Four years after Punjab '95 was stopped in its tracks over objections from the censor board, Honey Trehan was finally breathing easy on Saturday morning when we got on a call with him. His film, now streaming on ZEE5 as Satluj, had arrived without a single cut.

For the filmmaker, it marks the end of a battle that often seemed impossible to win.

In his first interview since the film's release, Trehan told mid-day that there were moments when even he wasn't convinced the film would eventually see the light of day "Even till yesterday afternoon, I wasn't sure if the film would come out," he says with a laugh. "We've reached this point so many times before that I had stopped allowing myself to believe it. I kept telling myself, 'Let it go, let it go.' Then suddenly, it was just there."

The release, he says, belongs as much to the family of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra as it does to the makers. "I spoke to them immediately. They are very, very happy. It was important because we didn't get the title Punjab '95. Naturally, people assumed the film must have been released with cuts. Paramjit aunty herself clarified that this is the same film. Hundreds of people who had watched the earlier version are now saying Satluj is exactly the same film."

For Trehan, that validation mattered more than anything else. "I'm getting messages from IPS officers in Punjab asking, 'The film is without cuts, right?' They are excited to finally watch it. That means a lot."

The director admits he was initially worried that the four-year delay would burden the film with impossible expectations. "I actually felt the opposite happened. These three years became three years of publicity. Punjab '95 had become much bigger than the film itself. My only anxiety before release was whether I could live up to what people had built in their minds. But the response has been overwhelming. Every reaction has become memorable."

Trehan credits producer Ronnie Screwvala, Diljit Dosanjh and ZEE5 for refusing to compromise. "The way Ronnie sir and Diljit stood by me and stood by the film... I can't thank them enough. And what courage ZEE has shown. Hats off to them. They simply dropped the trailer, posters and the film together. There was no release date, no countdown, nothing. It was just — streaming now. I've never seen anything like that."

Throughout the film's uncertain journey, Dosanjh remained firmly behind the project, says Trehan. Recalling how the actor came on board, he says their relationship dates back to Udta Punjab. "Even before I told him I wanted to make a film on Jaswant Singh Khalra, he immediately said, 'There's only one story from Punjab worth making if it isn't about 1984'. I showed him my research book. He looked at Mr Khalra's photograph, picked up the book, placed it on his forehead and simply said, 'Waheguru ji... tell me when and where to come. You'll find me there'."

That commitment, Trehan says, never wavered. "There were days when he reported at six in the morning and I couldn't take his first shot until four in the evening because schedules had gone haywire. I kept apologizing. Every single time he would tell me, 'Paaji, no problem. Whatever you're doing, you're doing for the film. I'm here to support the film.'"

The filmmaker also recounts how Dosanjh recently waited nearly an hour for an Instagram Live session promoting the film despite repeated technical glitches. "He waited for almost 50 minutes. We couldn't connect because of technical issues. Finally, someone got us connected. It wasn't about publicity. Somewhere, both of us felt we would connect. That's the kind of person he is."

Even today, Trehan says he doesn't know who exactly objected to Punjab '95. "If somebody asks me who had a problem with the film, I genuinely don't know. I don't have a face. I don't have a name. Everything came through third persons or lawyers."

He reveals that communication from the censor board effectively stopped earlier this year, forcing the makers to find another route. "There came a point when there was simply no communication anymore. After everything we'd gone through, there was nothing left to discuss. That's when ZEE stepped in and made this release possible."

Yet, despite the years of uncertainty, he refuses to hold grudges. "I've never been bitter. Sometimes you feel hurt emotionally because you're not getting answers. But I also remind myself that I'm talking about one film. The people running the country have much bigger responsibilities. Sometimes there must have been helplessness. I respect the people and the positions they hold."

He points out that every legal body and community organization that watched the film responded positively. "The SGPC watched the film. The Akal Takht committee watched the film. Everywhere I went, the response was overwhelming. Today the film is available across 196 countries on ZEE5 and all I'm receiving is love. So where exactly was the problem?"

Trehan also responded to Diljit Dosanjh's recent assertion that he is "not political, but an artiste". Without commenting on the actor's statement, the director says art inevitably exists alongside politics. "Art can be different from the politics of the time you're living in. Otherwise your art cannot be truthful. Everything today becomes political."

He insists Satluj was never designed to make a political argument. "We're only talking about human rights. We're not commenting on the politics of that period. We're talking about what happens when extraordinary powers are placed in the hands of a few people. That's a human issue, not a political one."

Trehan believes that is why audiences across generations are responding to the film. "Someone messaged me saying this film doesn't reopen wounds; it heals them. That stayed with me. People feel somebody has finally told their story. That's probably the greatest compliment I've received."

At the time of going to press, ‘Satluj’ had been made unavailable on ZEE5 in India.

Statement by Zee5 “The response to ‘Satluj’ since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support have meant a great deal to us and to everyone who brought this story to life. At Zee5, we stand firmly by ‘Satluj’ and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure, and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives. In light of the current developments, ‘Satluj’ will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity. Our commitment to creators and to stories told with conviction, artistic integrity and purpose remains unwavering.”

On one of Mumbai’s rainiest days, Aamir Khan and Gauri Spratt wrote a new romantic song as they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at his Pali Hill home on Sunday (July 5).

Staying true to his promise of a “gharelu shaadi”, Aamir kept the celebrations away from Bollywood’s trademark extravagance. “Around 100 to 150 guests, comprising immediate family, childhood friends, and a handful of industry colleagues, attended the ceremony, which was solemnised under the Special Marriage Act before a private lunch. The signing was done by 12 pm,” a source told mid-day.

Among those in attendance were filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, politician Raj Thackeray, cricketer Zaheer Khan, and actor Rhea Chakraborty. Khan’s children — Junaid, Ira, and Azad — and Gauri’s son, Quin, were also present.

The official photograph was released by the family on social media. In one of the videos on Instagram, Khan was seen singing and dancing with his family. “The couple had hoped for a low-key vibe. The home was tastefully decorated, lit by fairy lights, and adorned in elegant white décor,” the source added. Despite heavy showers causing traffic snarls in Bandra, the festivities went ahead as planned.

Heavy rain led to a tree collapsing near Aamir Khan’s Pali Hill residence, briefly halting Mukesh Ambani’s convoy and delaying vehicles headed to the wedding venue. The obstruction was cleared soon after, allowing guests to reach the ceremony as the celebrations continued uninterrupted

Aamir first married Reena Dutta in 1986. The couple divorced in 2002. He married Kiran Rao in 2005. They announced their separation in 2021

Celina Jaitly is currently caught in a divorce battle with estranged husband Peter Haag, and it has been a difficult time especially for her kids. The actor recently revealed that her 14-year-old twins, Winston and Viraaj, had to read out the divorce papers to her due to language issues.

Celina shared that her husband took her to the post office to collect some documents. She thought they were about her residency as they were in German, but Peter refused to translate. So, when she reached home, she had to ask her twins to read it to her. “My twins had to read that terrible divorce notice in which there were all sorts of weird allegations against me. I was being divorced for not being enough for my husband’s needs and for the irretrievable breakdown of our marriage. I thought it was a joke,” the 44-year-old told India Today.

Celina further revealed that she wanted joint custody of their kids — twin boys Winston and Viraaj (born in 2012) and son Arthur (born in 2017) — but her husband’s lawyer told her to find a job in Austria if she wanted access to the children.

Musician Ayaan Agnihotri, who is the nephew of actor Salman Khan and goes with the stage name Agni, made his Bollywood playback debut this year with C’mon Baby in the Bobby Deol-starrer Bandar. But before the release, he had to keep the project a secret from his uncle.

“I was not allowed to tell Salman Mamu that I was doing this song for Bobby uncle’s film. Nikhil (Dwivedi, co-producer), swore me to secrecy. He said, ‘When this song goes through, then I will play it to your Mamu and tell him I’ve discovered a new voice. What do you think of this guy?’,” Ayaan recalls.

Salman’s response, he says, was encouraging. “He liked it, and when he met me the next time, he told me I did a good job and should stay at it,” the 33-year-old shares.

The son of Salman’s sister Alvira Khan Agnihotri and filmmaker Atul Agnihotri, Ayaan had once planned to become an actor but life had other plans. He shares, “I went to university to do acting and world theatre. As I went on, I realized that it’s just performing in general that I enjoy. Around the same time, I started writing and found a special connection with music. I felt I could express things that I wanted to through my writing. Music helped me relate to things I was going through and get through them. That really made an impact on me.”

While music is taking up all his time currently, acting is still on his radar. “Maybe sometime in the future. It’s definitely not off the agenda because I do love acting. But right now, the focus is on the music,” he ends.

After wrapping the children’s sports film Murga Trophy, Chandan Anand and Ravi Narmulla of SceneWork Productions and Mukesh Giri of Giriraj Productions are teaming up for a situational comedy that blends social commentary with the chaos of Delhi’s traffic jams, with Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha stepping in to make the sparks fly.

Directed by Shashie Vermaa, the film is not just set in Delhi — the place itself is a character. Billed as a sharp, fast-paced comedy with a satirical edge, it promises to make audiences laugh first and wince a moment later. The film also stars Kumud Mishra and Dinesh Lal Yadav in pivotal roles.

Talking about the film, Vermaa says, “This is a story that celebrates people, relationships, the lens of society and the chaos that a small moment can bring in someone’s life. Delhi itself is almost a character in the film. Having performers like Ali, Richa and Kumud brings depth, spontaneity and heart to the world we’ve created, and I can’t wait to begin filming.”

The film is set to go on floors later this year with a theatrical release in 2027.

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After winning audiences over in the Fukrey franchise, Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha are set to reunite on screen for an untitled situational comedy directed by Shashie Vermaa. Set against the colourful chaos of Delhi and co-starring Kumud Mishra, the film will go on floors in the second half of 2026.

In a joint statement, Fazal and Chadha said, “The film has a very organic sense of humour that comes from its characters and the world they inhabit. That’s what made it stand out for us. It’s also the first time we’re sharing the screen as an on-screen pair, which made saying yes even more exciting. We’re looking forward to bringing this story to life with Shashie Vermaa, whose vision and writing give the film a distinct voice.”

Vermaa described the film as “a situational comedy carrying a strong social message”, adding that Delhi is central to the story, with Ali and Richa playing a humble middle-class couple.

When Mamta Sharma first heard that Chatni was returning to the big screen, it took the singer back to one of the happiest phases of her career. She previously performed the number, titled Kaise Bani Kaise Bani — The Chatni Song, alongside Salman Khan in Dabangg 2 (2012). Recreating it for Ajay Devgn’s Dhamaal 4 felt like reliving a cherished memory.

“Very few people get a chance to redo their own track, and that too in another iconic franchise,” said the singer enthusiastically.

The opportunity came unexpectedly. Sharma recalled that she got a call from Raj Chanana, assistant vice-president at T-Series. “Aditya Dev [composer]] had recreated it. The moment I heard the track, it brought back so many memories. I’ve been singing it on stage for so many years that it has become [another] Munni to me,” she smiled.

For Sharma, however, the song is inseparable from Khan and the Dabangg universe. Days after recording the track for Dabangg 2, she shot for it with the superstar — an experience that fulfilled her childhood dream.

“The first posters I put up in my home were of Salman sir and Madhuri [Dixit Nene] ma’am. Then suddenly, in 2010, I was working with him. I still remember how he held my hand and spun me during the song. I was so happy that even during breaks, my hand would remain in that position,” laughed the singer, who has several party numbers and a collaboration with lyricist Nikhat Khan in the pipeline. “Keep your dancing shoes ready,” she teased.

The Kapoor family is gearing up for another round of wedding festivities as Anshula Kapoor prepares to tie the knot with longtime partner Rohan Thakkar on July 6. After the Mata Ki Chowki hosted by Rohan’s family last month, the celebrations are now shifting to the Kapoor residence.

We have exclusively learnt that Anshula’s sisters, actors Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor, have planned a special mehendi ceremony for the bride-to-be at their Mumbai home tomorrow. The function will be an intimate affair attended only by immediate family and close relatives.

Over the years, the four siblings — Arjun, Anshula, and their half-sisters Janhvi and Khushi — have grown close, often sharing glimpses of their bond through family celebrations and heartfelt social media posts.

A source tells us, “Janhvi & Khushi have meticulously planned every detail of Anshula’s mehendi, from the décor to the smallest personal touches. The celebration, which will be hosted at their home on July 5, has been curated as a heartfelt surprise for Anshula. Every element has been thoughtfully chosen to reflect her personality, while the menu will feature a selection of all of Anshula’s favourite dishes, making the occasion even more meaningful.”

ALPHA has a decent start at the box office and is looking to put up a fair number on the first day which will be higher than what most of the industry had expected. The advances of the ran well in the national chains though it could have been better outside. The opening wont be at the number the budget of the film needs but that went out of the window with the failure of WAR 2.

The failure of that film hurt this film badly because if that film had done well, then this film would be looking at a double digit initial (going by the initial response today) and if WAR 2 had become a BLOCKBUSTER, which it was expected to become, then you would be looking at an even higher number for ALPHA. The film was fighting a losing battle in terms of the franchise value post WAR 2 but on the other side the film has been made at this level due to the franchise value. It started when the franchise was flying before WAR 2.

ALPHA is a female action film and there is no history of these in recent times but they did work in earlier times with actresses like Hema Malini and Rekha. The biggest example being when a PHOOL BANE ANGARAY took out an Aamir Khan starrer DIL HAI KE MANTA NAHIN in 1991. Actually it should be easier for these to find an audience today compared to the older days. But the female audience has to be on side and for that the film probably has to deal with social causes while ALPHA is more of a popcorn entertainer where it relates less to the female audience.

The film should at least get 7 crore nett up on the board but if it can to get 8 crore nett or higher it would be actually be a good result considering post WAR 2 scenario. There was negativity for this film as well when its teaser came as many in the industry even expected numbers like 3 and 4 crore nett. But this negativity is all internet noise and ground realities are always something else. There is always a difference between the noise pre release and post release as post release, it can be real but pre release you have to take with a pinch of salt.

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ALPHA is looking at a good first day as the collections look set to finish around the 9 crore nett mark. GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI opened to 9.50 crore nett and that will probably be a stretch but there is an outside chance it can also reach there. The film has seen good momentum through the day and will end the day with a good result.

It is a good result for the stardom of Alia Bhatt as again it shows that she is one of the very few heroines with some sort of pull at the box office. Its not mass pull or anything but with the big city multiplex audience, she is a box office draw as well as Overseas. Her films tended to outperform in centres like Mumbai and Pune before the pandemic and it remains to be seen if it still stands that way as these markest have changed. GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI can't really be counted as that was Maharashtra heavy and a film for these centres.

As for the film itself, there is a lot of work to do and the opening day is just a platform. The film is not as costly as a GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI but being an action film, it will be much more front loaded even though its female action. It would have been a completely different scenario had WAR 2 not been rejected so badly. If this film can pick up 9 crore nett after WAR 2, where the franchise gets hurt so badly, then the scenario could have been very good if WAR 2 had worked. But this is the risk of franchise films being made almost simultaneously as one will come before and if results go the wrong way then the other film will get hurt. This is what basically has happened to ALPHA.

The film needs to grow well on Saturday but action films do have their limitations for growth even if reports are positive and here they are mixed.

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ALPHA has done well on its first day and actually got a good opening day collection of 9 crore nett which was not expected. The film had to contend with pre release negativity in the digital world but audiences have turned up on the first day. Its a different story the film may not have the reports that an action film needs to get the growth needed to justify the costs. Despite all the negative backlash, the public out there have still given it a go and is in the race after day one.

The issues started for the film as soon as WAR 2 flopped as it hit the franchise hard and if ALPHA was a smaller film, it could have gotten away with it. But it needed to be comfortably in double digits on day one and the only way for that was the franchise factor had to be working for the film while post WAR 2, the franchise factor became more of liability instead of a plus.

The 9 crore nett number is far more than anyone in the industry expected. So, the accusations of feeding come out as its heavily prevalent in the industry and when something surprises, its easy to put it down to feeding today. The collection is organic and there is NO feeding. There maybe BookMyShow screenshots going around of housefull shows pre release. But when you see the collection of these shows, they are normal and that's all that matters and its this that tells you if its feeding or not.

Its like today makers will send these screenshots of BookMyShow sales to show good trend or sales and probably knowing fully well there will be tickets from the next day and the next day or even next included in this. Not that sales matter much as its about collection as a GADAR 2 or even WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE will have a bigger ratio of sales outside BMS. Anyway real daily sales are available with BMS. So getting them will show the real daily trend but they will not get as it does not suit the purpose.

Coming back to feeding, there is a system to this. Firstly, before it all starts, you get the paid media on side as these are the lot which are going to attempt to give the perception for which you are feeding. This is most important. When the feeding starts, the trends will be different, be it multiplex chain or some centres or if that does not tell, then on release, collections will be off at places and this is not the case here with ALPHA. Thirdly, Overseas will tell as it will not be in sync with India. If its minor feeding then this will not tell much but if done in bigger margins it will show up. For the record, ALPHA also clears this hurdle.

The industry knows exactly how it works as most of the industry indulges in it. The irony of ALPHA will be is that its this paid media which will be shouting feeding but when its actually done, they have to keep quiet. There is nothing dodgy about the collections of this film and it has actually got a good number up on day one. Simply put, no one feeds without getting the paid media on side first as it will not serve the purpose. Those who have done feeding will know that and here it does not take us to say where this media stands on this film.

The film has a long journey to survive due to the costs but the start is actually good though how it will go from here remains to be seen.

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ALPHA did well on Saturday as it grossed 11.50 crore nett showing a 25% jump on the previous day. This is decent growth for a film in the action genre especially when its opened well on Friday. The film saw good jumps in all the markets which were low on Friday, be it the central belt or Gujarat. These went up by around 40%.

The film had good numbers in South and West Bengal on day one and these have also followed through well on the second day. Despite all the negative noise around the film, ALPHA has actually done well over the first two days as it stands at 20.50 crore. Its just not India but overseas is good as well with over $1.2 million in the first two days.

The Sunday is crucial but this jump on Saturday in the Hindi mass circuits gives some hope. It these follow through on the Sunday, then there will be a good result on the third day for sure. The film was pretty much written off by the industry on release due to the noise coming from the digital world. But after two days, the film is still in the race and the next two days are crucial.

The two day collections of ALPHA are as follows.

Friday - 9,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 11,50,00,000 apprx

MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA has seen a good run at the box office without really breaking out to more areas outside NCR, Punjab, Mumbai city and Bangalore. NCR and Punjab is down to the regional flavor and other two do well with gentry films. The film is going to end up with similar business to 12TH FAIL (2023) but that film was a HIT and MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA will not be. These films are basically down to budgets as they never reach much of the audience.

Its actually pretty weird that the writers and media raves and even the industry sees them as the better films but in real world around you, not many have seen or even know about them. This is why these films can be commercial HITS (budget to box office) but never HITS for the public. For commercial hit, it comes down to the budget and the budget of MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA is three times of 12TH FAIL which is the problem. The budget of the film is more than a SATYAPREM KI KATHA and almost as much as TERI BAATON MEIN AISA ULJHA JIYA and will not do as much business as these films. No doubt even non theatrical will be less than these but that does not come into the equation for theatrical success.

MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA has done extremely well to get this 47 crore nett mark so far from a 1 crore nett start and this would have looked phenomenal before the pandemic. But post pandemic, we have seen MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA and THE KASHMIR FILES and compared to them, this trend is nothing. Basically due to the budget, the film needed to start at 2-3 crore nett and then find this appreciation from the areas where it has been liked.

Post the pandemic, there have been three of these much raved about films (12TH FAIL, LAAPATAA LADIES, MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA) and within the industry, you sort of understand now why they are talked about so much as films are watched in a different way from a regular watcher. But its 2026 and you would think the rest, be it media or social media, will be more reflective of the wider society but that's not the case.

For the record 12TH FAIL was a HIT, LAAPATAA LADIES was a FLOP and MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA may turn out to be AVERAGE.