Many remember Ayushmann Khurrana’s first brush with fame when he won the second season of Roadies in 2005. But few remember that in 2006, he had also participated in Indian Idol 2. Life came full circle for the actor, who recently taped an episode of Indian Idol 16, on which he served as a celebrity guest along with his Pati Patni Aur Woh Do co-stars Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh, and Wamiqa Gabbi. 

During the shoot, contestant Manraj Veer reminded Khurrana that his journey began on this very stage. That led the actor down memory lane as he recalled travelling from Chandigarh for the show. “I was ousted in the second round itself. But what I found beautiful was that I was surrounded by many singers, lyricists, and musicians. In those days, we didn’t have apps to do riyaaz on; people did their riyaaz in various ways. They would inspire me,” he recalled.

Khurrana also told Helen, who was present on the show, that his mother was from Myanmar, like her. “Her biggest pride is that Helenji is also from there. She had taught us a rhyme as children, and I thought I would recite it to Helen ji when I met her,” said the actor on stage.

Three years is a lot of time for things to change. And they have in the OTT world, according to Randeep Hooda, who is returning to the digital space with the second season of Inspector Avinash. The JioHotstar show’s first season premièred in 2023. In the years in between, the medium went from being a potent platform for “experimental content” to now fighting for subscribers, observed the actor.

“There was a ray of hope for experimental content. But let’s keep in mind that OTT is not here for charity. Just like filmmakers want to sell tickets, they want to sell subscriptions. The medium created a lot of stars, but now even they are not enough. Streamers are getting actors, who work in films, to [transition] to OTT, so that they can attract more subscriptions,” said Hooda, candid as always.

In the early digital boom, many artistes felt that the new entertainment avenue would back unconventional stories. A hope that Hooda too harboured. But today, web offerings have begun to feel more formulaic, he noted.

“These days, I can predict what’s going to happen in a show, in the fourth episode itself. When formula and data start governing your creative choices, creativity gets stifled. I feel all streamers now want Gaiety-Galaxy front row kind of films. They aren’t wrong; they are doing so to expand their business. If you want to experiment more, maybe move to YouTube.” 

What happens to storytelling then? “Nobody gives a damn about storytelling,” he retorted. That, as per the actor, is secondary in today’s business. “The first business is to make a story that will make you money and cast it that way.”

If you’ve seen Bandar’s teaser, it’s almost impossible to miss the track, Come On Baby, playing throughout as viewers are taken into the dark world of Anurag Kashyap’s next featuring Bobby Deol. What many don’t know is that the number has been sung by musician and Salman Khan’s nephew Ayaan Agnihotri. Going behind the mic is not new for Agnihotri, aka Agni, who has belted out several English tracks. Playback singing for a Hindi film, however, is.

It turns out that producer Nikhil Dwivedi, a family friend of the Khans, convinced Agnihotri to lend his voice to the song after hearing him sing at a private function.

A source told mid-day, “Ayaan usually does not sing in Hindi. He was persuaded to give this a shot by Nikhil, who felt that Ayaan had a unique voice. Nikhil assured him that if he didn’t enjoy singing the track, they wouldn’t use it. After hearing himself, Ayaan too was convinced. In fact, Bobby also encouraged him after he heard the scratch version.”

Interestingly, Come On Baby is recreated from the album of Videsh, a 1977 film featuring Mahendra Sandhu, Shoma Anand, and Prem Krishen. It stayed with Dwivedi over the years.

The source elaborated, “While producing Bandar, Nikhil was keen to use it on Bobby’s character, an ageing television actor whose career is on the decline. While the lyrics have been retained, the number has been recreated by Aditya Dev and Payal Dev.”

Imaginative storytelling, powerful script, and passionate collaborators — these are among the many criteria Nawazuddin Siddiqui has, when choosing a film. Entering the haunting universe of Tumbbad was a no-brainer since the Sohum Shah-led sequel ticked almost all his boxes.

“There are very few films that create their own language and atmosphere. Tumbbad [2018] did that. It wasn’t a run-of-the-mill horror film; it had folklore, greed, mythology, and human darkness all coming together. When Sohum narrated the sequel’s world to me, I got excited as an actor. Here, the storytelling has the same punch,” stated Siddiqui.

Collaborating with actor and producer Shah was an incentive to feature in Tumbbad 2, directed by Adesh Prasad. The two, after all, go back a long way; even before Shah became known for fronting Ship of Theseus (2012).

Siddiqui reflected, “A lot of people don’t know this, but I taught Sohum acting during his early days. He had done a film called Baabarr in 2009. We have known each other since then. Our equation goes beyond Bollywood. Back then, he was curious and hungry to learn. Even today, that curiosity is there.”

With the unit currently filming the folk horror film in Madh Island, Mumbai, Siddiqui is proud to see Shah’s commitment as a producer. Praising his knack for unusual storytelling, the actor said, “He takes risks. Today, few people back stories that are so rooted.”

Rumours have been rife that Alia Bhatt has a special appearance in ‘Tumbbad 2’ (Aila! Is that Alia? May 1). When asked about it, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was evasive, only teasing, “The beauty of this film is in the surprises. Good actors bring their own excitement on the set and to the film.”

When making a biopic on Tamasha artiste Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar, it’s only fitting that you wrap the film with a song. That’s exactly what actor Shraddha Kapoor and director Laxman Utekar did. On May 5, Eetha — the biopic that plays out between 1940 and 1990 — reached its finish line with a massive montage song, featuring Kapoor and a crowd of 800 people, shot in Bhor, Maharashtra.

“The final song has a montage that chronicles the journey of Shraddha’s character from a young woman to her brush with fame and finally how she falls on hard times. Like the remaining numbers, this too has been choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant,” said a source.

With that, it was the end of the 60-day schedule that began in March. Over the subsequent weeks, they shot in Madh Island in Mumbai, Solapur, Aundhewadi, Satara, and Nashik.

From the outside, landing a plum role in Sam Mendes’s four-film event, The Beatles, seems remarkable. On the inside, it comes with immense hard work. Ask Farhan Akhtar. The actor, who will portray late sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar, has begun his physical prep for his Hollywood feature debut. But that’s not it — his prep naturally involves learning to play the sitar.

mid-day has exclusively learnt that Akhtar is being trained by acclaimed sitarist and composer Purbayan Chatterjee’s Purbayan Arts and Artists Music Foundation (PAAMF).

Chatterjee remembered his first interaction with Akhtar; it happened without any indication of the film franchise that was driving it.

“My friend Anurag Rao, who is also associated with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, called me out of the blue and said, ‘Farhan wants to learn [the sitar] from you.’ I asked why he wanted to learn it. At that point, Farhan was bound by an NDA, so [my friend] couldn’t get all the details. [Later] Farhan said, ‘There’s this role that I’m doing.’ So, we met and I gave him some tips,” recalled Chatterjee.

That was just the start. Chatterjee realised that with Akhtar’s busy schedule, it was better if someone guided him whenever he sat down to play. “My student Ruthvik Rao goes regularly to monitor his [progress].” 

Of course, Chatterjee is only a call away. “Sometimes Farhan bhai calls or texts, saying, ‘Can you send me the tuning configuration for the strings? I have forgotten it.’ I respect him, he is artistically inclined.”

For Parineeti Chopra, her first Mother’s Day recently wasn’t anything extravagant. It was simple, routine-filled and wonderfully ordinary. The Amar Singh Chamkila actress and her husband, politician Raghav Chadha welcomed their baby boy, Neer, last October. In a conversation with us, Parineeti speaks about embracing motherhood, how her priorities have shifted and returning to work.

She says, “I spent the most simple, real and wholesome Mother’s Day because I was so involved with my baby throughout the day. I’m in the throes of new motherhood, which takes up all your mindspace, emotions, sleep, everything. I got a lot of love from my husband and family. But for the most part, I spent it the way I spend everyday... just taking care of things, which I think really defines mothers. Sometimes moms don’t have time for big celebrations, they don’t even have time to celebrate their own birthday.”

As the conversation moves on to how motherhood alters one’s perspective, the actress reflects on the emotional and physical changes she has experienced. “I don’t know how to put it in words. I think the focus of your life and existence changes. A father’s connection with the baby starts nine months after the mother’s. But when that happens, both their focus becomes this little human and you just want to be the best version of yourself for your child,” she shares.

As she gradually returns to work, Parineeti speaks about the importance of holding on to one’s individuality while embracing parenthood. She explains, “Raghav and I come from such strong backgrounds and careers that even as parents, we are operating from that space. We have been mindful and are taking care of the fact that we need to keep our identities intact. Pursuing our individual careers is a different matter, but what is key is holding on to our identities, which brings us happiness. This, I believe, will also help me be a happy mom to a happy baby.”

Talking about getting back to work, Parineeti, who became Johnson Baby's ambassador, says, “I will be with my baby 24/7 and leave everything if that’s what’s needed. Even as I go back to work, I’m certain that emotionally and mentally, my part in the family – as a wife and mother – must remain intact. As far as what I’m doing next is concerned, I haven’t really decided anything yet. I’m slowly getting back,” she says, adding, “When it comes to work, it’s a simple equation – if it’s worth leaving my baby even for 60 seconds in a day, I will do that. Otherwise, I will not touch it. This is not arrogance. This is simply about prioritising. I am happy to take a break from work if I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Talking about associating with the brand she adds, "It's important to be associated with brands that I get excited about. When they came to me, I had a fan moment. Johnson's Baby wants me. Being the face of Johnson's Baby becomes like you become part of a 100-year-old legacy. More than anything, I think my parents and grandparents, they're going to be excited."

Parineeti also elaborates on how motherhood has helped her find a different kind of strength within herself. “I think every mother becomes a tigress. You find strength in yourself that you didn’t see before. Things that bothered and hurt you earlier, now seem so trivial and inconsequential. Your entire energy is diverted towards your child and you realise what gargantuan strength you have within you which was untapped so far. It is the most magical experience,” she explains.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday allowed streaming platform Zee5 to release its documentary Lawrence Of Punjab, subject to a change in title and removal of certain portions. The Court observed that the documentary, when viewed as a whole, does not glorify gangsters or criminal activities in any manner. Justice Jagmohan Bansal, in a judgment uploaded on the court’s website on May 11, said that after watching the documentary, he found its overall message to be against gangster culture.

The Court observed that “It cannot be concluded that release of the impugned documentary is going to create problem of public order or public safety. The fact that it is documentary and not a movie where artists are playing role cannot be ignored. Number of web series displaying violence/crime are available in public domain. More than a dozen Hindi movies which are purely based upon lifestyle of gangsters are available in the market. Thus, by no stretch of imagination, it can be concluded that impugned documentary would incite youngsters to involve in criminal activities.”

The Court further stated, “It does not find that release of documentary would create problem of public order. It is not going to instigate, inspire, promote or entice anyone.”

The HC held that the message of a filmmaker cannot be judged by isolated portions of a film and that a documentary must be viewed in its entirety from the perspective of an average and reasonable viewer. The Court said that the people interviewed in the documentary were not glorifying gangsters or crime in any way, “It is not prepared in the form of film whereas it is a mere documentary where material available in public domain has been compiled and few persons such as two retired policemen, 2-3 reporters and one advocate are expressing their opinion. None of them is glorifying crime or criminals.”

The makers did not respond to the verdict till the time of going to press.

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​- The High Court directed that the title of the documentary, as well as the trailer and poster, be changed before release

​- The expressions ‘Lawrence’, ‘Bishnoi’ or ‘Punjab’ shall not be used

​- The streaming platform has also been directed to remove content relating to two interviews of Lawrence Bishnoi

​- The Punjab DGP to identify and ensure removal of content that glorifies crime or criminals

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The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had earlier issued an advisory against the release of Lawrence of Punjab after Punjab Police expressed apprehensions that the documentary, reportedly based on the rise of alleged gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, could be prejudicial to public order. Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring had also approached the High Court challenging the proposed release of the documentary. The release was subsequently stalled after the Ministry advised Zee5 not to proceed with streaming it, following which the streaming platform moved the High Court seeking quashing of the advisory, contending that the documentary did not intend to glorify criminal activities.

Forty-three years is a long time to stay in the game. Long enough to not just watch empires rise and fall, but also for a young man from a Mumbai chawl to become one of Hindi cinema’s most handsome and enduring actors. Today, Jackie Shroff, who began his journey as a leading man with Hero (1983), is strapping on the costume of a superhero with Manish Saini’s The Great Grand Superhero – Aliens Ka Aagman.

Over the years, he has become synonymous with the ‘cool guy’ persona and remains no different today. Ask him about box office anxiety; he laughs it off. Ask him about the National Awards; he shrugs warmly. From the brooding, smouldering Hero of 1983 to becoming India’s first superhero grandpa in 2026, he carries the ease and satisfaction of a man who has made peace with every chapter of his story.

Before taking on the role, Jackie says he spoke to his son, Tiger Shroff, who played a superhero in A Flying Jatt (2016). He shares, “He told me, ‘It’s very tough, dad. The costume keeps you so hot, your skin can’t breathe. It’s an ordeal. Jitna easy dikhta hai, utna easy hota nahi hai’.”

Playing a superhero at 69 is not simply a matter of saying yes; it comes with physical challenges. “Mere haath-pair tootele hain, muscles phatele hain while doing the action. People don’t see what goes into it. Recovery mein bhi time lagta hai, bhidu. Shooting action koi khaane ka game nahi hai. Dum nikal jaata hai,” explains the actor.

While he credits Tiger’s discipline for his own physical resurgence, Jackie insists that in his mind, he is still young. He says, “My mind is still stuck at 19. My genetics don’t let me grow old. The power and energy are still there. In fact, I feel stronger now than I did in my teens.”

Tiger, Jackie proudly says, has also shaped his outlook towards fitness. “Tiger has always been my inspiration. I had never worked out, but looking at him makes me want to push my limits. I’m grateful to my son for making me see the real light. Woh hamesha bolta hai ki jitna strong main rahunga, utna strong hamaara parivaar rahega.”

What has remained unchanged through the decades, however, is Jackie’s approach to relationships within the film industry. In an environment often driven by networking and strategy, he says he still values personal bonds over professional calculations. “Relationships matter more than strategy. If a cameraman offers me a role that requires four days of shooting, I’ll do it without thinking, if it helps him,” he says.

Speaking about his equation with actors like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, Jackie adds, “I’ve known Salman, who is five years younger, since my modelling days, when I was the cool dude in the area. When he says, ‘Meri picture kar’, how can I say no? How can I say no to Shah Rukh? If he says, ‘I want you to do a film and just look good,’ I say, that’s easy,” he laughs and adds, “You have to reciprocate and stay open to people, friends and colleagues.”

Jackie traces that outlook to his upbringing in Mumbai’s chawls. “I am a chaali boy. Living in chawls means community. Ek doosre ke ghar mein jhaakte hain, khaana milta hai. Kahin se baraf aati hai, kahin se biryani. You help each other. There were 21 chawls where I lived. Six of us, including my parents, stayed in a 10x10 house. That life makes you see everyone as equal,” he says.

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor has acquired a land parcel in Ayodhya for Rs 3.31 crore, amid rising investor interest in the temple town’s real estate market.

The transaction involves a 2,134 sq ft land parcel in the 75-acre plotted development project located on the banks of the Sarayu river in Ayodhya.

Kapoor’s investment comes as Ayodhya witnesses increased real estate activity following large-scale infrastructure development and a surge in tourism after the Ram temple inauguration. The project includes a 5-acre vegetarian luxury hotel to be operated by The Leela.

He has bought the land parcel directly from the project’s developer The House of Abhinandan Lodha.

“I believe Ayodhya has chosen me, and I have just answered this calling. Ayodhya is deep rooted in our history and is a critical part of our cultural fabric. This land at The Sarayu became my gateway to ensuring this becomes a part of my legacy for my family,” Kapoor said.

Abhinandan Lodha, chairman of the House of Abhinandan Lodha, said Ayodhya is witnessing long-term growth driven by infrastructure, tourism and increasing investor attention.

According to the company, Ayodhya has received public and allied investments of more than Rs 85,000 crore over the last few years across roads, railways, airport connectivity and urban infrastructure.

The city attracted around 16 crore visitors in 2024 and is projected to receive up to 28 crore annual visitors by 2030.

Founded in 2020, the House of Abhinandan Lodha said it has sold over 13 million sq ft of developed land and currently has around 25 million sq ft under active development across five states.