It was an amazing shoot.”

The shoot, which lasted an entire day, was captured extensively. “We shot it the whole day. We recorded it live. He set up cameras on the buildings as well, and on the ground floor too. A couple of people were shooting from the buildings, and Aditya repeatedly requested the residents to not shoot from their mobile phones. He had a very big team.”

Naza is full of praise for director Aditya Dhar’s involvement in shaping the performance. “Aditya Dhar was very happy. He suggested the songs. First we recorded Dongri Ke Sultan, and then he suggested the other songs. He said, ‘Ustad ji, you sang this song a little more swingy. You don’t have to worry about the way you sing.’ He asked me to play my instrument, my bongo, a little more swingy. He shot all the scenes.”

Despite the scale and effort, the sequence and the three songs didn’t make it to the film. Was there a rights issue since T-Series acquired the audio rights of Dhurandhar The Revenge? In contrast, Dhurandhar’s (2025) music rights rested with Saregama, which allowed it access to a wide archival library. Naaz shared, “I don’t know why we had to remove them. The [makers] have edited the whole thing out. Fan clubs reached out to me, asking about the song.”

However, Naza retains the rights to the song and is now planning to release it independently. “My song was in it but could not come. So I decided that I will make an official video of it. Because it had only audio and not video. We are working on its video as well, and we are making a very exclusive video. Very soon we are going to launch the official video of Dongri Ke Sultan.”

For the singer, the experience of working on Dhurandhar 2 still holds immense value. “It is a big thing for me to go with a big movie and big artists. For me, it is an experience. And with Ranveer Singh, he has been very lucky for me because I have already had two films with him - Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. I have already got a lot of love from people. Working with Aditya Dhar was a very happy memory for me. I would like to thank him for the movie.”

From Dil Diyan Gallan, Aankhon Mein Teri, Sheila Ki Jawani to Besharam Rang, composer duo Vishal–Sheykhar have shaped the sound of Bollywood for 25 years.

Known for their instinct-driven partnership and genre-bending hits, the two continue to reinvent themselves while keeping the fun, and the music, at the heart of their collaboration. In this conversation with Bombay Times, they look back on their journey, the trust that binds them, and the madness behind their melodies. Excerpts...

Vishal: Absolutely. We do finish each other’s musical sentences. That’s uncannily true about us. But yes, we also have those “commas” you mention. We argue, we debate, we break things down—where a song can go, where it should go, what it should sound like, the beat, the energy—everything is discussed to the bone. And yet, somehow, we always end up on the same page.

Sheykhar: At this point, we know each other so well musically that one of us can easily complete a thought that begins in the other’s head.

Vishal: Honestly, it doesn’t even feel like 25 years. We still have fun doing what we do, we love the process, and we’re always laughing—whether we’re working or just hanging out. There’s a deep respect for each other, and just as importantly, we give each other space. Every person needs an individual identity, even within a partnership, and I think holding on to that individuality has kept us strong all these years.

Sheykhar: At the heart of it, it’s always been about the music—the joy of creating something bigger than either of us. That singular purpose has been the driving force of our collaboration from day one.

Sheykhar: Taking a break usually works best. Stepping away gives us distance and helps us regain perspective. Sometimes, even a really long break has done the trick. As our friend, lyricist Irshad Kamil, once wrote, “Kuch rishton ka namak hi doori hota hai, na milna bhi bahut zaroori hota hai.” That thought has stayed with us. At the end of the day, it’s always about the music, and whatever makes the song better is what wins.

Vishal: Honestly, we don’t really have deadlocks. We don’t see them as conflicts, just as strong opinions. Both of us are secure enough in our partnership to voice what we feel without ego getting in the way. But if ever there was a deadlock, we’d just step away for a couple of days, come back refreshed, and move on.

Vishal: In many long-term partnerships, roles get fixed. Thankfully, that’s never happened with us. Sheykhar is a far more qualified musician, he’s taught me a lot, but our process is symbiotic. Anyone can do anything. If he sings me a tune and I tweak it, he runs with it. If I sing him an idea and he adds a line, that becomes part of it. It’s fluid.

Sheykhar: Life would be boring without surprises. Over time, we’ve both grown individually, and those experiences naturally shape how we collaborate. The ‘rules’ keep rewriting themselves as we go.

Sheykhar: Honestly, every day in the studio or on stage asks something different of us. Each director is unique, every audience responds differently, so our collaboration keeps shifting too. We’ve learned to recalibrate pretty organically—whether it’s composing for a film or performing live. That ability to adapt has kept things seamless for us all these years.

Vishal: If I had to pick one defining moment, it would be the composition of Jo Bheji Thi Dua. That song was pure instinct. I’d been carrying the hook melody in my head for a couple of days, and when I walked into the studio, Sheykhar already had the mukhda. The hook just slipped in there like they were meant to be together.

Sheykhar: I’d definitely describe it as a Mashup.

Vishal: For me, it’s Dus Bahane Karke Le Gaye Dil. By hook or by crook, you’ll end up loving our music, we’ll draw you in. Our songs are meant to become part of people’s lives, and we want everyone to feel included in that experience. I still remember the first time a car drove past playing Woh Pehli Baar from Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. It blew my mind! I’ve been hooked to that feeling ever since.

Vishal: And these sessions don’t always happen in a studio. It could be in the car, at a coffee shop, or even on the phone when we’re in different countries. Wherever we are, once we’re in the zone, it becomes a session. It’s unstructured, but it has its own rhythm, a method to madness. Sometimes we begin with a melody, sometimes with words, sometimes by just sitting with a script or listening to a director’s narration. Ideas can spark from anywhere.

Sheykhar: The seed of an idea or melody can come from either of us, but it’s our different perspectives that merge to create something we’re both proud of. Sometimes, even the occasional casual jam has turned into a hit unexpectedly.

Sheykhar: Disagreements and differences are inevitable in any partnership. In fact, some of our best compositions have come out of creative clashes. Even when we don’t see eye to eye, the key is trusting each other’s instincts. If one of us feels strongly about an idea, the other gives it room to breathe. Over the years, we’ve learned when to push, when to pull back, and when to simply listen.

The second season of The Traitors has begun filming in Rajasthan, bringing together a fresh mix of contestants for the high-stakes psychological reality format. Hosted by Karan Johar, the show is based on the popular party game Mafia and adapted from the Dutch series De Verraders, which has spawned successful international versions across the UK, US and Australia.

Mumbai Mirror has learnt that the makers have curated a diverse line-up this season. Among the key names is Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty, known for films like Jalebi, Chehre, Sonali Cable, Bank Chor. After appearing as a mentor on Roadies, she will now make her debut as a contestant on the show, marking a shift into competitive reality television and a new phase in her career.

Joining her are Parul Gulati, who has featured in projects like Girls Hostel and was last seen in Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 alongside Kapil Sharma, and veteran actor Dalip Tahil, known for films such as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Baazigar, Raja, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke and Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. While Tahil has not participated in reality shows before, Gulati has previously appeared on Shark Tank India.

The first season of The Traitors featured a diverse mix of personalities from television, social media and entertainment, creating a volatile blend of strategy and drama. Contestants included Uorfi Javed, Nikita Luther, Raj Kundra, Anjali Arora, Jannat Zubair, Karan Kundrra, Harsh Gujral and Sudhanshu Pandey, among others. The mix of seasoned performers, influencers and wildcard players ensured constant shifts in alliances and suspicion, which became central to the show’s format.

Ultimately, Uorfi Javed and Nikita Luther emerged as winners, successfully navigating the game as “innocents” and outsmarting the traitors through a combination of instinct, strategy and timely alliances.

DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE smashed all records on its third day as the Eid holiday saw box office carnage everywhere. The film collected an insane 97 crore nett which is 20 crore nett more than anything that has been seen before. The film got going in languages in full in the South also and including them it is a comfortable 100 crore nett plus as the collections from languages should be around 5-6 crore nett. If you include the Hindi version then the film was doing better in Nizam/Andhra than the local big Telugu release, USTAAD BHAGAT SINGH, on Saturday.

The total collections of the film are 284 crore nett including paid previews in its Hindi version and there is still Sunday to come. It was the Eid national holiday on Saturday but Eid plays out over a couple of days and with the second day of Eid coming on Sunday, it will be more box office carnage. It will be no surprise if the film gets a similar collection to Saturday and the way this film is going, even more would be no surprise. There were areas that went into top gear yesterday only and that will continue on Sunday.

When a film works like it can go anywhere and even with these historic collections initially, you can see holds over time which would be unthinkable for a film opening at these levels. The collections are just historic everywhere as Mumbai will cross 100 crore nett today while Delhi/UP is around 60 crore nett. East Punjab stands at around 27 crore nett. These three circuits will be contributing over 200 crore nett by the end of this extended weekend. South India is also historic with Mysore at 25 crore nett and Nizam/Andhra at around 22 crore nett. The wait is now for the weekdays as the rampage will continue.

It would be no surprise that it covers the lifetime business of all original Hindi films in its extended first week except for DHURANDHAR (2025). The story of this film started on 5th December 2025 when someone in the camp had little confidence and there was good amount of feeding and now a few months later the second part of the film going to puts its name among the 15 odd greatest films ever seen in history.

The collections of DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE are as follows.

Paid Previews - 40,00,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 75,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 72,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 97,00,00,000 apprx

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DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE has smashed all weekend records by a distant mile as it beats PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE by 63 crore nett and JAWAN by 70 crore nett. Before DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE, there were around 20 films which had recorded a 100 crore nett weekend and DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE has become the first film to have a 200 crore nett weekend. Also, its not just 200 crore nett but almost 250 crore nett.

Now DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE stands alone at over 200 crore nett and you have another four films in the 150-200 crore nett range and a further sixteen films with over 100 crore nett making its twenty one films with a 100 crore nett plus weekend.

Actually there is not much to say as the list below pretty much tells how DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE is a class apart at the present time. Even if we allow that PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE had a minimal South release, it would still well be behind DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE as at best the Allu Arjun starrer is 200 crore nett on fair value. The last year or so has been a struggle for initials as only CHHAAVA, BORDER 2 and now DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE make it to the list.

Below are the top weekends of all time for Hindi films.

2. Pushpa 2 - The Rule - 1,81,72,00,000 

3. Jawan - 1,75,14,00,000 

4. Animal - 1,68,59,00,000

5. Pathaan - 1,60,57,00,000

6. KGF - Chapter 2 - 1,40,45,00,000

7. Tiger 3 - 1,38,56,00,000

8. Gadar 2 - 1,32,47,00,000

9. Stree 2 - 1,28,31,00,000

10. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion - 1,27,28,00,000

11. Sanju - 1,19,33,00,000

12. Border 2 - 1,16,85,00,000

13. Tiger Zinda Hai - 1,14,91,00,000

14. Singham Again - 1,12,57,00,000

15. Chhaava - 1,08,37,00,000

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DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE has collected a crazy $16.75 million in overseas with Sunday to come and this is all coming without Gulf. The extended weekend is going to be around $22 million at the very least and if Gulf was there, it was probably heading towards $30 million. The normal three day weekend is going to be around $17 million which will be higher than PATHAAN but that came with a $4 million Gulf contribution. Like for like comparison is $12 million v $17 million.

Just like India, there were records everywhere in Overseas on Saturday as United Kingdom hit £650k which is the highest single day collection ever by a distance and it was the same for US, Canada and Australia. Australia hit $1 million in a single day for the first time and US/Canada saw a crazy $3.5 million figure.

The worldwide figure is 500 crore for the Hindi version till the end of business on Saturday. India has a GROSS of 345 crore while Overseas stands at 155 crore. The traditional three day weekend is around 405 crore plus taking apast the 340 crore of JAWAN. Hence, it will be the first 400 crore weekend worldwide. The 300 crore weekends were achieved by JAWAN, PATHAAN and ANIMAL.

The daily Overseas collections are as follows.

Previews - $1,250,000

Thursday - $4,250,000

Friday - $5,000,000

Saturday - $6,250,000

Expectedly, ‘Dhurandhar The Revenge’ has taken the box office by storm. By the evening of March 22, the Ranveer Singh-starrer collected about Rs 440 crore, including its paid previews, in the domestic market. The film’s run is far from done. According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, director Aditya Dhar’s action drama could cross the Rs. 1000 crore mark in domestic collections.

“Like the first part, ‘Dhurandhar 2’ has come like a tsunami. I am confident it will cross Rs 1000 crore in the domestic market. Many theatres are facing capacity issues where there are more people to watch the film [than shows]. The demand will spill over to Monday,” Adarsh told mid-day.

Given its unstoppable run, trade is buzzing with speculation that the movie could beat the worldwide collection of Aamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’ (2016) to become the biggest grosser of Indian cinema. “It cannot be ruled out right now,” said Adarsh.

However, sections of the audience have criticized the movie’s propagandist nature. Some also felt that it ran too long at three-hour-55-minutes.

About the polarizing reactions, exhibitor and trade analyst Akshaye Rathi said, “Whether it’s ‘Dhurandhar’, ‘Animal’ [2023], or ‘The Kashmir Files’ [2022], they wouldn’t have done that kind of business had those polarizing opinions not come into play. The more [the opinions are] polarized, the more it creates a debate and generates curiosity among people to see what the hype is all about.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be flooding the internet with infinite songs and cloned voices, but musician AR Rahman is approaching it from the inside. In July 2025, the composer announced that he is joining forces with Sam Altman’s OpenAI to create Secret Mountain, a virtual global band driven by AI. Even as he explores the possibilities of the rapidly advancing technology, Rahman is clear about one aspect.

“Anything on social media could be AI — songs, voices, everything. But what it cannot give you is the human experience,” he told mid-day at a Yamaha event in Chennai on March 22.

Many artistes around the world are worried about the threats that AI poses and have taken measures to protect their creative identity. The musician, however, is confident that an artiste’s emotional depth will be their biggest advantage.

He elaborated, “When everything becomes mass-produced, you start losing that emotional depth. I think the value of human experience will only grow. People will seek authenticity again. Look how the demand for concerts and live performances is blowing up. That’s something you can’t fake. The key is to not lose that individuality.”

At the event, Rahman was signed on as the ambassador for the brand, whose ‘Made In India’ initiative supports the talents at the maestro’s school, KM Music Conservatory.

Opening up about his school, he shared, “When my father passed away in 1976, we would rent out his instruments to make ends meet. There was a time when I couldn’t afford instruments. Today, I try to give opportunities to others in a similar position. My idea is to build a creative hub in India because art is the only thing that can heal you.”