Manoj Bajpayee on the current security threat in Bollywood: "It’s concerning"
11:02 PM
Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 10, 2026)
The attack on actor Tiger Shroff last month brought the issue of threat to the security of Bollywood stars back to light. As a result, many Bollywood celebrities upgraded their security details, including actor Amitabh Bachchan, who greeted his fans in his weekly Sunday ritual through a bullet proof glass recently. Actor Manoj Bajpayee calls that visual “concerning”.
Manoj Bajpayee, who was recently seen in Last Man In Tower, has been in the industry when the fear of the underworld governed the fraternity.
Ask him if he feels that time is returning and he says, “It will never go back to the same old time. That time, the industry was the target, right now, it’s not this time. The pace and definition of the crime has changed completely. Now, somebody is sitting somewhere else and sending their shooters to attack a target, and that target may even not be the real target.”
As per the statement of the accused in Shroff’s shooting incident, their real target was actor Salman Khan, and they even did a recce of the houses of actors Akshay Kumar, Bachchan and Aamir Khan.
“From Tiger’s incident, what has come to the fore is that he was not the target, but suddenly became one. The whole conversation was about these other stars who were the real target and now they have to surround themselves with utmost safety,” Bajpayee says.
However, the actor is hopeful of the measures being taken by the government to ensure the safety of these targeted celebrities.
“Yes, it is a matter of concern but one thing I know is that the state government is looking into it with a lot of concern. They are monitoring the situation and taking all the precautions. I just hope that things get better, comfortable and safer for all of us,” he ends.
Johnny Walker taught me stardom comes and goes; what remains is the person you are-Nasirr Khan
11:01 PM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; November 10, 2026)
Johnny Walker was among Indian cinema’s most celebrated actors, known especially for his impeccable comic timing in films such as Baazi, CID, Mr & Mrs 55, Pyaasa, Madhumati and Naya Daur. Born on November 11, 1926, he began his career as a bus conductor in Mumbai before going on to become one of Hindi cinema’s finest comedians. His brand of humour and distinctive style helped comedians move beyond playing sidekicks to heroes, allowing them to have parallel tracks of their own alongside leading actors such as Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Guru Dutt. He passed away on July 29, 2003, but his legacy continues to resonate with audiences and influence generations of performers.
As his 100th birth anniversary approaches, his son, actor Nasirr Khan, looks back at the values his father held dear, the choices he made for his family and the life lessons he passed on.
Nasirr, who is currently seen in Tumm Se Tumm Tak, recalls, “The biggest takeaway from his life is his simplicity and humility. Despite becoming a huge star, he never let go of the person he was before fame came his way. He always believed that ‘kisi ka bhi stardom zindagi bhar nahi rehta, aata hai aur chala jaata hai. What remains is the kind of person you are and how you lead your life.’ He was sober, philosophical, grounded and pious. He taught me to stay humble, work with honesty, remain focused and understand the difference between reel life and real life.”
Away from the camera, Johnny Walker was a man of few words, and his approach to comedy was equally understated. Nasirr recalls, “He had taken up almost every kind of job before becoming a star, and his comedy drew from his own life experiences. He never demeaned, insulted or ridiculed anyone through his humour, nor did he resort to vulgarity. He treated everyone with respect and made people laugh through clean, wholesome comedy. His impeccable sense of timing made him naturally funny, so he never had to be loud or over the top. His humour was simple and relatable, which is why audiences continue to connect with it even today.”
The legendary actor also remained humble about his achievements and rarely took credit for his success. Nasirr shares, “He would always acknowledge the people he worked with, including Guru Dutt, Chetan Anand, Mohammed Rafi, Dilip Kumar, BR Chopra, Bimal Roy, M S Sadiq, Gulzar saab and Hrishikesh Mukherjee, as well as music directors, lyricists, writers and co-actors. He never made his success about himself. He would always say, ‘I was because of them’.”
His decision to prioritise family over professional commitments was another defining aspect of his life. Nasirr says, “In 1966, when my father was at the peak of his career, he reduced his workload by nearly 60 per cent to devote more time to his family. He gradually stepped away from work through the 1970s and retired in the early 1980s. It was a conscious decision, and he remained committed to it. Giving up fame and a successful career to prioritise his family is not easy, but he chose to do so.”
Even decades after leaving the industry, Johnny Walker continues to find admirers among younger audiences, with his songs frequently being shared on social media.
Nasirr adds, “Even today, people share his songs, including Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Ji, Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan, Sar Jo Tera Chakraye and Kaise Diwali Manayein Hum Lala, to name a few. Even though he left the industry in 1980, today’s generation continues to remember him through his work. For a simple man from Indore who started out as a bus conductor, remaining relevant decades later is no small feat.”
Plans are also underway for an intimate gathering of people who knew and worked closely with the actor. Nasirr says, “I plan to celebrate my father’s life with an intimate gathering of those who were part of his journey. It will be a chance to revisit cherished memories and share anecdotes that keep his legacy alive.”
FWICE urges Kailash Kher and Jaspinder Narula to withdraw from concerts featuring Pakistani singers
10:57 PM
Neha Maheshwri (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 10, 2026)
Instagram posts announcing Kailash Kher and Jaspinder Narula’s performances alongside Pakistani singers have drawn criticism from the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). The association has written to the singers and government authorities, urging them to reconsider their participation. While Kher is scheduled to perform with Abida Parveen in Dubai on November 13, Jaspinder is slated to share the stage with Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan and Aamir Ghulam Ali in North America between November and December.
Ashoke Pandit, President of the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) and Chief Advisor to FWICE, stressed that national interests must take precedence over commercial engagements.
He said, “We have written to both singers expressing our concern and disappointment over their participation in events featuring Pakistani performers. We have also written to the Government of India, but have received no response. Given the repeated acts of terrorism and violence, we believe national security, the dignity of our armed forces and the sentiments of families who have lost loved ones to terrorism cannot be placed below considerations of art, entertainment or commercial engagements. Art and music may transcend borders, but these concerns cannot be overlooked. We have urged the singers to reconsider and withdraw from the concerts. These are not ordinary citizens but accomplished singers who have been honoured and respected by the country. They have a responsibility towards the nation. Several composers and singers have declined invitations to perform at such events.”
Ashok Dubey, General Secretary of FWICE, questioned the singers’ decision to accept the engagements for commercial reasons and called for government guidelines to prevent similar instances.
He added, “Paise ke liye agar kalakaar iss tarah ki cheezein karenge toh kaise chalega? Nation comes first. The government should issue guidelines to ensure that such instances are not repeated. Waise toh yeh log rashtra pratham ki baat karte hain. This has become normalised, and I would appeal to the Government of India to take action against Indian organisers who put together such events.”
He also outlined the steps FWICE could take, including approaching the government for legal intervention. Elaborating on the association’s course of action, given that singers do not fall under its jurisdiction, Dubey said, “We can call a general house meeting and decide on the steps to be taken. We have to fulfil our duty and responsibility by informing the singers and requesting them not to go ahead with these performances. If we do not receive a response from the PMO, we will write to Home Minister Amit Shah and request that some form of law be introduced to prevent such instances in the future.”
When Shararat happened, I thought what could be bigger than that but The Traitors happened-Krystle Dsouza
10:38 PM
Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 9, 2026)
For Krystle Dsouza, the last year has been like a roller coaster ride, only going upwards. The actor gained widespread recognition with the Dhurandhar song Shararat in December 2025, then in August this year, she emerged the winner of the reality show The Traitors season 2. These highlights make the festive season all the more special for her. “My life has done a full 360 turn in the past one year. Only good and bigger things have happened to me,” she says.
The actor adds, “When Shararat happened, I thought it was so big, what could be bigger than that. But then, The Traitors happened. When you feel you are hitting the rock bottom, there’s only one way to go and that’s up. That is what has happened to me in the last one year professionally.”
With the Diwali season underway, Krystle Dsouza is all excited to dress up and meet her close ones. “I love festivals and the best thing about them is just dressing up, meeting my friends and eating good food. We all meet often, but we do so in such casual setups and casual looks, but on Diwali, you just look at each other like ‘wow, you look like a pataakha’. That's the best part of festivals with everyone so dressed up, so ready and just spending that quality time with each other, eating amazing food,” she says, adding, “I look forward to lighting diyas and the house is just so bright and full of lights during this time. Everything is so lit up and I just adore the love and light that surrounds the festival.”
While she loves modern fashion, Diwali is also a time for Krystle to express her love for Indian craftsmanship. “I love Indian textiles and how the clothes are so expressive. The hand embroidery, the fabric, everything is so different for every occasion and festival. When you are ready, you just know which festival it is for. The Diwali outfits are so heavy with so much work on them, and I just love it,” she ends.
I like to adapt my dad’s festive style, he’s the OG-Ibrahim Ali Khan
10:25 PM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; November 9, 2026)
Ibrahim Ali Khan kept his Diwali celebrations simple, with good food, a little laughter and time with friends and family. The actor, who made his debut appearance at Bombay Times Fashion Week recently, spoke to us about his festive celebrations, fashion choices and love for traditional sweets. He also revealed that he takes style inspiration from his father, Saif Ali Khan.
‘I just want to eat good food this festive season’
For Ibrahim, Diwali was less about elaborate rituals and more about enjoying the occasion with his loved ones. “My Diwali plans were to eat some good khana, laugh with family and friends and just enjoy myself,” he said, adding, “I don’t burst crackers and I don’t think people should.”
‘I like to wear the kind of ensembles my father wears’
When it comes to festive fashion, Ibrahim is happy to take cues from his father, Saif Ali Khan, whose classic style he really admires. “I would go for an amazing bandhgala. My dad is the OG guy when it comes to this style and festive dressing. He looks classy in one of those, and that’s why I take after him. I like to wear the kind of ensembles he wears, because he makes them look cool. And I’m like... I guess I would also look cool in it, too.”
‘I have to slog it out hard at the gym post Diwali’
No Diwali conversation is complete without sweets, and Ibrahim is not one to hold back. “I love ladoos and kaju katlis,” he says, and then laughs about the inevitable gym sessions that follow post the festivities. “I have to slog it out hard at the gym and get these abs back. It’s not easy, bro.”
For every mean tweet, there are 300 positive ones-Vir Das
10:16 PM
Fresh off his third International Emmy nomination for Fool Volume, Vir Das talks about chasing fear, switching genres, and taking his next show, Sounds Of India, on the biggest world tour by an Indian comedian
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 9, 2026)
Another International Emmy nomination has taken Vir Das by surprise. As we sit across from him in his beautiful Bandra office, an exquisite brown stand that his wife Shivani had got made for his previous Emmy sits in the room, complete with an electric socket perched on top. Where is the Emmy, we ask. Wrapped in a sweater and tucked away in his almirah, he tells us. Now he has earned his third nomination for Fool Volume, his latest Netflix special. Unlike its predecessor, which was more emotional and controversial, Das had intended this one to be deliberately silly.
Then, six weeks before the show, he lost his voice and that’s what made it more intimate, winning a nod from juries across Japan, Korea and USA. “Never repeat yourself. So, I was like, this one’s for me. This one’s for fun. Then I lost my voice and that became what the special is about,” he says.
The nomination is particularly gratifying because Das believes the special’s appeal extends beyond its desi audience. “It’s truly a global Indian project out of India and the International Emmys’ global jury makes the recognition meaningful.”
Having already won the award, does another nomination shift the goalpost? “I don’t have a goalpost except for honesty and fear. It must be honest to who I am and it must scare the bejesus out of me. And then it’s probably worth doing. It’s the only place I operate from is honesty and fear. It’s just being intentionally authentic about where I happen to be in life. If you try and reverse engineer relevance, your longevity becomes very short.”
That instinct has also shaped his approach to fame. Das has watched audiences change over the years, from people who discovered his stand-up through his early specials to younger viewers finding him online. He is told that around 70 per cent of his current audience is under 30.
“Gen Z discovered me three years ago and it’s been mad since then,” he says. The challenge, he adds, is to welcome new audiences without allowing any one group to dictate his material.
His next major undertaking is Sounds Of India, a live show built around the sounds that accompany everyday life in the country, from the moment people wake up to when they go to bed. “Sounds Of India is a show that is tech and comedy and 500 sounds and light,” he says, “It’s like a Coldplay concert, which I’ve never done before. The idea is to create an immersive sonic experience of India, drawing on the sounds that people associate with their homes, cities and daily routines.”
Das says the show is set to become the largest world tour by an Indian comedian, and potentially by an Indian artiste. He is also touring I Say We Run, a separate, autobiographical show. Running two distinct two-hour productions means creating new material rather than relying on the success of an established format.
The approach has helped him navigate the difficult relationship between comedy and offence in India. Das acknowledges that comedians operate in an environment where people can be quick to take offence, but refuses to treat that as the defining feature of the profession. “I get around it,” he says, “For every mean tweet, there are 300 positive ones. And for every person that hates your stuff, there are 40 ticket-buyers who love your stuff.”
Das is encouraged by the comedy emerging in India, particularly the women finding their footing in the circuit. He names Sumukhi Suresh, Urooj Ashfaq, Aditi Mittal, and Prashasti Singh among the comics who he admires.
Having watched successive waves of Indian comedy rise and recede, Das knows that visibility doesn’t always translate into longevity. The country offers comics the chance to go viral within a few years of starting out, but sustaining a career requires something more.
“Of every one of those waves, 10 per cent of the people are still doing standup. And the rest of them don’t even do it anymore. They gave up on the art form only.” His advice is simple, “With India, the wave comes quick. But the wave also crashes fast. And you have to persevere through this.”
My mom had sent faral to the sets of Main Vaapas Aaunga-Sharvari
10:13 PM
Nishad Neelambaran (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 8, 2026)
Family, friends, good vibes, games and a whole lot of good homemade food -- this sums up Sharvari's perfect Diwali vibe check. The 29-year-old actor, who has lived in Mumbai all her life, says that this festive period is all about family gatherings and dressing up.
"What comes to my mind when I think of Diwali is family together, laughing, celebrating a festival, people dressed up. It's just a room full of people, and everything is in abundance, with just food, love, warmth and laughter," she says.
Recalling her celebrations during her childhood, she says nothing much has changed even now. She still finds happiness in the fact that everyone takes a break from their busy schedules to come together and that, she says, is her favourite part of the festival.
"Even back then or even today, I feel like Diwali is a time when the extended families also come together. It is a time when the city is lit up, and so are everybody's moods and energies. I love that because everyone takes off a few days from their work and spends time with their family. That will always stay my favourite part of Diwali," she adds.
Sharvari, who hails from Maharashtra, shares that there's one tradition that her family follows, and that it will never be forgotten. "For me, as a Maharashtrian, we have something called as a Faral. And I think coming together and having this breakfast is my favourite part about Diwali," she says, adding, "I remember that even when I was shooting for Main Vaapas Aunga in Punjab, my mom had actually sent ghar ka Faral there. I remember that I had put it up in the [vanity] van and everybody had eaten it together. Even if I'm away, I feel like this is the best thing because she always sends it to me. And I really love it when it's made at home.
Besides faral, Sharvari confesses that without karanje and shankarpali the festivities are incomplete. "I really love the karanje that they make because every year we make a karanje and shankarpali at home, which is a must-have."
Sharvari has always been a director's actor, and at home, too, she claims she is just a follower. Ask her who is the planner and who is the follower of celebrations at home, and she says, "My mom is the one who cooks all the food and plans everything and puts things together. And my sister, Kasturi Wagh, is the one who will always push everyone to dress up and wear good clothes. I think I come in the followers [list]."
On the work front, Sharvari is gearing up for the release of Yeh Prem Mol Liya, and she says, this has been the most progressive film of filmmaker Sooraj Barjatiya, who is known for family entertainers like Hum Aapke Hai Kaun and Hum Saath Saath Hai.
"Yeh Prem Mol Liya is Sooraj sir's most progressive film. And I believe that there's a lot to take away from the story. It has a really nice message. The best part about the film is that while there is the same softness and the same tenderness of a character, there is a way of thinking, and there is an individual approach. The character is a person of her own and has her own thoughts and opinions. That is the most beautiful contradiction that Sooraj sir has brought. Because as women, I feel all of us have both these sides, and we get put into a box which is either fierce or soft. But that's very untrue."
Ask her what is that one thing she wants to let go of and one thing she wants to invite this Diwali, and she says, "What I want to invite is a lot of love, positivity, gratitude and clarity. One thing that I want to let go of is probably any kind of doubt or negative thoughts."
Shahid Kapoor on bursting crackers: "Don’t think you can decide how anyone else should or shouldn’t celebrate"
10:11 PM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; November 8, 2026)
For Shahid Kapoor, Diwali is less about elaborate celebrations and more about the simple joys of being surrounded by loved ones. In a conversation with Bombay Times, Shahid opens up about his childhood Diwali memories, family traditions and why he believes celebrations must come with a sense of social responsibility.
‘Festivals give you an opportunity to connect with each other and remember what you stand for’
The actor says, “The best part about this year’s Diwali is that we have so many plans that we haven’t picked one yet. But eventually, Diwali is about tradition, family and building memories together. It will be with our closest people. There are small traditions in the family that we follow, which will always be with our parents and the larger family. For me, festivals are always about paying homage to the kind of value systems that have been passed down through your family. These are opportunities to connect with each other and remember what you stand for.”
‘We like to head out somewhere and take a break after Diwali’
As a family, Mira, Misha and Zain continue to follow the traditions Shahid grew up with. “I don’t think I’m that guy who is setting traditions. There are still people older than me. My parents are around and very active. I think I’m still at that stage where I’m following the traditions that my parents have had. So, it’s just more of the same. The idea is to spend time with the people who matter. We also like to head out somewhere and take a break after Diwali because the children have holidays and we can do stuff together.”
And while fitness remains an important part of his life, the actor admits that he doesn’t shy away from indulging during the festive season. “I sweat it out throughout the year, so it is fine to indulge in sweets during this time. It’s good to train hard, but what do you train for if you can’t enjoy yourself once in a while? What is all that hard work about? I do have a sweet tooth, so when I get a chance, I go for it.”
‘Celebrations must be mindful of the environment’
With concerns around air pollution and government advisories urging people to exercise caution while bursting firecrackers, Shahid believes that celebrations must also be mindful of the environment. “There is a social responsibility that we have and I think we all need to exercise it. It’s a very personal thing. I don’t think you can decide how anyone else should or shouldn’t celebrate a festival. But whenever there is a government advisory, it’s usually keeping in mind the climatic conditions and the amount of pollution that we have to deal with. So, of course, you keep these things to a minimum and find healthier ways to celebrate. We all need to celebrate the festival responsibly.”
‘These are moments to pause, enjoy life and soak it all in’
Shahid believes that festivals are about the feelings and memories they leave you with. “These are moments to pause, enjoy life, let it soak in and focus on those simple things that will probably stay with you till the end of your life. When your life flashes before your eyes, I think a lot of it will eventually be the moments you spend with the people who matter, and the high points in your life where you felt most fulfilled and loved. Festivals are about that,” he signs off.
We didn’t want the actors to imitate an exaggerated Parsi accent-Shahrukh Irani
10:09 PM
They met in college, came into acting by accident in the 1980s, then took very different paths. Now Shahrukh and Pervien Irani are reunited on screen in a film steeped in Parsi life, a world they know best
Nisrin Saria (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 8, 2026)
For Shahrukh and Pervien Irani, a film set feels a lot like home. The couple, who stumbled into acting in the early 1980s, share the screen again in Zindagi Phir Bhi Khoobsurat Hai, a Hindi slice-of-life romantic comedy written, directed and produced by Kapil Kaustubh Sharma, who also plays the lead. The title is borrowed from a song in Khatta Meetha, the 1978 film about a Parsi family, and the new film follows a Parsi household too.
The story spans three decades, from the 1990s to 2025, and centres on the Daruwalas, a middle-class family in Grant Road. Shahrukh, 61, plays the patriarch Rustom Daruwala, all bushy eyebrows and generous moustache, with Sushmita Mukherjee as his wife, Mehru. Their sons, Jehangir and Percy, are played by Sharma and Vicky Adnani.
Pervien, 60, plays Firoza, from a far wealthier Parsi family. Her father has made her inheritance conditional on her daughter, Sheenaz (Tara Sharma), marrying a Parsi man, so Firoza sets her sights on Jehangir. He, inevitably, falls for Maria, a Christian girl played by Tanishaa Mukerji. It is a plot many Parsi families will recognise: in a shrinking community, who marries whom is rarely a private matter.
Parsipanu, not pantomime
Shahrukh, grew up in Grant Road, and Pervien’s childhood played out in Colaba’s Cusrow Baug, but the setting hit pretty close to home for both. The production scouted real Parsi homes for months, and shot in his friend’s home in Khetwadi, in Dadar Parsi Colony and in Shahrukh’s own family home in Grant Road, now occupied by his elder sister, Simeen.
Sharma brought the couple in to help with the film’s Parsipanu, its Parsi-ness, especially the way the characters speak. Shahrukh sprinkled Gujarati through the Hindi dialogue, swapping “What are you doing?” for “Su kare chho?” He also introduced greetings such as “Sebji”, derived from “Sahib ji”, and phrases like “rava devi”, meaning “let it go”, before slipping back into Hindi.
Just as important was knowing what to leave out. “We didn’t want to turn the characters into caricatures. We didn’t want the actors to imitate an exaggerated Parsi accent,” he says. That meant no dagli, the white crossover coat, and no topi in every scene just to signal who’s who. Bollywood has long reduced the community to comic uncles and eccentric aunties. The aim here was people who happen to be Parsi, as different from one another as any family gathered around a Sunday dhansak.
Sitting on the college steps
The couple’s own story began on a flight of steps in Churchgate. Pervien was at KC College and Shahrukh at HR College, and the two would sit on the steps between the campuses. To earn pocket money, they signed up for advertisement shoots. “Like most college students, we were always broke,” Pervien says.
Production teams would round up about 100 young people for background shots, paying Rs 50 and breakfast. Pervien did a few; Shahrukh did many more, graduating to solo campaigns for Kawasaki Bajaj and Thums Up before Lintas spotted him for Raymond’s Park Avenue.
It was another shoot, for Johnson Tiles, that changed Pervien’s life. Director Janak Toprani noticed her and invited her to audition for a play. She had never acted, not even at school, but said yes, and landed a small part in Not Now, Darling, a 1967 farce written by English playwrights John Chapman and Ray Cooney.
Her boyfriend dropped her at rehearsals at Girton High School in Tardeo and waited around to take her home. Soon the theatre crowd had plans for him too.
Toprani needed someone imposing and muscular for a role modelled on Stanley Kowalski, Marlon Brando’s brute in A Streetcar Named Desire, and someone suggested Shahrukh. Between 1983 and 1986, he attended workshops and worked on his voice. In 1986, actor Naseeruddin Shah invited him to audition for The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. He got the part, and theatre became a serious pursuit.
Three boats, a cab, a train and a rickshaw ride
Pervien, meanwhile, was rising fast in the world of English theatre here. She played the maid Toinette in Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid alongside Naseeruddin Shah, and worked with Pearl and Raell Padamsee, Vikram Kapadia and Dinyar Contractor. Then Sooraj Barjatya saw one of her plays and cast her — then Pervien Dastur — as Seema in Maine Pyar Kiya.
The 1989 hit brought recognition and a flood of offers, few of them appealing. She was about to sign Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke when Air India called. Flying had been a childhood dream, along with hairstyling. In 1991, she chose the skies.
Shahrukh was crestfallen. “I really didn’t want her to give up acting at that point,” he says. But Pervien wanted a secure profession she had always pictured for herself. With the airline’s permission, she still took the odd television or film role, but the Maharaja came first.
Shahrukh stuck with the stage, with modelling paying the bills. He remembers once travelling from Alibaug to Prithvi Theatre in Juhu — jumping across three boats, and taking a cab, a train and a rickshaw during the commute — to make it for a performance, for which he was paid Rs 35. He took on production, light design and backstage work to keep going. “Once I got into acting, I realized it was what I wanted to do. I never looked back. I didn’t want to do anything else,” he says.
Life at the baug
Marriage in 1992, two daughters and the rhythms of Parsi family life took over. The Iranis made their home in Cusrow Baug, the Colaba colony where Pervien grew up, a world of shared courtyards, Saturday-night music and neighbours who know your business. As Shahrukh once said, whatever you do there will probably be discussed at the gate.
Shahrukh kept a foot in the business through occasional theatre, advertisements and voice-overs. Pervien flew, and for nearly a decade alongside flying, worked as a hairstylist and make-up artist. Only once their daughters had grown up and moved to Dublin for their master’s degrees did the couple return to screen work in earnest.
That return came through Sharma’s murder-mystery series Margao Files – The Unsolved Case, centred on a Catholic family. Pervien took his call while out on a walk and briefly mistook him for comedian Kapil Sharma, before realizing it was a different Kapil. She signed on, and their 25-year-old daughter, Genevieve, was also cast as Rachel, the niece of Rose Briganza (Kitu Gidwani), after the director spotted her on Pervien’s Instagram.
The shoot was at a palace in Chhota Udaipur, near Vadodara. Pervien asked if Shahrukh could come along as chaperone, and the makers agreed. Three or four days before they left, Sharma called again: the actor playing the love interest of Zeenat Aman’s character had dropped out. Would Shahrukh step in? He did, and the chaperone became Thomas. Now, four decades after those college steps, the Iranis are working side by side again. They don’t interfere with each other’s performances, they say, but offer feedback when asked. On a film about a Parsi family navigating love, money and the question of who marries whom, they bring something no script can: a lifetime of living it.
With marriage, the family has grown and so have our celebrations-Kritika Kamra
10:05 PM
Kritika Kamra on celebrating her first Diwali after marriage and creating new traditions with Gaurav Kapur
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; November 7, 2026)
This Diwali is special for more than one reason for Kritika Kamra. Celebrating the festival for the first time after her wedding to Gaurav Kapur, the actress looks forward to bringing both families together and creating new memories as a couple. Having spent much of her life away from her parents, the annual Diwali gathering has become a cherished tradition.
“Food is always the focus of all celebrations in our house. I don’t play cards. For me, Diwali is about eating, dancing and socialising. It’s the best time of the year.”
She continues, “I look forward to reconnecting with family during this time. I left home quite early, went to boarding school, then to college in Delhi and eventually, I moved to Mumbai for work. I have been away from my parents for many years. They visit me during Diwali, so getting together has become an annual ritual. My parents, my brother and now our respective spouses, we all meet up and celebrate the festival.”
‘DRESSING UP AND COOKING HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG PART OF OUR CELEBRATIONS’
Looking back, the actress says she grew up in a nuclear family, so festive celebrations were always intimate. Kritika recalls, “I was raised in a small town in Madhya Pradesh, where neighbours were like family. It was a close-knit community that loved celebrating festivals together, so there was always a lovely sense of togetherness. Friends would drop in, and I loved decorating the house with my mother. The entire week felt festive.”
She adds, “My mother is very creative, so even today, I discuss my outfits with her, including which saree to wear. She would design our clothes when we were children. We are a Punjabi family, so dressing up and cooking have always been a big part of our celebrations.”
‘IT WAS LOVELY DECORATING OUR NEW HOUSE TOGETHER’
This Diwali is extra special for Kritika as it’s her first after marriage. She shares, “It was lovely decorating our new house and preparing for the festivities together as a couple. With marriage, your family expands. So, we are spending time together as one big family and video-calling all those who couldn’t be here. As the family has grown, our celebrations have grown too. I don’t buy gold myself, but both my mother and mother-in-law love gifting me gold jewellery.”
‘OUR CELEBRATIONS ARE MORE INTIMATE THAN ELABORATE’
Always the one to keep it minimalistic, Kritika says, “We don’t have too many elaborate plans, especially since Gaurav is working. The India-New Zealand series is on. On the day he isn’t working, we plan to spend some quality time at home. My husband loves to laze around in the house. We are a very relaxed couple and like creating our own rituals. We do things our way, with a lot of love and intention. We aren’t particularly traditional, so we don’t stress about getting every aspect of the house or celebrations perfect. We believe festivals are about bringing people together. If something isn’t perfect, that’s absolutely fine. We focus on the bigger picture and cherish the time we get to spend together. Our celebrations are more intimate than elaborate.”
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