With only two months to go for King’s release, has the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer reached the finish line? It’s nearly there. Filmmaker Siddharth Anand kicked off the action extravaganza’s final schedule on October 11 in Goregaon, Mumbai. In the line-up are some action set-pieces and an additional song featuring Suhana Khan.

A source close to the production revealed, “The cast and crew resumed shooting on Sunday. From October 12, they began filming an action sequence with Shah Rukh at a studio in Andheri East. The idea is to wrap up all the action portions by mid-October after which Siddharth will turn his attention to the song that has been recently added.”

We’re told it’s a dance number that will showcase Suhana’s skills. The source added, “Choreographers Piyush Bhagat and Shazia Samji are working on the track. It will be shot at a massive set in Film City. Simultaneously, the team is wrapping up the movie’s visual effects ahead of its December 24 release.” 

King also stars Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, and Jaideep Ahlawat.

Actor and Parliamentarian Ravi Kishan, who will be essaying the role of Shri Ram at Ayodhya Ki Ramleela on October 19 and 20 in New Delhi, with the event being telecast worldwide, says he is "scared" to play the deity on stage.

He tells HT City, “Pehli baar Shri Ram ke roop dharan karne ka saubhagya mila and I pray and wish that He enters my body and gives me the energy to perform with grace. I have earlier played Parashuram and Kevat, as a kid I have played Mata Sita as well, and in a TV serial I have essayed the role of Shri Krishna as well, but this is different. I always want to play Shri Ram”

Admitting that he is feeling more scared than he does on screen, he says, "Andar se dara hua hoon! I believe for an actor that fear and scare is very important when you go on the stage, and this is the role of Shri Ram, so all the more reason to get it right… In the subconscious mind it's always there that any mistake does not happen."

Drawing a parallel between stage and screen, he says, "You can't afford to go wrong or improvise and have to stay within the bound script and character. I can have all the experience, but after all we are humans and anyone can commit mistakes! I try to give my 100% and that has resulted in the success of my roles in Mirzapur The Movie, Maamla Legal Hai and Laapatta Ladies."

He recalls that being a son of a priest, he has grown up listening to tales of Shri Ram and Mahadev, and now he is getting the chance. "It's not only about that act – chahrey pe soumyata, shaleenta, saiyam, ekagrita, because you portray the character of puroshon mein uttam Shri Ram. The entire world will watch and on live telecast over 50 crore people will watch it on Doordarshan, OTT and YouTube live streamings."

On his prep, he says, "The great thing is that we are in Navratri and I am fasting, so with a shudh body and pure soul I will essay the role. I am a vegetarian and have been on a special diet to look lean. Before the Ram Leela I will shave off my moustaches and am keeping myself calm and composed so that I can portray the role perfectly."

Disagreements among producers over alternatives proposed by multiplex segment leader PVR Inox to Virtual Print Fee (VPF) are growing, as the choices being offered seemingly fall short of their main demand of escaping costs associated with digitally delivering films to theatres.

The alternatives proposed so far amount to substituting one charge by another and maintaining status quo for exhibitors, producers and law firms told ET.

A month ago, PVR Inox proposed to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to abolish VPF charges and instead it proposed to offer either of the two alternatives: A fixed per-show Exhibition Service Charge (ESC), or a Revised Revenue Share (RRS) formula where the share is capped at 7.5%.

Producers said that these alternatives do not provide cost relief.

These alternatives only change the timing of payment to exhibitors to post release.

“On balance, the structure appears more favourable to exhibitors because they remain compensated in either of the two alternatives,” said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director, Karmic Films.

In 2007, India adopted the VPF model. Producers agreed to pay a fee to exhibitors for the costs incurred in graduating to a digital infrastructure ecosystem of delivering digital film prints to exhibitors. By 2015, almost every screen in India became digital. Despite this, the model continues to be in practice.

“VPF has become a guaranteed income for exhibitors who require huge capital to sustain operations,” explained Madhu Chaudhary Gadodia, deputy managing partner, Naik Naik & Company, a leading law firm.

Over the years, VPF has become a significant source of revenue for exhibitors. “India produces around 1,800 films a year. These films are distributed across 8,500 screens. This amounts to a significant revenue stream which exhibitors are unwilling to part with,” said producer Naveen Chandra.

A key aspect in these alternatives that has upset producers is the drop in their revenue share to 42.5% from 50% in the first week.

“Reducing the first-week distributor share from 50% to as low as 42.5% under the RRS model is a substantial concession,” said Wadhwa of Karmic Films.

“Cutting a producer’s share from 50% to 42.5% means a producer gets 15% less. On every Rs 1 lakh collected, a producer gets Rs 42,500 instead of Rs 50,000. And there is no upper limit. Once a film collects more than about Rs 2.8 lakh, the revenue share costs for producers are more than present VPF costs,” explained Nitika Nagar Mohandas, associate partner designate, Naik Naik & Company.

Law firms shared that each of the two alternatives serve distinct purposes depending upon a film’s potential collection and size.

“If I believe I have a very strong film, I will take the per-show charge. This is because the rate drops after 60 shows and I keep my full revenue share. For a small film, where expectations are modest, the revenue share is the safer bet. This is because one pays only if the film earns,” explained Madhu Chaudhary Gadodia of Naik Naik & Company.

In the fixed fee per show model, producers pay an exhibition service charge of Rs 450 per show (standard screens) and Rs 600 (premium screens) for the first 60 shows. Subsequently, the charges fall to Rs 250 and Rs 350 respectively after 60 shows. The average VPF charge per screen is up to Rs 25,000.

When contacted to seek the company’s views about the proposals, a PVR Inox spokesperson said: "The commitments proposed holistically address the specific concerns identified in the CCI’s prima facie order….It introduces a uniform and non-discriminatory, choice-based framework for all producers.”

Playing Dhalsim, an Indian yogi and martial artist, in the upcoming video game adaptation Street Fighter, actor Vidyut Jammwal says he is struck by how well his international collaborators understand Indian culture. Making his Hollywood debut with the film, he believes the experience has also made him reflect on how Indians perceive their own representation on screen.

“They see us exactly the way we are meant to be seen; only we see them thinking that they are seeing us like this,” he says, reflecting on whether Indian actors are still being offered characters that fit familiar stereotypes. He points to the portrayal of Sardars in Indian cinema as an example of how the industry has often relied on caricatures of its own communities. “We Indians have a problem, we see Sardars as somebody you can joke about in movies till people like Diljit Dosanjh and other spectacular Sardars came,” he says.

Speaking about his co-stars’ connection with India, Vidyut points out that 50 Cent has visited the country repeatedly, while Momoa’s interest in Indian culture and Cody Rhodes’ curiosity about the country’s audiences have challenged his assumptions about how international stars view India. “50 has come to India more than a lot of Indians living abroad. Jason loves everything he knows about India, and Cody wants to come to India because he believes what Roman has told him, that Indians are crazy about watching action live,” he says.

For Jammwal, the conversation around representation is not limited to how international cinema portrays India. He believes the country’s cultural traditions and identities deserve to be understood in their entirety. His character in Street Fighter, he points out, represents much more than yoga. “But Dhalsim is not just a yogi, he is the Kalaripayatt practitioner. He’s a person who’s dedicated his life to martial arts and we Indians are like this. We’ve dedicated our lives to so many things. We are the flag bearers of yoga, martial arts. In the real sense,” he says.

The actor also feels a personal connection with Dhalsim, whose discipline and philosophy resonate with his own approach to life. “It’s a complete autobiographical role for me. Like, everything, like he’s a yogi who will fight for a cause otherwise he’ll not fight. He’s highly skilled but he will only fight if he has to really stand up for a cause. His breathing is one of his fortes and I enjoy breathing a lot in awareness. I talk about it, I post videos on it, I do stories on it, I display it. So it was like quite, it was meant to come to me,” he says.

What particularly impresses Jammwal is the research that went into finding an Indian actor for the character. He says the film’s producers and director took the time to understand his work and personality before approaching him. “The first thing was that the producer and the director have really worked on looking for this character. Like the hard work they’ve done to find an Indian actor with the character that they wanted to merge of Street Fighter. The research they’ve done is incredible,” he says.

His first conversation with director Kitao Sakurai further reinforced that impression. “When I spoke to the director who’s Japanese-American, I was impressed with the fact that he really has watched my movies. He’s watched my interviews to know that if he’s the real thing. And for me, it was amazing. It was easy for me to experience somebody who’s done everything, all the research. He knows everything about me, my past, my meditations. And the first call was about everything about breathing and how I do it. So, it was good to be in a conversation with somebody who knows more about you than a lot of people,” he says.

Sakurai’s approach to cultural representation also leaves an impression on the actor. “Kitao, who’s a Japanese-born American, is so particular about the sensibility of the culture and the religion that it impresses me,” Jammwal says, adding that the experience challenges assumptions about how people from outside India understand its traditions.

Despite making his Hollywood debut in a film featuring some of the biggest names in international entertainment, Jammwal says the prospect of working on a global platform does not weigh on him. Instead, he approaches the opportunity with excitement. “There was no pressure. There was only excitement,” he says, describing the experience as an opportunity to learn, connect with his co-stars and take his work to a wider audience.

One of my most treasured photographs of Shri Amitabh Bachchan began with a Scrabble board. His mother, whom I called Maaji, had written a birthday message on the board: “I love you Munna, happy birthday.”

When he saw it, I took the photograph. I have covered countless important occasions, but I can still see that moment whenever I close my eyes. The man millions knew as a superstar was just a son receiving a message from his mother.

As my boss turns 84 today, it is moments like this that come back to me. After more than three decades as his personal photographer, I have learnt to look beyond the obvious frame. And in life, as often in films, some of the most revealing bits are moments nobody could have planned.

I still remember my first call to Pratiksha 30 years ago. Sitting at the reception, nervously checking my cameras and lenses, my heart was racing. When the receptionist finally said AB—as I affectionately call my boss—was asking for me, I gathered my gear and walked inside.

What I saw gave me goosebumps. Amitabh Bachchan ji, Jaya madam ji, Harivansh Rai Bachchan ji, and Teji Bachchan ji were sitting together, with Babuji composing poetry as I entered. My heartbeat soared, but I steadied my hands and began clicking. An hour later, AB said, “Okay, thank you,” and I left to print the photographs. I was going through a difficult personal phase, and those lively images gave me enormous happiness.

That evening, when I handed over the prints, my journey as his personal photographer officially began.

For a long time afterwards, every call from Pratiksha or Jalsa would make me anxious. Had my work met his expectations? His positive responses gradually gave me confidence, but even today, every assignment feels like an examination. He studies the pictures carefully before he chooses what to share. Yet behind that exacting eye lies a deep empathy.

Working with Mr Bachchan quickly grew beyond a professional assignment into a relationship built on deep trust and mutual respect. People know him as the Angry Young Man or the towering icon of Indian cinema, but behind the lens, I have witnessed a side that rarely reaches the public eye: caring, remarkably thoughtful, and fiercely disciplined.

During an outstation film shoot early in my career, I was lying ill in my room and missed going to the set. Noticeably absent, my boss came to my room personally during a break. He didn’t just send someone to check on me; he walked in, saw my condition, called a doctor, and waited by my bed until the doctor arrived. He then arranged a flight to Mumbai so I could recover comfortably at home. That is who he is—a megastar with an impossibly demanding schedule who takes time to look after every member of his team.

His attention to those around him can be wonderfully unexpected. After a shoot in Malad, he asked, “Paresh, you stay in Malad, right?” Then he said he wanted to visit my house. He met my family, prayed at our temple and blessed me.

On a trip to Kashmir, I bought him a shawl. He owned so many that I assumed mine might never be worn. Yet, on my birthday, January 3, I saw him wearing it. He had remembered something I had long since stopped expecting him to remember, and clearly, he knew how much that gesture would have meant to me.

His everyday discipline is legendary. Whether he finishes shooting late into the night, he never skips his gym routine, his spiritual practices, or his commitments. But even this discipline comes with consideration for other people. Once, after a shoot that began at 7 am, we reached the Trident at about 5.35 pm for a 6 pm event. He had not even had lunch, but he waited in the car. I learnt that he did not want an early entrance to unsettle the organisers’ arrangements; so, he went in at exactly six.

On set, his respect for the craft extends to everyone behind the scenes. He ensures technicians have the space they need to do their work. During rehearsals, instead of retreating to his vanity van, he will stand opposite a co-actor for their close-ups—offering his own eyes for them to perform to, knowing how much it elevates their delivery. If he notices a crew member standing without a seat, he immediately asks for a chair to be brought over. These small, thoughtful gestures matter enormously to the people who receive them.

I see that same intense awareness outside Jalsa. Every Sunday, before his scheduled appearances, we prepare our cameras and coordinate with the security teams as massive crowds gather. When he finally steps out, his enthusiasm is infectious—it reminds me of a child running to meet loved ones.

Yet, even in a sea of thousands, his focus never loses the individual. During one chaotic gathering, he spotted a woman whose hand had become trapped in a barricade. He instantly called for security to intervene, personally attended to her, and ensured she received immediate medical care. Within that enormous, roaring crowd, he had noticed one person in distress and made sure she was looked after.

My work has taken me from film sets to family occasions, including Abhishek and Aishwarya’s wedding and Aaradhya’s birth. Those photographs carry a responsibility beyond technique. Some stories and photographs are not mine to share. The confidence placed in me matters as much as the archive. After all these years, I still want every frame to do justice to my boss; I also know that some of my best work must remain with his family.

For decades, Mukesh Mills has been an integral part of the city’s imagination. Bollywood turned its abandoned sheds into everything from 1960s Bombay to suitably sinister backdrops for horror films. Fashion designers found its wooden beams and Mangalore tiles delivered the sort of atmosphere that elevated a fashion show. And somewhere along the way, the Colaba mill also acquired a second identity: one where it was populated by ghosts. Now, the owners are trying to give the 10-acre property another life.

About three acres of its overgrown waterfront land have been cleared and flattened, creating a large open space between Sassoon Docks and the naval establishment at INS Shikra. The work took about a week and, for now, “It’s a blank space,” says 47-year-old Ashish Agarwal, who has overseen the mill’s affairs since 2016-17. “You could put up a little hangar and hold an indoor event or have an open-air event.”

The open-ended approach shows the unusual position in which Mukesh Mills finds itself. Its future is still tied to a long-running dispute over redevelopment, while its present is increasingly being defined by the creative industries that discovered it after its industrial life ended.

The mill was once a working textile operation with its own dock. In 1975, Agarwal’s grandfather bought it, and the family operated it until January 1982, when Mumbai’s textile strike brought work at the mill to a halt. A fire followed, and operations never resumed.

Its ruins later became part of Bollywood lore. “Bollywood came calling,” says Agarwal. “They loved this kind of moody vibe.” Amitabh Bachchan’s Jumma Chumma De De from Hum is among the location’s most recognisable appearances. More recently, productions including Matka King have recreated other eras of Mumbai there.

The supernatural mythology grew alongside the film shoots. Stories about strange voices, possessions and unexplained incidents became lore. Agarwal is sceptical of the mythology. Even the best-known documented celebrity account is less dramatic: Bipasha Basu has recalled repeatedly forgetting her lines. A caretaker subsequently suggested that she tie her hair, and a religious ritual was performed. “It’s more like a whole body of lore that has been created around the place,” Agarwal says. “Out of maybe 500 movies shot here, most of these stories probably boil down to four or five movies with supernatural themes.”

The new three-acre clearing is part of an attempt to make the property useful beyond film production. Over the past year, Mukesh Mills has hosted a food, art and culture festival, product launches, fashion events and private celebrations. Five of its 10 structures are currently usable; the others are not. The chimney, beams, pillars and industrial details are being retained where possible.

The family estimates that aside from films, series, advertisements and shoots, the use of the space for events rose from about 10 in 2025 to around 25 this year. “Bombay is discovering it,” Agarwal says. “One event brings new people to the property, who then imagine what else they could do there. The way to think about Mukesh Mill is that it has been evolving for 150 years. It started as a mill, so it was filled with mill workers. Then it became filled with film crews. We are adding the events layer. We hope it becomes a place that creatives see as a blank canvas.”

DRISHYAM THE CONCLUSION had a fantastic second Friday as collections went up well after seeing drops on Wednesday and Tuesday. The film collected around 14 crore nett which takes the film to over 250 crore nett at 253 crore nett. There will be huge growth on Saturday and it will be no surprise if the film hits 300 crore nett on Sunday.

There has been an underlying trend that the films that dont go for the discounted rates tend to see better weekend growth and this could be the case here with DRISHYAM THE CONCLUSION. The film also got advantage of the fact that there was no release this week and it remains on course for that 400 crore nett mark.

But that benchmark is down to the weekly trend and it will face a tougher challenge next Friday with multiple releases. But if the film even continues with 60% weekly falls after the second week, it will get to 400 crore nett and this is not much of a task especially if it gets through next Friday.

The collections of DRISHYAM THE CONCLUSION till date are as follows.

Friday - 62,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 51,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 59,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday 19,00,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 15,00,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 12,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

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

DRISHYAM THE CONCLUSION showed a huge hump on its second Saturday as it collected 26.50 crore nett which now takes the film to almost 280 crore nett and keeps the film on target to finish in the vicinity of 400 crore nett. The second week is already over 40 crore nett and it remains to be seen if the second week can do 100 crore nett.

There have been only ten original Hindi films that have managed to cross the 100 crore nett mark in week two and DRISHYAM THE CONCLUSION will be number eleven if it manages to reach the mark. The film also crossed the 100 crore nett mark in Mumbai circuit on Saturday making it the third Ajay Devgn film to achieve this and no other actor has managed this till date. The other two 100 crore nett films are TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR and SINGHAM AGAIN.

The film has also crossed 60 crore nett in Delhi/UP and here it took only one week to become the highest Ajay Devgn grosser. This was not just the case in Delhi/UP but in some other circuits as well. 

The collections of DRISHYAM THE CONCLUSION till date are as follows.

Friday - 62,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 51,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 59,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday 19,00,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 15,00,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 12,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 26,50,00,000 apprx

Nana Patekar is no more as he reportedly died due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 75. He was a rare actor that made a transistion from a character artist to a very successful hero. He made an entry into films in the late 70's doing some Marathi films but first came to attention with the B R Chopra superhit film, AAJ KI AWAZM where he played the antagonist.

Then came the sleeper Hit ANKUSH in 1986 and these films gave him a good fan following due to his dialogue delivery with the public in Maharashtra. It all erupted with the blockbuster film TIRANGAA which actually made Nana Patekar a full fledged star. This was followed by more Blockbusters like KRANTIVEER and AGNI SAKSHI. At that point of time, he was probably the biggest star in Maharashtra as his films fetched a huge premium here sometimes taking the prices ahead of the biggest stars.

The 93-97 period was huge for Nana Patekar as barring KHAMOSHI (1996), all his films succeeded. The films were TIRANGAA (1993), KRANTIVEER (1994), HUM DONO (1995), AGNI SAKSHI (1996), YESHWANT (1997) and GHULAM-E-MUSTHAFA (1997). Barring HUM DONO, all the other films were bonafide Hit films in Maharashtra and a lot was down to his star pull in the state.

As makers tried to cash in this success, it became very repetitive which led to the downfall as the dialogues which were organic in the likes of TIRANGAA and KRANTIVEER became very forced which led to films not faring well. Yet, a decade later, he found huge success with WELCOME (2007) with an insanely popular character and arguably, this was his most famous character. Its unlikely that someone so unconventional in terms of the male lead will ever reach the status that Nana Patekar did in the 90's.

Mumbai: Police are in the process of writing to immigration officials over allegations that actor Imran Khan holds an overseas citizen of India card and had violated rules by participating in CJP’s stir on Saturday, said senior Gamdevi police inspector Prashant Mohite.

BJP’s Kirit Somaiya, who had flagged the alleged violation, said Khan is mentioned in a general FIR but a separate case needs to be filed against him.

He said he will visit the police station on Monday to ensure a separate FIR is lodged.