With the unresolved feud between Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani (Excel Entertainment), over Don 3 continuing to escalate, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) is now set to take a call on the matter. A crucial internal meeting involving FWICE President, B N Tiwari, Chief Advisor Ashoke Pandit, along with Hon General Secretary, Ashok Dubey and Treasurer, Gangeshwarlal Shrivastav, is expected to take place today which could determine the future course of the film.

Before reaching FWICE, a few months ago, the dispute was also discussed at the Producers Guild of India, where several senior producers reportedly attempted to mediate and resolve the matter amicably.

Post the internal meeting today, a press conference will be held announcing the federation’s decision. When Bombay Times reached out to Ashoke Pandit, he told us, “It’s a very serious matter, and this trend is very wrong. We are having an internal meeting first, and then we will be taking a call.”

He added, “We will not allow the industry to be doomed. Whatever we will do, it will be in the interest of the industry.”

The Don 3 controversy erupted after reports claimed Ranveer Singh had stepped away from the film shortly before the shoot was set to begin, leading to a dispute between him and the makers.

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Almost five months after Ranveer Singh exited ‘Don 3’ leading to a row with producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, the matter is expected to reach its resolution on May 25. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), whom filmmaker Akhtar had approached when the dispute reached a head, will announce its decision at 4 pm on Monday after its final meeting at 2:30 pm. Industry insiders have told mid-day that the body conducted two meetings with Singh and the makers over the past week.

An insider present at the discussions revealed that the conversations focused on the larger issue of stars walking out of projects at the last minute. “Everybody agreed that this cannot become a pattern. Not every film will become a blockbuster like ‘Dhurandhar’ [2025]. If actors begin exiting projects days before schedules begin, smaller producers will collapse under the pressure,” shared the insider.

Singh, who was attached to ‘Don 3’ since its announcement in 2024, walked out the film in January. Akhtar reportedly filed a legal suit against the actor and approached the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) in April, alleging that nearly R46 crore had been spent on ‘Don 3’ prep. A source revealed, “After three reminders, Ranveer’s team eventually responded over e-mail saying the matter was not within the association’s purview.”

According to sources, FWICE’s decision on May 25 could also see the body announcing the introduction of a formal framework to discourage abrupt exits by talent.

Wit, sarcasm, and a critique of the happenings across the country are back on the menu. Delivering them is Shekhar Suman, who, in 1997, gave India one of its iconic late-night talk shows, Movers & Shakers. Fourteen years since it went off air, the host is back with Shekhar Tonite. “Movers & Shakers was instinct. Shekhar Tonite is intent,” Suman told mid-day.

On May 15, Shekhar Tonite opened with Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, as the guest, followed by another episode featuring actor Bobby Deol. Of course, the highlight was Suman’s keen-eyed observations, as he scrutinised the current Indian political scene, the advisory to not buy gold, and the recent exam paper leaks.

“There is a misconception that the show hits out at people. For me, every person has a social responsibility. I have equal respect for our Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] and for Rahul Gandhi. If I elect someone and they are not able to deliver, I have the right to critique them, but I am not criticizing them. I am like RK Laxman’s The Common Man, who wants to express himself. I’m raising my voice against what is happening in society, but doing so in the most civilized manner,” said the host.

Gimmicks, he insisted, have no place in his show. “No rapid fire, no planted controversies. Think of it as the opposite of doomscrolling. It’s slow content for a fast world,” he asserted.

What made him stream it on his official YouTube channel, instead of an OTT platform? “Freedom. On my own channel, there is no algorithm telling me to shorten it or make it trend in eight seconds. I want to make conversation for people. If OTT respects that, we’ll talk.”

Actor Ronit Bose Roy has become the latest victim of digital impersonation. On Thursday, the 60-year-old warned fans on Instagram, writing that scamsters posing as him have been approaching people, asking for Rs. 45,000 for private meet-and-greet sessions (see right). Roy also shared screenshots of the poser’s WhatsApp chats with fans.

Speaking to us, the actor says this incident was brought to his notice by a friend, whose acquaintance received messages soliciting money.

“The message in my name was asking for a meet and greet with fans, asking them to pay Rs. 45,000 for it,” he says, adding, “How could I do such an obnoxious act? Asking fans to pay up to meet me? I had to put my fans on alert. People are out there to target you whenever they get a chance.”

Theactor, known for TV shows such as Adaalat and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, now says he will be pursuing the matter legally to “curb it at the right time”.

“Of course, I will take legal action on this. All will be done to prevent the misuse of my name. Scamming is a criminal activity and an offence. I will follow the due process to deal with it and curb the menace. I don’t want anyone’s hard-earned money to be lost to scammers,” he says, adding, “Now it is for the law to see and take action, and to check if anything like this has happened before. I hope they nab the person behind it to stop this from spreading.”

While Roy remains confident that his friends will never fall for such messages or requests for money, he feels fans, too, should exercise vigilance.

“Too many such instances are being reported, though a lot of awareness is being created, but many people out there are still gullible. It’s essential to think twice before sending money to anyone in response to a social media request. A basic awareness of performing due diligence should be in place,” he concludes.

Lucky Ali has remained one of Indian music’s most emotionally resonant voices, a singer who made vulnerability sound timeless. Lucky inherited fame early but spent much of his life quietly walking away from it. From briefly dabbling in acting to redefining India’s indie-pop landscape with Sunoh, his journey has always been guided less by ambition and more by instinct. In a conversation with us, the singer reflects on fame, silence, authenticity, and why music, for him, still feels like growth. Excerpts:

I’m not a trained singer, and I’m a bad actor. Acting was more my father’s (late actor Mehmood) wish. I wanted to please him, so I did a few films — some bad ones. But I also got to work with directors like Shyam Benegal and Sanjay Gupta. But I would only act again if something genuinely touched my heart. Music feels different to me. It feels like growth. On stage, you can keep discovering things you couldn’t do before — that’s the beauty of it.

The industry was what it was, and I never found the comfort of making music from within that system. Honestly, the music we made had a lot of mistakes — musically, even lyrically sometimes. But whatever happened, happened naturally. It made me feel good, and I believed it would make others feel good too.

Not difficult at all. I just do my music when I feel like doing it. I’m not dictated to by the system, and I don’t follow it either. I’ve always worked with people who are independent in their thinking and music. For me, music has to be heartfelt. It shouldn’t be too prolonged or repetitive.

You see it everywhere, not just in the entertainment industry. There’s always a rise, and then there’s a point where things slow down. That’s natural. Age plays an important factor, and there comes a time when certain phases stop. So, fame is a difficult thing because after a point, you’re not entirely your own person anymore. It’s different when we’re performing because that comes from the heart. But it becomes difficult to move around normally because people surround you. I deal with it by taking long breaks before coming back to it again.

There was already so much fame within the family — my father, my aunt (Meena Kumari) — and I had seen that closely. It never really appealed to me. For many people, fame is something they want to achieve, but for me, it was just something that was thrust upon me. My intentions were always different. I never even thought of myself as a musician who would last this long. I simply wanted to do what I had set out to do, which was to make that album. I had applied myself to music far more than acting or anything else.

I always wanted to bring my father back on stage in some form. We had even discussed the idea of performing his songs with him appearing on stage alongside us. But something like that takes a lot of time, effort and money, and I never really pursued it further. The idea still exists though. Maybe I’ll do it, maybe I won’t. I don’t really want to go beyond my father when it comes to that.

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On Sunoh resonating with the audience till date... Lucky says, “What I felt at that time, I wrote. And whoever listened to it carried those feelings within them. Now those people have grown up, and somehow the music has stayed with them. I don’t know why I got the opportunity to do what I’ve done. It’s not something you can plan. It’s just how the time was, and how things happened.”

“If people are still listening to the music, then clearly the feelings haven’t become old. Their realities may be different now, but the emotions are still the same. My music evolves, and so do I with it”

“For me, music and singing were the only forms of expression that truly made sense because they came more naturally to me than theatrics or other forms of expression”

Mumbai: The casting of journalist and internet personality Saurabh Dwivedi as the antagonist in Kartavya has reignited debate over follower-based casting in films, with industry executives saying producers are increasingly factoring in digital popularity, audience data and online engagement while making creative decisions.

Two key questions have been widely debated and discussed by industry professionals and audiences on social media. One is: Why are producers casting people based on their social media following or popularity? And the other: Is this strategy the need of the hour?

ET spoke to casting directors, producers and distributors to understand the rationale behind this trend.

Casting based on social media popularity provides business value to producers as such personalities drive engagement and viewership either in theatres or on streaming platforms, said casting directors.

"It is the need of the hour today. An entire generation of audiences may not connect with old Bollywood tropes. Influencers bring relevance and familiarity, which pique this audience's curiosity," said casting director Nandini Shrikent, who has worked with multiple directors and served as a casting director on films such as Gully Boy and Wake Up Sid.

Even studies support this trend. According to a study by research firm Ormax Media, 57% of Hindi films' box-office revenue comes from audiences below 30, usually digital citizens underlining the importance of catering to the social media universe and its influencers. Also, 40% of audiences share film-related memes on social media after watching films in theatres, the study showed.

Producers shared that casting based on followers reduces film marketing costs.

"Today, data plays a critical role in many creative and non-creative decisions related to films. Producers believe that replacing actors with people who have large followings can help reduce film marketing costs, as these influencers provide instant reach. Also, they believe that brand endorsements by influencers can help mitigate overall film costs," explained producer Rajesh R Nair.

But Nair observed that this trend is unfairly denying opportunities to genuine talent. "There is so much talent in the industry that is not even considered anymore. Actors are being judged first on their follower count instead of abilities. This is damaging not only to films but also to the industry," he added.

"Some filmmakers believe that people who have a strong digital connection with audiences can offer an immediate promotional advantage. These people can organically create conversations around a project from the announcement stage itself," said veteran producer Anand Pandit.

"We are already seeing creators like Kusha Kapila, Prajakta Koli, Bhuvan Bam and Dolly Singh becoming part of mainstream films and streaming platform projects because of their relatability and audience engagement," added Pandit.

Casting directors said that only those people who have a large following, but no acting skills, are failing.

"Increasingly, producers have realized that influencers work better for web series or music videos. But for films, only people with real acting ability survive in the long run," explained Kunal M Shah, casting director on web series and films such as Bhaukaal and Phule.

The past few years has seen films from the South score and even break records which was a rarity earlier but it has been presented as some sort of dominating wave which has left Hindi cinema behind which is very far from the truth. Whatever the struggles of Hindi films, it will remain the biggest film industry in the country simply because of the POTENTIAL audience it has in sheer numbers. Its a different matter that this potential audience has not been reached generally over the last few decades or so.

This so called pan India thing is just not there, no matter how much the media shouts as the majority of these so called pan India films bite the dust. But the ones which get though are talked about. It is going to be even tougher now for this South content as generally its built on sequels. The first film gets appreciation and then the second one gets the numbers but this game is just not valid for South films but all films.

The sequel thing will run its course as it cannot go on forever due to over supply be it from Hindi cinema or South. Hollywood has already seen this happen. There was this South wave in the 80's but it was slightly different as it was banners and directors from the South making films in Hindi with Hindi film stars and it lasted 3-4 years before normal service was resumed. Also that was actually a wave while the present is more media made.   

The problem the South films will face are expectations because of this media made wave and their huge budgets and how they open when they are not sequels. The wider audience responds when its a sequel to an appreciated film but outside that, its just a few areas where there is a ready audience.

Below are the opening day collections of South films in Hindi when not sequels and they pretty much say it all with just a handful which can be called good opening and mainly Prabhas starrers who has a following in certain Hindi belts. There are not many films to get even 5 crore nett till date and it will be similar films going forward which history shows is always dwindling returns. The road is only going to be tougher from here.

1. Saaho - 25,82,00,000

2. Kalki 2898 AD - 20,86,00,000

3. RRR - 19,38,00,000

4. Salaar - 15,73,00,000

5. Devara - 7,13,00,000

6. Game Changer - 6,83,00,000

7. The RajaSaab - 5,03,00,000

8. Baahubali: The Beginning - 4,92,00,000

9. Coolie - 4,14,00,000

10. Radhe Shyam - 4,09,00,000

This is that time in Jamie Lever’s comedy calendar when she’s revising her act, tweaking jokes, adding something and subtracting what doesn’t work. The last-minute changes are on, as the comedienne gears up for The Jamie Lever Show in the city in less than a week. Giving her company in her pursuit is her uncle and mentor, Jimmy Moses. “I spent three months working on the script. My uncle has been with me throughout. As they say, comedy is a serious business,” she begins.

Lever shares she consciously approaches even a dancing reel on Instagram with the same sincerity. “A lot of young girls are looking up to me. I get messages like, ‘Didi, I’m inspired by you. We want to be multifaceted like you.’ So, I want to ace every performance, whether I am with Salman Khan on Bigg Boss or I am making a small reel,” she explains.

Naturally, there are consequences, or compromises as Lever, one of the busiest comediennes in the country, puts it. “I compromise a lot in my personal life. I’ve reached an age where one should have kids. There are these thoughts like ‘I’ve come so far, but I don’t have a lot of things that my friends have.’ But I give priority to comedy,” she says. “The only way I have come this far is because I have the luxury of time and the freedom because I’m single.”

If today her goal is to inspire younger women, the 20-something Lever had a far more personal one. “When I began, my fight was just to prove myself, to prove that I deserve to be here. My dad also said, ‘Tu thodi na paise ke liye kaam kar rahi hai. But if you want to be in this field, you have to prove yourself.’”

She recalls how protective he had been as a father, and how it surprised her that when the time came, he took a step back and let her take the stage. “He was shocked when I shared my wish to be a comedienne. I remember I was in the UK, doing a Masters in Marketing. I had a job. So, he had no idea. I also used to think that I might not get the permission to do it, and that I didn’t have what it takes to be a comic.”

“Since childhood, he has been very protective. He had a lot of rules: no sleepovers or trips, no coming home late. From there, to letting me be in this field and lending me his support the way he did was a big shift. When I decided that I was going to work in this field, my mother was surprised by how my dad’s heart just changed. He let me go out of his protective arms. My mother says that he changed as a human. He told me, ‘I could see some talent in you and I don’t want to be the one to stop that.’” 

Today, of course, the father-daughter duo performs on stage, another anomaly in a society where despite several female star kids, the expectation remains that the male child will continue his father’s legacy. “Growing up I didn’t even have any examples of a comedian’s daughter making it in comedy,” she says. It was around 2012 that Lever began her career, performing at The Comedy Store, Mumbai. She made her television debut on the 2013 season of Comedy Circus, titled Comedy Circus Ke Mahabali.

While her father let her out from under his wings, his surname went with her, and Lever confesses it has brought immense privilege. “When I started my journey, I automatically had a fan following, which I did not have to work for. And that happens with star kids,” she says.

Being her father’s daughter also means easy acceptance from within the industry. Over the last few years, Lever has risen to popularity mimicking several Bollywood celebrities like Farah Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor and the late Asha Bhosle. 

“I get a lot of support from the industry because everybody feels ‘Yeh toh apne Johnny bhai ki beti hai’. In fact, so many people tell me to mimic them. Once, Usha Uthup ji called me, saying, ‘You have mimicked Asha [Bhosle], do me too.’ Javed Akhtar called me to his house and asked me to perform for him and Shabana ji,” she shares. But the comedienne is mindful that impersonations don’t turn into insults. 

“I have always been clear that I can’t disrespect my father’s colleagues or his fans. Just imagine if I were to do below-the-belt comedy, it would be so disturbing for his fans,” she says, adding, “My dad always told me, ‘Don’t take advantage of this privilege’.”

Ravi Kishan is arguably in one of the strongest phases of his career. With Laapataa Ladies and Maamla Legal Hai, the actor is enjoying some of his most impactful roles. However, there was a time when, faced with a lack of meaningful opportunities in Bollywood, he chose to step away and build a formidable space for himself in Bhojpuri cinema, eventually rising to become one of its biggest stars.

Today, as regional cinema commands nationwide attention and respect, Ravi reflects on the journey of Bhojpuri cinema and his role in shaping its perception.

He says, “Mere Hindi cinema ke struggle ke baad, main intezaar kar raha tha aur chahta tha ki Bhojpuri cinema ko bhi sammaan mile. Mujhe usko izzat dilvaani thi, aur yahaan ke kalaakaron ko bhi izzat mile. We worked very hard on this, and today my juniors are benefiting from it.”

He adds, “The destination I had in mind was to gain appreciation and not be called downmarket, koi dekhega nahi, and aaj woh sab ho raha hai. Aaj main dekh raha hoon ki woh log aage badh rahe hain. Kyunki ek beej boya tha, aur main uss khet ka kisaan tha. I am not surprised because I saw this coming. Now my aim is to bring a script that can get us a National Award.”

Speaking about his decision to move away from Bollywood at a time when Bhojpuri cinema lacked acceptance, Ravi admits it was a risk many advised against.

He says, “Everybody told me that I would be finished, and no one would cast me in Hindi films. But I had faith in my God. Karo ya maro. I also had no choice. It’s not that I was getting many offers in Bollywood or earning well. So, I decided to take a chance, and things started falling into place.”

On whether the content and perception of Bhojpuri cinema have evolved over time, Ravi believes the change has been gradual but significant.

He shares, “Yes, after a lot of planning, the perception changed. Aaj bahut sammaan se dekha jaa raha hai, and I am very happy. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. Abhi bhi dilli door hai and the focus has to remain on making good films. There is a shortage of good writers and directors. People need to be trained, writers need to be paid better, and more attention has to be given to music again. The industry has gone through a low phase, and there is a need to revive it. I will soon make a Bhojpuri film, possibly a musical.”

Nearly two decades after Taare Zameen Par made him one of the most memorable child actors in Indian cinema, Darsheel Safary is still closely associated with the film that touched millions. But the actor says he is not trying to run away from that image — he is simply waiting for the next role that can leave a similar impact.

Speaking about growing up in the shadow of an iconic debut, the 29-year-old says the audience’s perception will only change with the kind of work he chooses.

“I don’t know what people think. It’s about the work that I bring to the table — that is what the reaction depends on, frankly,” he says. “Taare Zameen Par is that kind of film from which it will be difficult to break away naturally. Even today, people talk about it and there are discussions around it.”

Rather than distancing himself from the film, Darsheel says he sees it as the foundation of his journey. “Now that I’ve grown up, I’m looking at another such project for myself — something that makes me memorable for the next 20 years. It’s not about people not being able to break out of that image, it’s about what you are giving and what you’re getting back in return.”

The actor, who has been busy with theatre, says every former child artiste eventually waits for that one defining role that changes how audiences see them.

Referring to actors like Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sara Arjun, he says, “They gave their Dangals, they gave their Dhurandhars afterwards. Back then, they were familiar faces — you knew they existed. But when they came out with that one project, everything changed.”

Darsheel, who will soon be seen in an international project with Priya Mani Raj, also reveals that the past few years have been transformative. “It’s been an introspective journey. I’ve tried to understand why I want to be an actor. There was a phase where I did some really questionable work. But then I started working with filmmakers like Suparn Varma, Anand Mahadevan, Abhinay Deo and Subhash Kapoor. I was also busy with theatre. The closer I got to myself, the closer I got to acting.”

Nagpur: Veteran actor Nana Patekar made an emotional appeal to distressed farmers on Monday, urging those battling suicidal thoughts to reach out for help, instead of taking irreversible steps, as he reflected on the deep emotional scars left by Maharashtra's agrarian crisis. Addressing the Jal Kranti Parishad in Nagpur, Patekar, who started NAAM Foundation around a decade ago, said farmers' suffering profoundly altered his understanding of life and pushed him away from the glamour of cinema to rural communities struggling with debt, drought and uncertainty.

"Even a frog jumps to save itself when someone tries to step on it. Then imagine how deep the pain of a farmer must be when he decides to end his own life."

Patekar said he and his colleagues often tried to intervene by speaking directly to distressed farmers and encouraging them to reconsider their decisions. Reflecting on his journey into social work, he recalled how he once planned to buy a car with his savings, but changed his mind after watching a television report on farm suicides. The money, he said, was instead diverted to support affected families.

"Visits to places like Beed changed me," he said. "When you see several young widows of farmers with their children and shattered families, you realize immediate intervention is necessary."

Those experiences eventually led to expansion of Naam Foundation, which has since worked on farmer welfare, water conservation and rural development initiatives across Maharashtra and other states.

"The happiness Naam Foundation has given me is greater than all awards and money from cinema," Patekar said. The actor also spoke candidly about his personal life and career, admitting that late Marathi actor Vikram Gokhale, with whom he shared screen in the acclaimed film, Natsamrat, was "better than me in every aspect of acting".

Recalling the making of ‘Natsamrat', Patekar said the role carried enormous emotional weight and was originally conceived as a stage production before he pushed for its cinematic adaptation.

He referred to theatre veterans like Shreeram Lagoo, saying roles such as Natsamrat demanded immense psychological and physical intensity from performers.

Quoting the iconic Shakespearean line used in the film — "To be or not to be, that is the question" — Patekar said he would still love to perform a play at the Suresh Bhat Auditorium someday.

Moving away from cinema, he said he now felt disconnected from urban life. "City walls feel like coffins to me now," he said. "I feel more alive in villages."

Patekar said he wished to adopt a village in a hilly region and spend more time working directly with rural communities, particularly on water conservation and sustainable development. Coming from a modest background, he said emotional connections formed in villages carried deep personal meaning for him. "When someone in a village pats me on the back, it feels like a father's touch," he said. "We are not political parties. We do not want awards. What matters is the satisfaction on people's faces because of the work we do," he said.