It’s barely been five months since he became a dad, and now, actor RajKummar Rao is already on his way to becoming ‘Dada’ — on screen, that is, by portraying former cricketer Sourav Ganguly in his biopic. The 41-year-old’s life, both personally and professionally, seems to be in a happy space. Adding to this phase is his debut as a producer with the recently released Toaster. He spoke candidly on The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra. Excerpts:

It’s beautiful. Whenever somebody talks to me about Parvati, there’s a big smile on my face. A co-actor once asked me her name, and after I replied, he was like, “Have you noticed how our faces change when we talk about our kids?” So, I’d say everything has changed. Now, my motivation to do anything is how she’d feel about it, what kind of films she’d like to see. I just want to spend all my time with her. I took a five-month break after she was born, before going back to shoot for Dada. It was tough. I want to see her grow into this beautiful girl one day.

Yes. And softer in life. I’ve decided I’m going to cut down on work and try doing only two films a year. I am also being very careful about the kind of films I choose. I just want to push myself and make Parvati, along with my mother (Kamlesh Yadav) and my wife (actor-producer) Patralekhaa, proud.

Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut has finally reacted to speculation about her equation with Miley Na Miley Hum (2011) co-star and fellow politician Chirag Paswan, 43. In a recent interview, the 40-year-old clarified there’s no romance between the two.

“Chirag is a friend. Let me be honest, there’s no romance happening. He did his film with me 10 years ago. Agar romance hota toh aaj humare bachche hotey,” she said.

She added, “It’s just that friendly vibe which you get from somebody who’s just kind of your type as in, he’s also in a way from the film industry. So I feel very good around him.”

Back in 2024, the two had created social media buzz after they were spotted having a light-hearted moment in Delhi when they arrived to enter the Parliament.

She further added, “If I wanted to have romance, then it would have happened. It’s not happening.”

Kangana is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party while Chirag is the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries since June 2024, and Member of Parliament from Hajipur, Bihar.

Kangana Ranaut, who has shared a contentious equation with filmmaker Karan Johar over the years, has now offered a more measured perspective on their dynamic. “I don’t think Karan is a bad person. I think he’s proudly superficial, flaky and flashy. And he’s very proud of that. I also think he has an amazing sense of humour. So I don’t think I have a problem with Karan as such,” she said.

Kangana, who has worked with Karan only once in Ungli (2014), had famously called him the “flagbearer of nepotism” and “movie mafia” on his chat show Koffee With Karan in 2017. This remark had sparked widespread debate in the industry.

Kangana also spoke about how her ex (actor-singer Adhyayan Suman) filed a case against her in 2017, after which she was allegedly labelled a “witch”.

“Kuch log bolne lage ki yeh toh chudail hai, khoon peeti hai, kaale kamre mein kaale parde lagake kaala jaadu karti hai. So there was a witch-hunt and I was hardly 26 or 27. So when this is how they’re going to treat me, why should I make them look good,” she said.

The actor also credited Queen (2014) as a turning point. “It was a film where I knew how it happened. It was not a stroke of luck. I was very confident of myself at that point,” she said, adding that she eventually learned to block out criticism. “I do not care [what others say]. And that was a very decisive decision that I took. I’m not going to believe any of the s**t that they are telling me,” she added. 

Actors Kritika Kamra and Gaurav Kapur tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at their Mumbai home on March 11, choosing to skip the big-budget destination wedding route. For Kamra, the focus was always on the marriage, not the spectacle.

“Wedding was not the big deal, the marriage was. That was the big part and when we arrived at that, then how we do it was not really a big thing. We were very sure from the beginning that we don’t want a 3-4 day destination wedding. We did not want to be on a calendar. We did not want to do like rituals morning and evening,” she says.

Breaking the common notion of couples being too busy to enjoy their own wedding, Kamra insists they were fully present. “I had a blast because we were not hosting, we were not running. There was no one telling us to rush because the sun is going down, or this entry has to happen… None of us were performing for anyone. Everything was just happening with the flow.”

Reflecting on married life, she says the transition has been seamless. “We had our lives and our respective homes and our ecosystems, so we just sort of like merged that… For two days it felt like, ‘Oh, I don’t go back to my place anymore.’ I was already comfortable. We were doing life individually. Now I get to do life with my best friend!”

Three’s already a crowd with Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur, and Pooja Hegde featuring in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. What if we told you that another stunner has joined the mix? mid-day has exclusively learnt that Dhawan’s Bhediya (2022) co-star Kriti Sanon has a cameo in the upcoming comedy, featuring in a post-credit song. Apparently, the duo filmed the high-energy number — being described as the film’s “big celebratory finale” by insiders — at the Santacruz restaurant, Eve, on April 16.

According to a source close to the production, the team had been planning a glamorous end-credit track, but Sanon’s involvement was a late addition.

“It was meant to be a fun, youthful track that captures the film’s spirit. Getting Kriti on board was an inspired choice, given her crackling chemistry with Varun in Dilwale [2015] and Bhediya [2022],” said a source.

The song is your classic party number with a packed dance floor, neon-lit visuals, and fast beats. The source added, “Director David Dhawan wanted it to feel like a celebration, not just for the characters, but also for the audience walking out of the theatre.”

Adding Aamir Khan’s production, the tentatively titled Batwara 1947, to his filmography has been a moment of pride for Ali Fazal. But being part of an intense Partition drama takes a toll. The actor admitted that it wasn’t easy to leave the story behind after wrapping the film.

“It’s not something you can switch off from easily at the end of the day. The role stayed [with me] as it’s heavy, internal, and required sustained emotional investment,” he said.

Fortunately, he found a light-hearted offering in Lust Stories 3, giving him just the right contrast after the intense movie. To Fazal, director Shakun Batra’s segment with Radhikka Madan offered a different creative rhythm, allowing him to explore more personal shades.

Speaking about the contrast, the actor added, “You should constantly put yourself in uncomfortable spaces, and this year was [just that]. What excites me is this constant shift in energy. I’m enjoying that directors are making us see ourselves in a different light.”

Priyadarshan is nearing a career milestone few filmmakers do — his 100th film. Now that Bhooth Bangla has released and Haiwaan is in post-production, it’s time for the director to focus on the project that will team him up with his long-time friend and frequent collaborator Mohanlal. What will the duo give us this time around? A musical drama revolving around a father and his son, Priyadarshan revealed to mid-day.

“I will start my film with Mohanlal sir in November. It’s a complicated film because it’s a musical and will take me a lot of time to put together,” the director said.

A clash of egos and conflicting ideologies on music between the father and son, both renowned Carnatic singers, will form the backbone of the Malayalam movie.

Revealing that Mohanlal will portray the son, Priyadarshan added, “It’s a commercial entertainer with action, 12 songs, and a family drama at its heart. Both are Carnatic singers, and I would want the father to be a newcomer, an elderly person with a background in Carnatic and Hindustani music, and Kathakali. Usually Kathakali performers are actors and singers. It’s a challenge to cast the father. If S P Balasubrahmanyam was alive, I would have requested him to play the father’s role. Mohanlal sir sings very well. He has sung for movies before, but I won’t make him sing in this film as it involves classical singing on a high [octave].”

Matka King’s trailer teased a story fronted by Vijay Varma, Sai Tamhankar, Kritika Kamra, and Gulshan Grover. But as director Nagraj Manjule’s maiden web series drops on Prime Video today, we’ll see another actor in the cast. Towards the end of the series, Viineet Kumar Siingh is seeded as a character, who goes on to become important in the already planned second season.

Insiders revealed that Manjule deliberately kept Siingh away from the promotions to maintain intrigue. “His character comes towards the end, but it’s meant to shift the narrative. The actor shot his portions mid-2025. His character leaves things at a point where you know he will matter a lot, going forward,” said an insider.

Set in Mumbai of the 1960s, Matka King revolves around a small-time cotton trader who starts a gambling racket.

In Maamla Legal Hai 2, Dibyendu Bhattacharya did what he has always done — he showed us that an actor can shine irrespective of whether they are leading the offering or not. Having built a career on supporting parts, the actor has consistently been appreciated for his work. But the appreciation has come with a term that he detests. “I feel bad about this funda of ‘character actor’,” he told mid-day.

Explaining his stance, Bhattacharya shared, “The industry has gotten slightly better in treating all actors equally. I tell people, ‘If I am a character actor, does it mean your lead is characterless? Have you given the characters to actors like us and not given anything to your lead?’ What does the term even mean?” 

In the coming months, the actor has many projects to look forward to, from Prime Video’s Raakh to Alia Bhatt-led Alpha. But if there’s one film he has eagerly been awaiting, it’s Anushka Sharma’s Chakda Xpress. Director Prosit Roy’s film, reportedly ready since 2023, has yet to see the light of day apparently due to a fallout between Netflix and Clean Slate Filmz.

Bhattacharya said, “I often ask Prosit when it will release, and he says, ‘Even I have no idea about it.’ It’s very sad. It was Anushka’s best performance to date.”

Following up a blockbuster like Dhurandhar: The Revenge is no easy feat. As we wondered what Arjun Rampal, who played the antagonist in Aditya Dhar’s action drama, would do next, the actor announced Amazon MX Player’s Billionaire, in late March.

Now, mid-day has dug out more details on the series to be directed by Hansal Mehta and Robbie Grewal. It turns out Rampal will play a powerful business magnate, apparently modelled on the UB Group former head honcho Vijay Mallya, no less.

Think an ambitious man rising to become a prominent businessman, who redefines power, wealth, and style in India. But the very ambition that boosted his growth leads to his downfall. Billionaire, we’ve heard, explores such a journey.

A source revealed, “It’s the first project that Arjun signed after Dhurandhar’s success. It was an immediate yes after he heard the script. While speculation suggests that his character is inspired by multiple personalities, the fictional drama borrows from the life of tycoon Vijay Mallya. Arjun’s character has not been named after any real-life persona, but people will be able to connect the dots after watching the show. The actor will put on weight for the role and sport a beard. A flamboyant and stylish look is what the makers are aiming for.”

Rampal will begin prepping from May, dedicating three months to it before the directors call action in August. The source added, “The character has grey shades; he rewrites the business rules to suit his requirements. Eventually that leads to his downfall. The actor will undergo workshops before entering the world of business and boardroom conflicts.”