What do established filmmakers and production houses fear the most? Financial losses? Bad publicity? Ballooning budgets? Not quite. A footage leak, perhaps. But what the makers of Shah Rukh Khan’s King certainly didn’t see coming was an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated mini version of their film going viral online, stitched together from leaked visuals, paparazzi clips, and stills, just days after footage from the climax shoot surfaced on the internet. Now that’s the kind of nightmare no one in the industry was prepared for.

The 15-minute fan-made video used AI tools to recreate transitions and claimed to offer audiences a “mini version” of director Siddharth Anand’s film before its release. According to insiders, both fans and the production team rapidly mass-reported the footage, leading to its removal from several platforms.

A source close to the production told mid-day, “The team was already upset after stills from the climax leaked. Before that, sequences from the Cape Town schedule went viral where Deepika and SRK shot a song. The line production team was extremely careful but when someone like SRK shoots in public, it’s impossible to trace the source of the leak. But the AI edit crossed a line because it attempted to recreate the narrative of the film.”

The insider added that security around the current schedule near Ghodbunder Road, on the outskirts of Mumbai, has now tightened significantly. “This set in Mumbai is a busy area, so removing phone access won’t help much. But movement in the action portions and crucial scenes has become extremely restricted.”

King is now nearing completion, with “nearly two months of shoot pending”. “King is in its final leg. A lot of patchwork, action inserts, and another schedule remains to be done, with VFX work going on simultaneously. The film is looking to wrap by July-end,” the source revealed. 

“Please do not post or circulate any leaked multimedia from the sets of ‘King’. The team is working around the clock to ensure the best cinematic experience for everyone. Let us wait for the surprise on the big screen.”

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday remarked that the "censor board should have some guidelines" related to spy movies, after a PIL filed by a serving Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel flagged concerns over Ranveer Singh-starrer 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge' revealing tactical and sensitive information on the country's intelligence and defence operations, and sought framing of a 'spy movies protocol'.

"The concerns raised by the petitioner need to be considered and addressed appropriately," a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said, adding although films are meant for entertainment, they do have an impact.

The bench disposed of the PIL with a direction to the I&B ministry and Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) "to consider the entire writ petition as representation of the petitioner and take an appropriate decision on the issues raised". It asked the authorities to communicate their decision on the representation, and if any corrective measures are taken, to the petitioner.

The PIL contended that the film violated the Official Secrets Act as it showed tactical operations, sensitive locations and agents in "depth", and some scenes even revealed information that is not in the interest of the country's security. The petitioner further argued that actions and characters modelled after high-ranking officials and martyred servicemen are so explicit in the film that it is not in the country's best interest, and even certain successful military operations are recalled in the movie.

The petitioner also objected to the movie using "classified protocols" in certain scenes and depicting "deep cover identities". He claimed that the movie has "directly compromised the safety of our on-field undercover agents" and led to local authorities in Karachi being on "spy alert".

The PIL sought framing of a protocol to prevent the showcasing of methods of the country's agents, and revocation of the certification granted to the movie.

Singer-composer Amaal Mallik has once again spoken openly about his struggles in the entertainment industry, claiming that internal politics and powerful industry figures have significantly impacted his career.

On Tuesday night, Amaal shared a lengthy note on Instagram Stories (see above), claiming that he has lost out on 60 projects since 2019, having been removed by “big boys in powerful positions”. He added, “20 films toh maine khud hi mana kar diye as it was beneath me to work in those setups.”

The 35-year-old also hinted that he may eventually reveal names, while criticising what he described as years of behind-the-scenes politics.

“I will not name them today, but their time will come someday... All of them are playing award-worthy politics and that’s why you hear less of my music in films. I can’t be part of a clout, a power setup, or be part of petty groupism.”

Amaal, son of composer Daboo Malik and nephew of composer Anu Malik, added that even his family connections didn’t help him: “Even the nepotism isn’t working. So mujhe maaf karo, mera indie music suno.”

This isn’t the first time that Amaal has been so vocal about the industry. In February, he called out labels for pay disparity, saying, “Sooraj Dooba Hai from Roy (2015) earned Rs. 60-Rs. 70 crore for the label, and I got nothing except for the publishing rights, which are negligible, not even close to Rs. 1 crore.”

Saswata Chatterjee has started shooting for Sourav Ganguly biopic Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story (tentative title) in Mumbai and is portraying his father Chandi Ganguly. Also part of the shoot are Aparajita Auddy, who’s playing Sourav’s mother Nirupa, and Rahul Dev Bose, who’s playing his brother, Snehasish.

“All three actors are currently shooting in Mumbai. Dada was present on set during the shoot on Sunday. The production team will shoot in Kolkata from the end of this month,” a source close to the unit told us.

According to the source, the Vikramaditya Motwane directorial has an exciting ensemble cast, with Tanya Maniktala essaying the role of Dona Ganguly, while, as we reported earlier, Rajkummar Rao portraying Sourav.

Before Tanya was finalised, several prominent Bengali actresses were rumoured to be in contention for the role, including Mimi Chakraborty, Ishaa Saha, and Amrita Chattopadhyay.

The biopic is expected to chronicle Sourav Ganguly’s journey – right from his formative cricketing years to becoming one of India’s most influential and fearless captains – while delving into his personal life and enduring relationship with Dona.

Actor Shekhar who introduced the late-night talk show format in 1997 with Movers and Shakers, is back in the space nearly three decades later. On Friday, he welcomed Union Minister Nitin Gadkari as his first guest on his YouTube series Shekhar Tonite. The episode saw him deliver some sharp jibes at everyone from PM Narendra Modi to MP Raghav Chadha.

“I’ve been known for being fearless and that I will maintain that, otherwise I wouldn’t have done the show, ” he says, adding that satire works best when it is intelligent, witty, and not intended to insult. “If you just do it with the intention of bullying, insulting, or humiliating people, they’re bound to take umbrage. But if you do it in a manner which seems rational, logical, where it’s witty, then they take it with a pinch of salt and with a sense of humour,” shares Shekhar.

Back in the ‘90s, Shekar’s mimicry of then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his talk show gained popularity. Now, he reveals that Vajpayee himself appreciated the bit. “When (the former PM) met me (at a wedding), he stopped the entire motorcade and got out of the car. He hugged me and said, ‘I record your show, and I watch it every day. When you take off on me, you do my impersonations. I laugh the loudest. Don’t ever stop the show’,” the actor recalls.

He adds, “I should have just hung my boots that day because an actor cannot go beyond that. This is the ultimate compliment that an actor can get. Here was this statesman who had the courage to say this. Otherwise, most of them feel offended.”

Shekhar feels that the show will be ‘like a litmus test’, especially now, when social media can amplify reaction, parody, and satire. “We will have to play it by the ear. (But) there will always be some people who will be offended no matter which way you do it and how you do it,” he says.

From theatres to living rooms, South Indian cinema is increasingly dominating the showbiz, accounting for nearly 60% of all theatrically successful films acquired by streaming platforms across Indian languages in 2025.

While this marks a significant shift in OTT content-buying strategies, it is driven by stronger viewer engagement for South Indian titles on streaming platforms, with a higher proportion of viewers tending to watch them till the end after starting them, senior executives at large media and entertainment networks said.

Of the 125 films that each drew more than one million admissions in theatres and bought by leading streaming platforms, 74 were South Indian titles, according to a study by media and entertainment research firm Ormax Media.

“South Indian titles generally show strong engagement patterns, often delivering high completion rates and sustained viewing, which improve long-term platform value,” said Krishnan Kutty, head of entertainment business, south cluster, at JioStar. “At streaming scale, consistent engagement matters more than opening spikes, and regional content is increasingly delivering that consistency,” he added.

In addition, the share of South Indian content in total watch time on streaming platforms has been increasing, industry executives said.

“Across films and web series, we are witnessing phenomenal growth from the South, which accounts for more than 41% of total watch time on ZEE5,” said Siju Prabhakaran, chief business officer at ZEE5. “Every region in South India brings a unique flavour and intellectual depth that resonates across age groups and geographical boundaries.”

Producers said South Indian titles also offer advantages in terms of acquisition costs and content supply compared with Hindi films.

“These titles also provide pipeline stability,” said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director at Karmic Films. “A larger volume of theatrical films with stronger audience retention in the post-pandemic period comes from the South, giving streamers a more dependable content acquisition ecosystem.”

Language affinity and the cultural rootedness of South Indian stories have helped these films attract audiences well beyond their regional markets, independent streaming consultants said.

“In addition to subtitles and dubbing, audiences’ affinity for their mother tongue and the cultural authenticity of these stories and their presentation have helped South Indian titles find viewers beyond their traditional markets,” said Shrirang Nargund, an independent consultant to the streaming industry. “Today, audiences outside the metros increasingly prefer such stories.”

The next 100 million subscribers to India’s streaming ecosystem are expected to come from markets beyond the major metropolitan cities.

According to the Ormax study, Netflix acquired 34% of all South Indian titles bought by streaming platforms in 2025, followed by JioHotstar (19%), ZEE5 (18%) and Prime Video (17%).

“We studied films that recorded one million footfalls in theatres across all languages in India. The South emerged as a bigger content market for streaming platforms,” said Keerat Grewal, head of business development for streaming, TV and brands at Ormax Media.

Streamers also acquired 35 theatrically successful Hindi films, with Netflix accounting for 57%.

From delivering chartbusters like Lift Karadey, Tera Chehra, and Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao to carving a niche as a singer, composer, and performer, Adnan Sami has witnessed the evolution of music across generations. Known for being one of the fastest keyboard players in the world, he has seen the industry transition from cassettes and CDs, to streaming platforms and now the era of reels and viral culture. Despite the changing landscape, Adnan believes the essence of music remains the same.

Talking about how virality has become the buzzword in today’s music industry, Adnan says the phenomenon itself is not new. “You see, terminology keeps changing. What you call virality today was called a superhit in the past. What you call an item song today was earlier known as a cabaret song. So, the words change, but the principles remain the same,” he says, adding that what has truly changed is the audience’s patience span.

“The concept of longevity has changed because people have changed. Earlier, audiences were far more patient. Look at cinema – Sholay actually flopped in its first couple of weeks before slowly picking up, and the rest is history. Today, your fate is sealed over a weekend. And this isn’t just happening in our field. It’s happening everywhere. In sports, you started with five-day Test cricket, then came One Day Internationals, then T20s, and now even 10-over formats. Eventually, they’ll probably just do a toss and say, ‘Right, you won!’” he laughs.

While he admits to using AI tools in music production, Adnan, who recently dropped his single, Lipstick, is clear that technology can only assist and not replace originality. “I use AI extensively as an assistant. Things that would earlier take hours, sometimes even days, can now be done much faster with AI-based tools. I’m not talking about composing melodies – I mean the technical embellishments around the music. Sometimes, when I compose a song, I first create a rough demo using AI tools just to get an idea of how it might sound. But I always come back to the human element in the end. Because ultimately, the nucleus has to be yours. The DNA has to be yours. There’s no escaping that. The soul of the music must belong to you. AI can help enhance things, but it cannot replace the core creative identity.”

Drawing parallels with the larger world, Adnan Sami shares, “It’s the same with food – you have fast food versus gourmet dining. The world has started moving psychologically very fast. But the funny thing is, while everything around us has accelerated, it still takes 365 days for the earth to go around the sun. That hasn’t changed. Which means the speed is psychological.”

Adnan also points out how songs themselves have become shorter over the years. “Tera Chehra was around seven minutes long, and even the video was about five minutes. Today, songs are usually three-and-a-half to four minutes at best. Earlier, songs had three or four antaras. I was working in that format for many years. One day, I was collaborating with some younger musicians, and after finishing the track, I asked, ‘Where’s the second antara?’ They looked at me in shock and said, ‘Second antara?’ That’s when I realised how much things had changed.”

The musician, however, refuses to believe that shorter music means easier music. In fact, he insists the challenge today is even greater. “Every profession has its own challenges. A television actor might be looked down upon, but the truth is that the television actor probably reaches far more people because he enters people’s homes every single day. The same thing happens in music. A classical musician may say, ‘My performance lasts 30 minutes, while pop artistes finish in three or four minutes.’ Then there’s the advertising composer whose music lasts only 30 seconds, and he has to hook you in just those few seconds. So, you can’t say making music in any format is easy today. In fact, it has become more difficult.”

After spending decades in the spotlight as an actor, singer, writer and member of the popular band A Band Of Boys, Karan Oberoi is preparing for a new chapter in his creative journey. The artiste is all set to take the stage for his first-ever solo concert in Mumbai early next month, a performance that promises to be deeply personal and emotionally driven.

For Karan, the upcoming show marks a significant departure from the group performances audiences have associated him with over the years. “Its my first ever solo concert in Mumbai. I am very nervous but also very excited,” he says.

Having performed for years alongside his bandmates, Karan admits the solo format comes with a different kind of responsibility and vulnerability. This time, the familiar camaraderie of performing with his band will be replaced by something far more intimate.

“This time I am not performing with the boys. They will be sitting in the audience and cheering me on,” he shares. The concert, however, is not just about music. Karan says the performance has been designed as a storytelling experience that draws from his personal life, observations and emotions as a writer.

Describing the show as a reflection of the things that have shaped him over the years, Karan says the concert will explore themes ranging from relationships and nostalgia to social issues and friendship.

“This is a completely new journey for me where I will be talking about things that have absolutely mattered to me all my life, things that are important to me; the education system, modern dating trends, nostalgia, friendship, everything that has affected me or inspired me as a writer. I have tried to weave every single emotion of my songs with the story. I perform with a live band there,” he says.

Known for balancing acting, music and writing through his career, Karan appears to be embracing a more introspective space with this performance, one that allows audiences to connect with him beyond his public persona.

As he gears up for the concert, Karan is also reflecting on the support system that has stood by him through the highs and lows of the entertainment industry. “I am glad that so many of my friends and family supported me for the last two decades,” he says.

With nostalgia, music and storytelling at its core, the upcoming concert is expected to offer audiences a closer glimpse into the man behind the performer.