HAI JAWANI TOH ISHQ HONA HAI struggled on day two as collections were pretty much flat. The film had a offer on day one which was taken off on day two but later reinstated and this would have meant lesser growth. Even allowing for this, the film should have come out with some sort of growth, maybe 20-25% rather than the normal 40-50%.

The two day collections of the film are 15.50 crore nett plus but the trend signals trouble ahead as it needed to go into double digits on Saturday and from here its a struggle to get into double digits on Sunday as well. The weekend might get up to 25 crore nett but that is a poor collection.

The weekend of SUNNY SANSKARI KI TULSI KUMAR was 21.50 crore nett but that had a Sunday to come as it was an extended first weekend.

The two day collections of HAI JAWANI TOH ISHQ HONA HAI are as follows.

Friday - 7,75,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 7,85,00,000 apprx

BANDAR is a poor fare as it collects 1.25 crore nett plus in two days. The film showed 60% growth on day two but it had to go up multifold or on a worst case, double up, but it is well short of that.

The two day collections of BANDAR are as follows.

Friday - 50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 80,00,000 apprx

The Hollywood film OBSESSION is on an extraordinary run and may well emerge the biggest Hollywood HIT of 2026 till date though there is a long way to go. The trend of the film is outstanding and the film is showing a breakout in week two as the second Saturday collects 6 crore nett. Moreover, the second Friday and second Saturday are the highest collecting days for the film so far.

The first week collected almost 18 crore nett and the second week is certain to be more as the second weekend itself maybe around 16 crore nett plus. The film will be chasing the 70 crore nett plus figure of PROJECT HAIL MARY which is the highest grossing Hollywood film of this year. The collections have a long way to go as the film stands at 27 crore nett at the moment but the trend is such that the film can easily cover the distance over the next few weeks.

The first week saw a heavy contribution from the South of almost 50% but this will come down as Mumbai and NCR are showing strength and will sustain for weeks from here on.

The collections of OBSESSION till date are as follows.

Paid Previews - 45,00,000

Friday - 1,35,00,000

Saturday - 2,70,00,000

Sunday - 3,00,00,000

Monday - 2,00,00,000

Tuesday - 2,75,00,000

Wednesday - 2,80,00,000

Thursday - 2,75,00,000

Friday - 3,25,00,000

Saturday - 6,00,00,000 apprx

Is Hrithik Roshan’s Krrish 4 happening? Well, rumours suggested that creative and financial disagreements between the superstar and producer Aditya Chopra had resulted in the superhero film being stalled. But now, mid-day has got all the details from the horse’s mouth. When we reached out to filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, he asserted that the highly anticipated movie will roll this year. 

“It’s all nonsense that Hrithik has asked for a Rs 500 crore budget for top-tier VFX and world-class action for his directorial debut, while YRF [Yash Raj Films] wants to cap costs at Rs 350 crore. Making a good film catering to a [wide] audience takes time. Even I have taken time for each of my Krrish offerings,” said the senior filmmaker. 

The fourth instalment of the much loved franchise was first announced in 2018. At the time, Karan Malhotra of Agneepath (2012) fame was at the helm, with Siddharth Anand as the co-producer. In the subsequent years, Malhotra and Anand exited the project, and in 2025, Roshan Senior announced that Hrithik would turn director with it.

It’s been over a year since then, and the superhero film still hasn’t gone on floors. Reason? The filmmaker indicated that the delay is because Hrithik is tied up with the production house that he launched this year.

“Krrish [Hrithik] is on another planet and we are all waiting for his dates,” he joked, before adding, “There are no issues; all is smooth. It’s teamwork between Adi, Hrithik, and me.”

The script is almost finalised and the makers are planning to take it on floors by the year-end. Refraining from putting a timeline to it, Roshan teased, “I will update you when everything is ready.”

Amid months of speculation surrounding No Entry 2, director-screenwriter Anees Bazmee has confirmed that the sequel to the 2005 film is on track despite scheduling hurdles.

“100% the film is happening,” Bazmee tells us. Addressing the delays, he says, “Main maanta hoon ki kuch filmon ki kundli hoti hai. Kabhi koi film jaldi ban jaati hai, kabhi der se banti hai. Lekin Inshallah, hum sabki koshish hai ki yeh film bane.” He adds, “Yeh meri best-written films mein se ek hai.”

The sequel was officially announced by producer Boney Kapoor in 2024 with Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh leading the cast. However, Diljit later exited the film, with Boney stating that the decision was amicable and prompted by date issues.

More recently, reports suggested that Varun may also no longer be part of the project, although the makers maintained that discussions were still underway. Amid the uncertainty, speculation has also linked actor Shahid Kapoor to the sequel, though no official announcement has been made so far.

The long-delayed Dostana 2 appears to have hit another roadblock. According to a recent report, filmmaker Advait Chandan has stepped away from the project, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the sequel to the 2008 film Dostana.

A report by Variety India claims that Advait exited the film due to creative differences with the makers, although there has been no official confirmation from the makers yet. The report adds that the parting was amicable.

The sequel was announced by Dharma Productions in 2019 with Kartik Aaryan, Janhvi Kapoor and Lakshya in the lead. Shooting had commenced in Goa but production came to a halt in 2021 amid a widely reported fallout between producer Karan Johar and Kartik.

Advait, best known for directing Secret Superstar (2017) and Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), came on board after the project’s original director, Collin D’Cunha, exited the film. Earlier reports in February had suggested that Advait would helm the revamped version of Dostana 2, with Vikrant Massey, Lakshya and former Miss India World Sini Shetty expected to headline the cast.

Every time a social media influencer is cast in an acting project, questions arise whether they landed the gig for their acting capability or the million online followers they have amassed. “Maine proper exam diya hai,” quipped popular content creator Dharna Durga, insisting that she didn’t take any shortcut to landing Maa Behen.

In Netflix’s crime comedy, directed by Suresh Triveni, Durga plays the younger, mischievous daughter of Madhuri Dixit Nene’s Rekha.

The actor recalled, “I gave one audition in Delhi. Then I did another round in Mumbai, where Suresh sir gave me directions on how to do the scene. I was never told, ‘We have seen your social media profile, and you are chosen.’ I was given a scene and told, ‘We want to see if you can pull it off.’ What I do on Instagram is also acting. So, it’s not that I have been selected on the basis of my following.”

This week, the media industry woke up shell-shocked at the decision to surrender key FM radio licences across major cities. The shutdown of stations operating under brands such as Radio Nasha, Radio One, and Fever FM (Chennai) has triggered alarm across broadcasters because it’s not another media restructuring exercise in a rapidly digitizing entertainment economy. It’s the clearest sign yet that the private FM broadcasting, once among the country’s most influential and fastest-growing mass media sectors, has entered a full-scale structural crisis.

But as painful as it is, people in the business aren’t surprised. After all, the industry, they say, has spent years warning the government that rising regulatory costs, outdated policy structures, and the rapid migration of listeners and advertisers to digital platforms were making large parts of the FM business economically unsustainable. Now, those warnings are beginning to materialize in the form of station closures, layoffs, shrinking investments, and companies exiting markets altogether.

Unlike global audio platforms, private FM broadcasters continue to operate under licensing structures designed during the early expansion era of Indian radio, including revenue-sharing obligations, auction-linked fee calculations, and restrictions on broadcasting news and current affairs. At the same time, advertisers have increasingly shifted spending toward digital media, as younger audiences now consume music primarily through streaming apps.

Nisha Narayanan, director and COO, Red FM, explained, “India has the world’s largest radio audience, with 40 crore listeners tuning in across private FM, AIR and community radio. The industry is to reclaim its identity as a live, local, indispensable community voice and not a music channel competing with global audio OTTs. Unified advocacy must secure rationalized licensing, lifted restrictions on independent news and mandatory FM chip activation on smartphones. If Make in India and Vocal for Local initiatives are to be implemented, they must be extended to the homegrown medium that has carried local voices for nearly a century. Radio doesn’t need to be rescued but set free.”

The deterioration of a medium that once was a common person’s trusted companion cannot be attributed to only the lack of reforms and new players in the market. Some of the blame has to be borne by those calling the shots. Yatish Mehrishi, CEO of Radio Mirchi, believes it’s only right that the industry looks inwards about where it has gone wrong.

“Somewhere along the way, we became lazy and stopped innovating. We got too comfortable with repetitive music programming, predictable ad breaks, and standard RJ formats. If radio wants to remain relevant long term, we have to rethink the ad-to-talk ratio, programming formats and rediscover what makes the medium unique. Audio is an intimate medium. It works in the mind differently from video. In many ways, trying to force audio into video-first behaviour is actually hurting the medium. The future of radio cannot only be about survival or regulation. It also has to be about being true to the core strengths of audio again.”

RJ Stutee Ghosh stated, “Even when we would do a live show and knew lakhs of people were tuning in, for that one listener, it felt like the RJ was speaking to them. It’s a hugely intimate medium. It is appointment listenership and a very convenient background mode of entertainment. You can have the radio on while you’re doing your thing.”

That’s where the role of a radio jockey becomes crucial. Consequently, the hiring for the post, which seems to be another aspect that the industry is failing at, Ghosh shared.

“Sadly, we are no longer hiring people for qualities that make them a good RJ. We are not looking at their voice quality, how smart they are about the pronunciation and the diction. We are just looking at them as people who are comfortable in front of the camera, and things like ‘Can they talk? Can they make funny reels?’ It is sad. I’m talking about my fraternity. But you have sexist jokes, pranks, and double-meaning jokes happening. We are catering to the lowest common denominator. It was next to death if you mispronounced a word on air, because lots of people were listening to you live. And now you’re not even being hired for that skill set. What’s being given importance to is how many followers you have. How will that make sense?”

Abraham Thomas, CEO of Radio City, told mid-day, “For years, the industry has been asking the government for structural relief — rationalization of licence fees, GST reduction, permission for news and current affairs on private FM, and wider FM access on mobile phones. Those changes still haven’t come, and now the stress is beginning to show across the industry. What you are seeing with Radio Nasha, Fever [Chennai], and Radio One is part of a larger trend. Other networks have already scaled down or shut stations, and several players are reassessing viability market by market. Ad revenues are under stress, so every broadcaster is restructuring operations and trying to build efficiencies. We have all cleaned up our cost structures as much as possible, but the industry has now reached a stage where some structural intervention is necessary.”

Thomas believes a change in the cost structure can provide some relief. “Broadcasters pay a four per cent revenue share, but there is also a minimum floor linked to historical auction pricing of frequencies. We have repeatedly requested that this be simplified to a straight revenue-share model. That alone would provide substantial relief.”

It’s not the medium but the rigid business model that’s hurting the industry, Thomas said. “Radio continues to remain a powerful public communication medium. Disaster communication, emergency messaging and even programmes like the Prime Minister’s Mann Ki Baat depend heavily on radio reach. The industry believes that if some of these long-pending reforms come through, FM radio can remain viable and relevant in India’s media ecosystem.”

Radio jockey Stutee Ghosh, with an experience of almost two decades, stated that over time, FM stations have lost their uniqueness. Top that with “terrible advertisements” and redundant programmes and the result is lost listenership.

“Probably, the music will be a differentiator between one or two radio stations. Otherwise, all private radio stations sound alike. We have the same clocks, meaning all stations play ads at the same time. So, for a radio listener, it’s a terrible listening experience. I admit to terrible ads being made and played on it. We don’t play enough songs. We play half a song, which is a cardinal sin. When everybody has their own playlist on music streaming platforms, what is it that will pull you to the radio?” she said.

1. An end to dated formats like prank calls and sexist jokes

2. FM stations to play full songs, not just hook portions

3. Hiring to be done based on skill set, not followers

4. Hyperlocal programming

- Rationalise licence fees by applying a pure 4% Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) model and extending existing FM licences without fresh auctions

- Reduce GST on FM radio from 18% to 5% to bring parity with other media sectors

- Allow private FM stations to broadcast news and current affairs under a regulated framework

- Make activation of FM radio receiver chips mandatory on smartphones to ensure access to radio listeners

Daisy Shah is gearing up for a new challenge on screen as she steps into the shoes of an IPS officer in the upcoming film DGP Kashmir. The teaser of the film was recently launched in the presence of the cast.

While Daisy has portrayed a cop in the past, she says this role comes with a different set of responsibilities.

She says, “I had played a cop before, but here I get to play the role of an IPS officer. What makes it even more special is that the film is inspired by several true incidents that happened in Kashmir. As a child, I dreamt of becoming an IPS officer.”

Directed by Imtiyaz Bhat, DGP Kashmir is based on the struggles and sacrifices made by security forces and police officers in the Valley. Drawing from his own experiences of growing up in Kashmir, Bhat aims to shine a light on the bravery of officers who risked their lives to protect civilians during difficult times.

For Daisy, the film is also an opportunity to pay tribute to those often-overlooked heroes. “The film is about those unsung heroes of Kashmir. Their stories deserve to be told. Audiences will also get to see a different side of me through this film, especially when it comes to action,” she says.

The actress who will begin shooting her portions in July, is already preparing for the physically demanding role.

“I haven’t started shooting for my part yet, but I have about a month to prep for it. Since I am a national level shooter, that experience will definitely help me play the role better and bring authenticity to the character,” she adds.

When Sameera Reddy arrived in Goa for what was meant to be a 10-day holiday in June 2020, she was looking for a break from Mumbai's relentless pace. She never left. Seven years later, the actress has built a life in Bastora, North Goa, that is intertwined with the rhythms of nature — one where compost replaces garbage, homegrown produce fills the kitchen, and her children learn life lessons from the outdoors rather than screens. For Sameera, making Goa home was never just about moving into a new house. It was about embracing a different way of living.

Step into her property and you'll find more than just greenery. Mango, chikoo, coconut, bimbli, areca nut, breadfruit and banana trees dot the landscape — many planted by Sameera herself. "We also have our own vegetable garden where we grow spinach, salad leaves and other seasonal produce. A lot of what we eat comes directly from our garden," she says.

Nothing goes to waste. She shares, "The banana flower goes into our bhaji, the stem is used for healthy juices and, of course, the fruit becomes everything from snacks to banana bread. It's all pesticide-free. When the harvest is abundant, our neighbours and friends go home with bunches of bananas." If the family wants a cup of lemongrass tea, they simply walk into the backyard.

"I'm blessed that my children are growing up close to nature. They're eating boiled jackfruit seeds as snacks — that wouldn't happen in a city. If they spot a snake, they know not to panic. They simply move away and respect its space,” she shares.

One of the biggest changes Goa brought into Sameera's life was composting. "I knew absolutely nothing about it before moving here," she admits. "Today, all our wet waste is turned into compost and goes back into the soil. No wet waste leaves our home. For me, that's been a huge transformation."

The journey wasn't seamless. There were failed attempts, plenty of reading and hours spent watching tutorials. "We failed a few times when we started. I did a lot of research, watched YouTube videos and kept learning. Eventually, we figured it out," the actress says.

Sustainability, Sameera says, isn't about grand gestures. It's about everyday choices. She adds, "We should try to save water and make use of what we already have around us. We have to be conscious about not wasting resources. My car always has two or three cloth bags. I make sure I don't bring plastic home."

Of all the lessons Goa has taught her, perhaps the most meaningful is the spirit of community. "The best part about Goa is the way people share. I never experienced this kind of culture in Mumbai. Here, people exchange fruits, vegetables, plants and produce simply because they have enough to share. It's taught me the joy of giving and the beauty of living together," she says.

Few actors wear their heart on their sleeve quite like Varun Dhawan. As he gears up for the release of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, directed by his father David Dhawan, the actor joined us at the Bombay Times Lounge, driven by Jeep, and was at his most unfiltered — cracking jokes, sharing memories and reflecting on the highs and lows of life in the spotlight. From comedy and criticism, to family, fatherhood and fame — the conversation moved effortlessly between laughter and emotion, offering a glimpse into the man behind the star. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store. The promo is out now; catch the full conversation soon on the Bombay Times YouTube channel.

I love comedy and I appreciate anyone who can make me laugh. Let comedy flourish and let people laugh. I feel we all need comedy. Yes, serious cinema should be made, in fact, after Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, I’ll be doing a film which is very different. But it is important to have laughter in our lives

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When Main Tera Hero (2014) first released, there were so many things said, like: He’s a very loud actor, he’s this, he’s that. I was being labelled left, right and centre. When it was re-released last month, I was shocked to see the way people are loving it and responding to it. I am out there to promote Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, but Main Tera Hero is being spoken about so much (laughs)

— On Main Tera Hero’s second innings and finding a new generation of fans

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People say Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is a two-heroine film, but if I am a hero in the film, it’s because of Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde. I can’t even call myself a hero here, I am a red flag in the film. I feel if my character shines, it will be because of their support. When you do a David Dhawan film, it’s like a family. My father’s health was up and down through it all and there was a time when he was in the ICU. Everyone from the cast, from the girls to Maniesh Paul and Jimmy Shergill, gave so much love to him and made this film happen together

— On the cast of Hai Jawani… & the family spirit behind a David Dhawan film

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It has become very difficult to keep the illusion, keep the mystery alive. Today, look at how many cameras we have around us. You’re being covered from every angle, everything of your nature is being broken down to a content piece. And even your psychology is being discussed, your body language and your speech is being discussed. I think over-coverage has broken the illusion (of stardom)

— On how stardom has become fragile with excessive exposure

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What I have realized is — whether you love me, whether you don’t like me as much, the point is, I matter. I get discussed. People either cheer for me or criticize me, but I get a reaction from them. The scariest thing for me would be to do something which people don’t react to. Nowadays, we often don’t even know that a film is releasing. So, whether it is through love, through discussions or trolling, at least I’m being discussed and my films are being discussed. I feel that is important

— On why indifference is far scarier than criticism

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Talking about the trolling that he faced prior to the release of Border 2 and how the narrative changed post release, Varun said, “I learnt a lot about God’s screenplay. When you do a film like Border 2, there’s so much responsibility on you. When you work so hard on a film that is so genuine – about the army and your country – you feel, abhi yeh sab accha hi hoga. Why will anything negative happen? So, when that negativity emerged around me, I was like…yeh kaise ho gaya? Yeh, toh mere entertainer films mein hota hai. Why is this happening with this film? I feel that sometimes God takes you down just to lift you up again. That’s exactly what happened to me. I let my work speak for itself. In fact, post the success of Border 2, I didn’t give any interviews around it, I am talking about this with you now.”

I slowed down after Lara, my daughter was born. I realized that this is so special, I am enjoying this so much and I don’t want to miss out on this. Of course, my love for cinema remains unchanged. I’m totally in the service of cinema, and I want to create better films, better characters and I know that I have a lot more to offer

— On how fatherhood made him change his pace