Don 3 row: Ranveer Singh urges IMPPA to stay out, warns of legal action
11:14 AM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 24, 2026)
Eight months since Ranveer Singh exited Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Don 3, the controversy continues. Things took a fresh turn at the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association’s (IMPPA) August 18 meeting. mid-day has found out that the actor’s legal team apparently submitted a letter stating that IMPPA shouldn’t intervene and if it passes a decision in the matter, Singh will take legal recourse.
Apparently, this isn’t his first letter urging IMPPA to dismiss the complaint. After Akhtar and Sidhwani filed their complaint with the body, claiming Rs. 45 crore damages over the actor’s exit, IMPPA scheduled its first meeting for August 14.
An IMPPA member, on condition of anonymity, told mid-day, “Before that meeting, Ranveer’s legal team sent a letter mentioning that he did not have a formal agreement with Excel Entertainment; instead, they had only a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU]. He also submitted a formal defence countering the Rs 45 crore claim. His letter also stated that IMPPA should dismiss the complaint as it did not fall under the body’s jurisdiction and that only the court could settle the matter. After receiving Ranveer’s letter, IMPPA postponed the August 14 meeting. When the actor’s father Jagjit Singh Bhavnani showed up, he was told that the meeting had been postponed.”
The meeting then took place on August 18. The insider added, “Ranveer’s legal team submitted another letter that stated that Excel Entertainment had no grounds to complain, and if Farhan and Ritesh want, they can take the matter to court. It also said that if IMPPA passed any resolution, then Ranveer would take the legal route. Some people in IMPPA feel that he should face the heat for walking out of a movie at the last minute.”
When mid-day reached out to Abhay Sinha, President, IMPPA, he said, “The legal teams of both parties gave their versions at the second meeting. Now IMPPA’s legal team is looking into the matter after which we’ll decide.”
We live in a world where the more aggressive you are, the more likely you are to go viral-Kunal Kapoor
11:12 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; August 24, 2026)
For Kunal K Kapoor, a four-year gap from acting was never meant to be a break from cinema. If anything, it gave him more time to reconnect with the part of filmmaking that drew him to the industry in the first place — storytelling. Now, with his Telugu debut Vishwambhara, Kannada debut Lambodhara 2.0, Nitesh Tiwari’s magnum opus Ramayana and three scripts of his own in the works, Kunal is stepping back into a busy phase of his career, but on his own terms.
He says, “The break gave me a chance to develop the stories I really wanted to tell. At my core, I am a storyteller. I’ve been writing for years and just finished three scripts. Those are films that I’d like to act in. The break happened because I haven’t got the kind of work that I was excited about, but now I see a lot of that coming around.”
‘You don’t set out to make a Rang De Basanti’
This year, Kunal’s film Rang De Basanti, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, marked its 20th anniversary. Reflecting on the film’s enduring legacy, Kunal says, “We were just telling an interesting story. It was not like we believed that we were setting out to do something so important that would be remembered 20 years later.”
The actor thinks that the possibility of making a film with that kind of cultural resonance still exists. The challenge, he says, is finding the right story. “I think the possibility of telling an interesting story still exists. It’s only about finding those interesting stories together. But those are far and few in between. I meet so many people who come up to me and say, ‘Rang De Basanti jaisi picture aur banao na.’ And I’m like, sure, but you have to find the content for it, right?”
‘The Ramayana set felt meditative’
Ask him about his experience of being part of Nitesh Tiwari’s much-anticipated film Ramayana, in which he plays Lord Indra, and he replies, “I enjoyed being on that set because it felt meditative. It was quiet. I’ve never been on such a quiet set. Usually our sets are crazy. There’s so much noise and chaos. But the sets of Ramayana felt different. Everyone seemed to feel like they were part of something they genuinely cared about. That doesn’t happen often. I think it’s a combination of Nitesh sir’s energy and also the kind of film that we’re making.”
‘Today, everybody can express what they feel online’
A project as culturally significant as Ramayana was always going to attract scrutiny, particularly in the age of social media. The trailer brought with it a flood of opinions, from casting choices to the appearance of its characters. Kunal, however, sees the online reaction as a consequence of how audiences consume and discuss cinema today.
“We live in a world where everyone has access to expressing their opinion. When I was starting off, we had three newspapers and those three would have a review and you probably had one show on TV that reviewed movies. You either had to be part of a television network or a newspaper network to express how you felt about something. But today, everybody can express what they feel online. We live in a world where the more aggressive you are, or the more you attack something, the more likely you are to go viral. So virality is not necessarily based on just expressing your opinion; it’s based on how aggressively you express your opinion.”
‘Down south, the filmmaking process stays rooted in one language’
Kapoor is also venturing into south cinema with back-to-back projects in Telugu and Kannada. While he doesn’t find the filmmaking process fundamentally different, he says there is one aspect that struck him — the continuity of language throughout the filmmaking process.
He says, “The only difference that I find, and which is one of the reasons that a lot of films from the south industries feel more rooted, is that everybody is operating in one language. For instance, if I’m doing a Telugu film, that film is written in Telugu first. Everybody on that set speaks mostly in Telugu. Then you go and say your lines in Telugu. So the whole process is in one language. That doesn’t happen on the set of Hindi films.”
Taapsee Pannu-Kangana Ranaut’s feud over ‘upbringing’ remark; Kangana revives her ‘sasti copy’ jibe
11:04 AM
Natasha Coutinho (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 24, 2026)
The long-standing public feud between actors Taapsee Pannu and Kangana Ranaut has taken another ugly turn, with Kangana once again calling Taapsee a ‘sasti copy’ after the latter’s remarks about differences in their upbringing in a recent interview.
Taapsee has now responded to Kangana’s interpretation of her remarks. Speaking to us, she says, “One needs proper education and upbringing to understand what I said,” before explaining why she doesn’t take offence at being called a ‘sasti copy’.
“I’ve always maintained I don’t get offended by these sasti copy remarks. I’m happy she thinks I’m a copy; she’s a phenomenal actress. I don’t come from a rich background or the highest-paid actor tags; maybe I’m sasti that way. I said how one speaks is reflective of one’s upbringing. If you believe I am being demeaning to your upbringing, it means you believe you made demeaning comments. I did not say that.”
In a recent interview with India Today, Taapsee was asked whether she and Kangana had made amends. She said, “My opinion on her is reflective of my upbringing and my way of talking, my way of perceiving things and hers. She stands by hers. So, I think that’s enough for everybody to look at and decide who comes from where.”
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Taapsee, 39, and Kangana, 40, first became embroiled in a controversy in 2019 after Kangana’s sister, Rangoli Chandel, accused Taapsee of copying Kangana and called her a “sasti copy”. The remarks came after Taapsee praised the trailer of Judgementall Hai Kya (2019) without specifically mentioning Kangana.
The feud resurfaced in 2020 when Kangana referred to Taapsee and other actors as “B-grade actresses” and “needy outsiders” amid debates over nepotism and industry politics. Taapsee later joked in an interview that she doesn’t hold a “patent on curly hair” and took the comparison as a compliment.
Despite their differences, Taapsee has previously maintained that she remains open to being friends with Kangana.
Their exchanges have also occasionally taken a more cordial turn. When Taapsee won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for Thappad in 2021, she thanked Kangana in her acceptance speech for raising the bar for female actors. Kangana reciprocated on social media, writing that “no one deserves it more than you”. However, the two continued to trade passive-aggressive barbs in the media in the years that followed.
Around the same time, when global celebrities tweeted about India’s farmer protests, Taapsee tweeted that citizens shouldn’t let outside opinions shake their core value systems. Kangana retaliated on Twitter, calling Taapsee “B-grade log” and freeloaders.
In her response to Taapsee on her now-deleted Insta Stories, Kangana had said, “She is not the only one, many people who grew up in shady cramped up outskirts of cities in dingy rented apartments with questionable backgrounds and incomes question my upbringing and malign my parents, who hail from a renowned Rajput zameendar Family and raised by educated distinguished parents (sic).”
Priyadarshan reminds me of my dad-Saif Ali Khan
10:58 AM
Natasha Coutinho (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 23, 2026)
Saif Ali Khan teams up with Priyadarshan for the first time in Haiwaan, and the actor finds an interesting similarity between the director and his late father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. “Priyadarshan reminds me of my dad. Both were cricketers, and both lost one eye but have been great in their professional space,” he says.
Pataudi played for India (1961-1975) and lost sight in one eye after a car crash in 1961. Meanwhile, Priyadarshan played competitive cricket in school and college before suffering an eye injury in the 1980s.
In the Akshay Kumar co-starrer, Saif plays a visually impaired musician and martial arts coach. All praise for Priyadarshan, Saif adds, “He is like Clint Eastwood, senior and calm. He gives you just one take, so you have to make quick decisions as an actor.”'
Though Saif Ali Khan, 56, isn’t on social media, his candid videos and old interviews on the internet continue to make him a Gen Z favourite. One such clip had fans wondering if the actor was seeking his own blessings at a film premiere. Laughing off the incident, Saif explains, “It was a huge poster of myself, so I was just wishing the film and me good luck. I am childlike and a little mad.”
He adds, “I’ve been in the profession for 35 years, so I was a very different person at 21-22, when I made statements that are going viral now.”
The actor says he has been trying to stay present and live each moment fully. When asked if this perspective was shaped by the 2025 home invasion and stabbing incident, Saif says, “That could be true, but it also comes with age.” Despite the incident, and reports that he had hired high-profile security following the mishappening, Saif insists he remains the same carefree person. “I’m very lucky; that incident was quite close,” he says, adding, “I’ve never liked security, but sometimes it’s necessary.”
Speaking about his kids, Saif is quick to point out just how different each of their personalities is. While actors Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali Khan, whom he shares with ex-wife actor Amrita Singh, are older; Taimur and Jeh, whom he shares with wife, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, have grown up in the spotlight, with the internet following their every move.
“All four kids have very different personalities. Of course Sara and Ibrahim are older, and then there are these two. Taimur seems quiet, but not necessarily is, but I’m aware the internet is full of jokes about Jeh, the firecracker younger brother. We are just very blessed to have all this,” he shares.
Saif, Akshay’s Brotherly Bond
Saif reunites with Akshay Kumar for Haiwaan, which marks their seventh film together. Reflecting on their collaboration, Saif says, “He played my elder brother in our first movie together, Yeh Dillagi (1994), and that set the tone for our relationship. We became good friends.” Recalling a funny incident from the film’s shoot in Shimla, the actor shares, “His spotboy would sing songs from Khiladi (1992) at 6am outside my room just to annoy me.” With Haiwaan, he feels Akshay playing the villain “elevated the project”.
Kareena not pregnant, clarifies Saif’s sister
Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan found herself at the centre of pregnancy rumours after being spotted in Mumbai on Friday. As the speculation snowballed, her sister-in-law, fashion designer Saba Pataudi, stepped in to set the record straight. She took to Instagram Stories to share a long note (inset above), blaming the rumours on “a bad angle”. She added, “Some things are left private. No speculation needed.”
Javed Akhtar calls Western influence on Indian music an ‘embarrassment’
10:53 AM
Vishakha Pandit (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 22, 2026)
With 1942: A Love Story returning to theatres this week, its music also got a new audience. As lyricist Javed Akhtar, who wrote songs such as Ek Ladki Ko Dekha and Kuchh Na Kaho, relives those melodies, he also contrasts it with the current state of music in Indian films and the influence of West in it. He says the influence has created an “embarrassment” around the traditional role of songs in Indian storytelling. “Ab jo log Western cinema se expose hue hain, unke andar ek embarrassment hai. Nayi generation sawal karti hai ki ye gaane ka kya chakkar hai?” he says.
Akhtar, however, argues that songs should not be dismissed simply because they are unrealistic. “Film mein gaane hero ga raha hai, party mein khade ho kar gaa raha hai, toh badi fake baat hai. Fake toh kya hai? Art ne theka liya real hone ka?” he says. For him, a song’s worth lies in what it adds to the experience. “Wo interesting ho, seductive ho, aur koi achhi value aapko de raha ho, sense of beauty de raha hai, that is also a good value,” he says.
The 81-year-old also sees contemporary film music as increasingly divided between two extremes. “Ek toh jin mein double meaning ho, aur doosre jin mein koi meaning nahin. Toh beech mein ek meaning ka gaana nahin bachta,” he says.
Akhtar believes the problem is not the presence of songs in films, but their weakening connection with the narrative and characters. He also believes the current state of film music cannot simply be blamed on writers or composers. “Ab unhone jo kiya hai, woh ek bahut hi bada compromise hai. Ab ke gaane background mein hote hain, jinka aam taur se foreground se koi vaasta bhi nahin hota hai. Gaane toh achhe tab honge, jab unn mein koi narrative ka participation ho, character ka representation ho,” he says.
There is also an ongoing debate around the lyrics and visual treatment of contemporary songs. Recently, Guru Randhawa’s Fine Shyt faced criticism over its portrayal of women and alleged misogynistic undertones, while Badshah’s Tateeree drew backlash over its explicit lyrics and visuals. Akhtar’s comments come amid this wider conversation around the responsibility of artists and the place of meaning and context in popular music.
“Don’t blame the writer or the music director; they are very talented people. What they have done is a huge compromise.”
Deepika Padukone demanded 10% profit share, leaked plot, says Spirit producer
10:51 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (August 22, 2026)
Ever since actor Deepika Padukone’s exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit was revealed last year, speculation has continued over the reason behind her departure and the subsequent fallout between the actor and the makers. Reports that she had sought a fixed eight-hour shift had also added fuel to the speculation. Now, Pranay Reddy Vanga, co-producer of the film and Sandeep’s brother, has claimed that Deepika demanded a 10% share of the film’s profits, which led to Sandeep discontinuing the casting.
Elaborating on the reasons behind her departure, Pranay told NTV Telugu, “First was remuneration, second was timings. There were other reasons as well... It was Sandeep’s call.” He added, “She demanded 10% from the film’s profit. Soon after, everything went overboard. See, she can ask for anything... But the economics (budget) should also work out.”
On the fallout that followed, Pranay said, “Once we started looking for other options, they started leaking everything… We discussed the story and character with her. Things discussed internally should not be revealed, but she leaked all of them. That is why we are disturbed.”
Months after Deepika’s exit, Sandeep posted a cryptic message on X (inset above) which many assumed was aimed at the actor. A day later, he announced actor Triptii Dimri as the new female lead opposite Prabhas.
We reached out to Deepika’s team, but did not receive a response till the time of going to press.
Playing Musharraf brought me hate and love-Manu Rishi Chadha
10:33 AM
Deep Saxena (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 17, 2026)
Actor Manu Rishi Chadha, who plays former Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf in Operation Safed Sagar, says the role has brought him both hate and appreciation.
“My social media DMs are flooded. Someone wrote that he wants to slap me for the act and hug me for my work. I was like… please don’t slap, as if others too feel the same, it will be too much (laughs). I feel the hate is also love which means the work was appreciated,” he tells us. Chadha says he expected strong reactions to his portrayal of Musharraf during the 1999 Kargil War. “There is one common message I am getting: Manu bhai jitni nafrat thi (Musharraf) woh double ho gaya par aapse pyar ho gaya! I want ki woh nafrat bani rahe.”
For the role, he deliberately stayed away from too many archival references: “I just saw 1-2 videos, but then I decided not to; otherwise it would become caricaturish. My first question was, ‘How do I look like him?’ Also, hero ki duniya mein villain banna, and that too a real person, was a challenge.”
A chat with Nawazuddin Siddiqui helped him find his approach. “I asked him how he played (Saadat Hasan) Manto in the film and he was like, there was no reference of him except his photo and work. So, he created and worked on his human side — right or wrong! So, I decided that I will just follow my director and creators’ vision.”
Chadha says the challenge was to inhabit the character without slipping into mimicry. “Kahin mimic na ho jaye — yeh darr bhi rakha aur jimmedari bhi rakhi! As an Indian, I can hate him but as an actor, I can’t!” he ends.
Yash clears the air on Ramayana’s Rs. 4,000 cr budget
10:31 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (August 17, 2026)
Actor-producer Yash has clarified the much-discussed Rs. 4,000-crore budget of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, saying the figure covers both parts of the film as well as their release and promotions, and is not the production cost of Ramayana (part one) alone.
Speaking on Aap Ki Adalat, Yash, who plays Ravana and is also co-producing the film with Namit Malhotra, addressed the figure first cited by the producer for the two-part epic. “That is a misconception, so let me clarify it to everyone. Rs. 4000 crore is the budget for the two-part film, including release and promotion. It is the same as Hollywood,” he said.
Explaining the “Hollywood math” behind the figure, he added, “A budget equal to the film, or sometimes more, they spend on promotion because it is global. But the revenue is global too.”
Yash said the scale is part of an attempt to take Indian cinema to a wider global audience. “Cinema is a soft power. All of us have to work really hard towards it... Both Ramayana and Toxic (also starring Yash) are attempts to position Indian cinema as global films,” the actor-producer said.
Directed by Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, and is set to release in November.
Akshay Kumar paaji may be Haiwaan on screen, real life mein true insaan-Gurpreet Ghuggi
10:29 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAB TIMES; August 16, 2026)
With floods recently wreaking havoc across India, the devastation in Punjab last year comes to mind. The floods left 40 people dead and damaged thousands of homes. Actor Akshay Kumar, we learn, stepped in to help, and his efforts are now bearing fruit.
Actor Gurpreet Ghuggi, who hails from Punjab and has worked with Akshay in films such as Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Cuttputtli (2022), tells us, “Akshay paaji got in touch with me, asking how he could help. Since people were getting assistance with food supplies, I suggested that the real help would be needed after the floods, for those whose houses were destroyed.”
Akshay then pledged to build 100 houses, 80 of which are now complete. Gurpreet adds, “I assembled a team to identify the people in need. These houses are mostly in the Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts. The work on the pending houses will be completed soon. It was all Akshay paaji’s doing.” The project has been carried out under the aegis of the Hari Om Foundation, founded by Akshay in memory of his late father, Hari Om Bhatia.
“Akshay paaji sirf on-screen hi haiwaan play kar rahe hain (in his upcoming film), real life mein he is a wonderful insaan. Woh nahin chahte thhe unka naam saamne aaye. He said, ‘Iss mein koi badi baat nahin hai. Help karna aur phir logon ko batana, mujhe theek nahin lagta’,” recalls Gurpreet.
Sohail Khan reveals the real reason behind his drastic transformation
10:27 AM
Natasha Coutinho (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 16, 2026)
Sohail Khan’s recent appearance at the wrap-up party of reality show Alliance sparked concern among fans, with pictures from the gathering prompting questions about his noticeable weight loss. While some social media users wondered if the actor was dealing with health issues, others speculated whether GLP-1 weight-loss drugs were behind the change.
Speaking to us, Sohail says his weight loss was linked to health issues he faced soon after entering the reality show: “I got a bit claustrophobic in the first few days, as it was my first time being a part of a reality show. A stomach bug added to that in the first week itself of entering the house. I must tell you, the love and concern, not only about my health, but at any given time by contestants, made me stay in for five weeks, though I was unwell in the first itself.”
The actor adds that the illness also forced him to watch what he ate so that he could continue participating in the show’s challenges: “I just needed to control what I was eating as I wanted to be a part of the challenges and be around the new family and friends that I made till the last day, and now for a lifetime. So no Ozempic, no fat burners, I’m only taking pure and loads of love and affection from everyone.”
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