Sonu Nigam has never really been one to shy away from taking a stand. Over the years, the singer has spoken openly about issues ranging from the use of loudspeakers at religious places to royalty rights for performers. So, when a recent video of him refusing to comment on the ongoing student protests over alleged NEET irregularities went viral, his silence was bound to invite questions. During the interaction, Sonu was visibly irritated when reporters continued to ask him about the issue and eventually ended the exchange. Now, explaining his decision, Sonu says it was less about avoiding a difficult question and more about choosing when — and on what — he should speak.

“Firstly, in the last more than three decades of being in Mumbai, I have learnt one basic etiquette for any press conference. Always adhere to the agenda of the occasion and do not let conversation wander to disconnected matters,” he says, adding, “Talking politics when you have come to talk about your tribute to your Guru Pankaj Udhas is disrespectful in my eyes. And I would very politely expect the press and media gathered to maintain the same decorum.”

The singer who recently sang a Haryanvi song, Chunni, continues, "I have also given a word to my father to not comment on just anything which I’m not knowledgeable about. I don’t have social media on my phone. My life is about music and Bhakti. I have taken enough stands throughout my life and have been instrumental in bringing many mammoth changes in the system. From my outcry against loudspeakers on religious places to the right to royalty for performers, I have belled the cat alone bravely. Now let others take up new courageous stands and see what changes they can bring through their steadfastness. Let them become real warriors and not just social media lampoons,” he says.

Apart from the controversies, the singer has recently been in the news for his health. Sonu had earlier spoken about experiencing severe pain, with reports describing a pinched nerve, and has since also shared a video from a separate medical procedure involving a recurring growth on his left ring finger.

"I am perfectly fine due to the timely intervention of a wonderful and kind physiotherapist from Delhi called Arvind Kumar. He rid me of the excruciating pain in four days. More than anything else, I was overwhelmed with the outpour of love and concern for me from every quarter.” The singer clarifies that the pain was not related to his voice.

“The pain was in the side of the neck and had nothing to do with vocal chords, thankfully. But of course, your ability to sing comfortably is compromised when you are under such severe agony,” he says.

HAIWAAN recorded a dull first day ranging between 2.50-2.75 crore nett which leaves the film with little chance to go anywhere. The industry as usual will see it as shocking but its happened before. So, its not a huge surprise. When a trailer does not offer much, then a film is impossible to save from the audience point of view as they will wait for the film to come on television if they really have to watch.

Also, the fact that there are two films doing so well means this film is going to get a far lesser share of the audience then it would otherwise get. If the trailer or music was better, then only can you stand up to the other films which have been liked. If those films were not there, it could have done a couple of crore more but that would not even alter the scenario. Nothing can be done about it as MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE was expected to do well though maybe not to the level it has done. However, HANUMAN ANSH has come out of the blue.

The only positive factor for the film was the presence of a star like Akshay Kumar but from the reports coming out it seems an extended guest appearance type role with limited screen time which will not help its cause in terms of the trend. So here the positive will also end up as a negative. When there is a big star in a film it has to be a dominating role. A film like WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE had a bigger star cast than HAIWAAN but was dominated by Akshay Kumar.

------------------------------------------

HAIWAAN is a poor fare as collections were 2.25 crore nett on Saturday adding to the 2.50 crore nett on Friday. The film dropped 10% apprx and with such low occupancy on Friday there was a chance of this happening as it was bound to lose screenings as two other films were doing so well. The two day total of the film is 4.75 crore nett and it will be a weekend of only 7 crore nett apprx.

The devotional film, HANUMAN ANSH, continued to set more records as it collected 9.75 crore nett apprx on its fifth Monday. No film in history has ever come close to this on the fifth Monday. If the film reached 10 crore nett, it would have been the first film ever to hit the 10 crore nett mark on the fifth Monday. That double digit mark will happen on Tuesday which will be the first time that a film has reached double digits in the weekdays of week five.

The film now has a total of 125 crore nett apprx with around 55 crore nett so far in week five and it cant be said that how much the fifth week will do as it depends on Wednesday and Thursday and you dont know really know what will happen here. Last week, the film saw a huge jump on Thursday though it will be harder this week as it wont get that increase in shows.

The collections of HANUMAN ANSH till date are as follows.

Friday - 9,25,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 15,25,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 21,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 9,75,00,000 apprx

-----------------------------------------

The devotional film, HANUMAN ANSH, created history in week five as it collected 83.50 crore nett which is double of what DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (2026) did in its fifth week though for this film, its actually the third week as the film. The movie went pretty much unnoticed for the first 15 days. KANTARA (2022) did 49 crore nett in week five which is record for all films in India in multiple versions and HANUMAN ANSH has sailed past that as well.

The total collections of the film stand at 153 crore nett after five weeks and there is much more to come though its still impossible to judge where the film is going. This judgement can only happen when the film starts to drop and so far its just been an upward trajectory. Despite smashing all records last weekend, its on course to record a higher weekend this week if the expected weekend growth comes.

There is no doubt all week six records be be obliterated by a distance but it remains to be seen if the film can do a higher week six than week five. The weekend looks very likely but the week will be probably be tougher though not out of the question. The film is one of those sensations which used to come veery few years before the multiplex era nut have now become frequent again. From THE KASHMIR FILES (2022) to MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA (2025) and now to the biggest one, HANUMAN ANSH. Each time all these films have trended such that you thought nothing can trend better but something has come to be even better. It looked these sort of break outs were history but the post pandemic box office has bought them back.

The collections of HANUMAN ANSH till date are as follows.

Friday - 9,25,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 15,25,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 21,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 10,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 8,75,00,000 apprx

-----------------------------------------

The devotional film, HANUMAN ANSH, recorded its highest Friday in its run so far on its sixth Friday with collections around the 10.50 crore nett mark. There has been nothing like this in history as KANTARA (2022) collected around 5.50 crore nett on sixth Friday with a release in multiple versions while the highest HINDI film collection ever is DHURANDHAR's first part with around 3.25 crore nett.

Again its all records smashed by leaps and bounds but its not about that anymore as weekly records are bound to be broken for the next few weeks. For this film, it will be about whether the film can collect more than what it did last week and then where it is landing next week. The Friday is more than last week but does it keep on beating last week records through the week. The highest collection the film has recorded so far is 21 crore nett on its fifth Sunday and that will be in danger this Sunday. It may well beat or get close on Saturday itself.

The film is the second biggest HIT of the year after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE but its still an unknown where the film go as an idea can only come when its starts dropping.

The collections of HANUMAN ANSH till date are as follows.

Friday - 10,50,00,000 apprx

-----------------------------------------

HANUMAN ANSH was fantastic on its second Saturday as it collected around 18 crore nett which is growth of almost 75%. This is a superb jump but considering how the film has gone so far it was probably expected to show bigger growth. It also could be that this Saturday is not the best for growth with Ganpati period coming. 

HANUMAN ANSH now stands on a huge 182 crore and will cross the 200 crore nett mark on Sunday though it remains to be seen if it will get the highest collection of its run and beat the 21 crore nett of last Sunday.

MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE collected 14.75 crore nett on its first Tuesday which is around 10% down from the previous day and it is a little bit surprising. There were discounted rates though it does not matter much as the number itself is still excellent. The film can still maintain double digit figures till the end of the week.

Its rare to see a drop on Tuesday but it could be down to the competition and the fact that Monday was super strong itself. This should also that mean Wednesday may show better holds than normal coming out of the discounted Tuesday. The total of the film now stands at 122.50 crore nett and its probably looking at a first week of around 144 crore nett. This will almost cover the lifetime business of AWARAPAN 2 released a few weeks back.

The crucial day will be Friday as that will give an idea of the lifetime range. It will be tough for the film to hold at Thursday's level as there will be a new release with HAIWAAN. More than that HANUMAN ANSH will be behaving like a new release and will probably be seeing its best Friday since release.

The collections of MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE till date are as follows.

Friday - 25,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 31,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 35,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 16,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 14,75,00,000 apprx

-----------------------------------------

MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE will cross the 200 crore mark worldwide as it stands at 195 crore after six days. It is looking a comfortable 300 crore worldwide for the film and could even be 350 crore depending on how the next two weeks go. There is a chance that the film could be the second highest grossing Hindi film Overseas this year as it has chances to beat BORDER 2 though that film did not release in Gulf.

The film has scored very well in all overseas markets with United Kingdom being on the weaker side. Gulf, Australia and Canada are excellent while USA could have been a little better looking at collections of Australia and Canada. Still, the Overseas performance is actually better than India as the value of stars remains higher Overseas than in India.

The first week itself will see the film crossing the Overseas numbers of all films this year apart from DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE, BORDER 2, BHOOTH BANGLA and AWARAPAN 2. 

The worldwide collections of MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE worldwide till date are as follows.

India - 162.50 crore (134.75 crore nett)

Overseas - 33 crore ($3.5 million)

-----------------------------------------

MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE is set to emerge a BLOCKBUSTER film as it sees a superb hold on its second Friday dropping just 10% from the previous day despite competition from HANUMAN ANSH and HAIWAAN. The latter may not be competition in terms of audience response but it still took screens away from MIRZAPUR.

The collections were 9.25 crore nett on its third Friday which now takes the film over 150 crore nett to almost 155 crore nett. The film should comfortably be standing at over 200 crore nett after its second week. Then, it should finish with a total of 250 crore nett plus which is a BLOCKBUSTER collection for this film.

MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE is looking to be the third biggest HIT of the year so far after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE and HANUMAN ANSH and is the biggest HIT ever for most involved in the film be it the actors or Excel Entertainment or Amazon MGM. The only exception is Pankaj Tripathi who also has a STREE 2 to his name.

The collections remain outstanding in North India and Bihar as Delhi/UP should do 60 crore nett and Bihar an outstanding 15 crore nett.

The collections of MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE till date are as follows.

Friday - 25,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 31,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 35,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 16,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 14,75,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 12,25,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 10,25,00,000 apprx

Friday - 9,25,00,000 apprx

-----------------------------------------

MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE showed good growth on Saturday as it collected 13 crore nett apprx with collections going up 40%. The growth could have been more but the hold on Friday was very strong. Considering the competition its still a very good second Saturday collection. The total collections of the film are now 168 crore nett and its heading for a two week total of over 200 crore nett.

Dipika Chikhlia, who became synonymous with Sita after Ramanand Sagar’s TV hit Ramayan, says she is no longer rattled by new actors taking on the role. Reacting to Sai Pallavi playing Sita in the upcoming adaptation, Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, she says, “If it’s Sai Pallavi, she’s a fab actress,” adding that she has no doubt the actor “will perform well”.

But asked which contemporary actor she would have liked to see as Sita, Chikhlia picks Alia Bhatt. “She’s very spontaneous, and that’s the kind of person I am,” she says, adding, “She would have looked lovely as Sita.”

Saif Ali Khan has a refreshingly grounded take on fame, work and the life that comes with it. From staying present and valuing his work to being open to criticism, he speaks with the perspective of someone who has learnt to focus on what truly matters. He reflects on the privileges of stardom, staying grounded and the value of hearing different perspectives. With Haiwaan now in theatres, the full JBL Live Headphones presents Bombay Times Lounge episode featuring Saif is live. Here are some candid takeaways from our conversation with the actor.

Well, it’s a little tricky in that sense. He’s got these special abilities where he can do certain things, and he doesn’t come across as a handicapped person at all because of that. So, it had to be quite subtle, and it wasn’t very easy to find that balance. Also, I grew up watching a lot of Japanese samurai movies, and a lot of these films have blind swordsmen for some reason, who can hear so well that they can fight. So, I had already bought into that. When that happens, it makes it much easier for you to put it across what you need to with conviction.

They all have traits that I learn from. Sometimes we get a little corrupted in our thoughts, so the simplicity and innocence of children is hugely refreshing. It really makes you think…why am I looking at things like this? They open your eyes. Then the older kids, Ibrahim and Sara, there are things to learn from them, too. Of course, there’s wisdom and experience on our side, and we want to also tell them that, you know, I’ve been there. Also, I think it’s important to spend a little bit of time alone with each child, because they’re all different when they’re alone and you also get to know them in a slightly different way when you do that. Children function differently in groups and alone. So that’s something I try to do.

A famous actor, who is a huge star, once told me, “If you look back and you have a handful of good films that you feel happy about, it’s good.” Because not everything you do will be right and register the way you want it to.

I want to balance my life well. I want to enjoy life. It is a real honour for me to be here in front of you all and to have this conversation with you. Everything’s a privilege now. I just want to do good work and create moments on screen that are remembered. I want to be a little more present, as they say.

There are many places I go to where people don’t care about you being a movie star. Like when I am travelling in many parts of Europe, you get a break from not being recognized. I wish I could get paid a lot to do what I love to do and enjoy certain things the way I would want to. But I understand it is a part of what we do, so we can’t complain about it. And maybe because I’ve seen my parents handle it, be respectful towards it and, at the same time, not take it seriously at home, it has helped. You shouldn’t think you are someone super special all the time, as that can be damaging.

Shehnaaz Gill was announced as one of the four leads in filmmaker Sajid Khan's return to direction with 100% four years ago, however the film never materialized. Starring John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh and Nora Fatehi alongside Shehnaaz Gill, it was a big announcement for the actor. However, when it didn’t pan out, she didn’t lose hope.

Ask the actor, who was recently seen in the Punjabi film Singh Vs Kaur 2 with Gippy Grewal, about dealing with the film shelving, and she says, "Main utna serious leti nahin hun in cheezon ko. Mujhe aisa lagta hai ki nahin hui Acha hua, kyunki kuch cheezein nahin banne mein hi bhalai hoti hai. Jitni der tak tumhara project pura ban ke ready nahi ho jata hai, tab tak baat na karo uski kyunki kabhi bhi kuch bhi ho jata hai. Mujhe pata hai kal ko nahin hua to log sawaal karenge aur main un ko jawab kya dungi. Logon ki umeedein bhi ban jati hain, to main wo todna nahin chahti."

Shehnaaz had recently opened up how she did not get respect from within the industry due to her doing work for free out of respect for her relationships in the past. Elaborating on it, she tells us, “Jab tum apni mehnat ke paise lete ho, wo bahut important hai aur agar tum wo nahin loge, to tumhari aur tumhare kaam ki izzat nahin hogi. No one will take you seriously and it has happened in many music videos before. But after a point, you have to say no kyunki paise ki baat nahin, izzat ki baat hai.”

The last Hindi film release Shehnaaz had was in 2023 with Thank You For Coming. While she has been getting substantial roles in Punjabi cinema, in Hindi films, her role had been quite brief. Is that the reason she hasn’t locked another Hindi film yet? “Mujhe impactful role hi nahin mile. Jo bhi roles maine kiye, wo impactful nahin the. So, I sat with myself and told myself to choose accordingly, irrespective of the language,” she replies.

In Singh Vs Kaur 2, she got to learn a lot from her co-star Gippy Grewal, including developing an interest in direction. “Logon ne bola main achhi director ban sakti hun, but for that, you not only need good leadership skills but also talent. So, jab main 50-60 saal ki ho jaungi, tab kar lungi direction,” she laughs.

Since filmmaker Hansal Mehta premièred the first two episodes of Gandhi at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2025, audiences at home have been asking one question: when will the show drop in India? Naturally, when we caught up with Pratik Gandhi, we posed the same question.

“I know we are all waiting for it. I guess they should announce it soon once they have some news about it,” said the actor, and added, “What I know is that they are finishing the music and background score of the last episode.”

The series, based on author Ramachandra Guha’s Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, also featured Gandhi’s actor-wife Bhamini Oza as Kasturba Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s partner.

While the actor eagerly awaits the release of Gandhi and enjoys the compliments coming his way for Tigmanshu Dhulia-directed Ghamasaan, he will soon begin shooting for the sequel to the comedy, Madgaon Express (2024). Gandhi’s diverse filmography stems from his consistent effort to choose projects that offer something different, which often means saying no more than yes.

He admitted that saying no is the “most difficult thing” to do. “Sometimes, when you tell people that you don’t have dates, they’ll tell you that [they will work around] the dates, provided I like the script. At that point, you have to be extremely real. But you also [have to be careful] that you don’t discourage them. So I give my energy and time to read a script of 100-120 pages. When you say no, you should have reasons as to why it’s not working because that is the second question they ask. It takes a lot of my time, but you get to read so many stories and different points of view,” smiled Gandhi.

A day after reports claimed that Anuparna Roy’s acclaimed drama Songs Of Forgotten Trees had been blocked in India, the filmmaker has set the record straight. Speaking to mid-day from Venice, Roy said the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is working towards clearing the film for a domestic release.

“I am hopeful for the constitution of India, the Indian government, as well as the censor board. I am sure they are working their best to get our film out,” said Roy.

The filmmaker’s second feature, Lovers In The Blue Night, premièred at the Venice Film Festival on September 11.

Roy also took to Instagram to clarify reports that Songs Of Forgotten Trees had been banned in India. She wrote on her Instagram Story, “I think there has been some misunderstanding about my words as English is not my primary language. I wish to clarify that my film is not banned or blocked in India.”

Songs Of Forgotten Trees premièred at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, where Roy won the Orizzonti Award for Best Director for it. “My film stands for love, bonding, and humanity between two migrants,” she added. Since then, the film has travelled to several international and Indian festivals and now awaits its domestic release.

Starring Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, the film follows two women whose lives become intertwined in Mumbai

As a public figure, you are judged constantly for your successes and failures, appearances and choices. But you get unconditional love from your children. My children love me because I am their mom. Professional ups and downs never matter to them. Parenting has also taught me immense patience. And since my son (18) and daughter (21) have a better sense of humour than me, I learn from them.

When they were younger, I would make it a point to come back right after an event. If I were out of town, it would be the first flight in and out. I had the comfort of a joint family, especially the grandparents who were always with the children. They have been my big support.

Unfortunately, I am very old school when it comes to parenting. I believe they have many friends, but only one mother, so the ground rules are clear. I feel my husband is far more lenient (laughs).

I realize that parenting is not as cute and poetic as it’s made out to be. Though I loved children, it was very tough when I had my own. I would joke with my husband that I am a better mom for others’ kids!

The biggest lesson is to stay true to yourself and not get carried away with every passing trend. Also, children should know that basic discipline is important, such as good sleep and clean food habits. Children seem to have lost the circadian rhythm. Most kids, nowadays, want to be up all night like owls.

I guess my brother Aditya and I matured earlier than other kids. We dealt with losing our father and mom becoming the breadwinner with great understanding. Also, a lot of credit goes to the joint family culture we have in India. I truly believe that children are stronger when surrounded by family, especially elders. I know it’s more difficult now with many young parents living away from their ancestral homes and cities.

She was always there for us. I get my instinct for motherhood from her. Her singing was always a job. It was not her life. There was so much more to her as a human and mom, which we loved. The cakes she baked for birthdays, the food and the (soft) toys she made, the home decor…she did it all. She spearheaded all festivities at home.

My brother would have felt the absence of a father figure more than me. Boys need their fathers. I was old enough to be the proxy mom.

It was her optimism and immense courage in every situation. If we had seen her buckle, we would have considered it a response to adversity. Now we know that we can and must face it head-on and with a smile.

I am more lenient with the schedule, though I don’t agree with it. I feel nature has a schedule and seasons have a schedule that keeps everything running smoothly. Waking up at noon and sleeping at 2-3 am can’t be good for anyone. But you pick your battles and I save my wins for more important things.

I am sure no one does it out of choice. Why would you deprive a child of either parent? So, it’s ridiculous to judge such a situation. It takes a village to raise a happy child. Why only parents? The entire ecosystem — grandparents, teachers, extended family and what have you. I wish every child had that. But I also believe that every soul picks their journey, which explains why life is not the same for everyone. It is commendable when a single parent, mother or father, raises a happy and healthy human because they also handle society at large. I admire them.

My toughest moment was when I realized that they are nothing like me. It was unfamiliar territory with my own kids. They react completely differently to how I would. It’s comical at times. I am still learning to navigate it.

As strange as this may sound, I never felt guilty about not being there because when I don’t work, I am so focused on the kids. I would be home after every work engagement. Of course, I am grateful to both the grandmothers and my husband for their support. But in all honesty, it was never a tug of war.

Recently, my son was going to college, and I had to travel that weekend. But I had spent a month making sure everything was in place. My son knew and saw that, so there was no reason to feel guilty. As a child, I never judged my mom for being or not being there, as I was always independent. I never “needed” someone.

My kids like to listen to aartis and ghazals by Jagjit Singh. I loved listening to the radio while I slept as a child. I think it’s very soothing.

I am unable to set any boundaries. Once they grow, all you can do is raise them right and pray you have done your job well. They can’t be taught. They watch you. We have always told them ‘No matter what, how, when, we are your safety net.’ We have their backs and they can always come home. Now that my kids are away from home, our family and friends who live closer to their universities are our support system. I can proudly say that my kids will never impose or overstay their welcome. The kids have always been very loving and responsible with others, but then at home they have a personality makeover (laughs).

I would tell myself and them not to overthink because we all have our paths laid for us. Value people but never depend on anyone other than your parents. Don’t be afraid, enjoy the process, and work very hard. Learn to look for happy stopovers in the journey, and then even difficult times go by fast. Don’t be afraid to say no. Never let people take you for granted.