Currently riding high on the success of Operation Safed Sagar, actor Abhay Verma is looking to end his year on a professional high with the release of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer King, and he feels there couldn’t have been a bigger milestone. “I've got to work with Shah Rukh sir, Abhishek (Bachchan) sir, Rani (Mukerji) ma’am and all these personalities I have idolized. There's a temple in my heart and all these people reside in it,” he says.

Crediting Khan for being his source of inspiration, the actor says, “I saw dreams because of him. So, to come on the same screen with him was more than a dream. I didn't know it would come true so early, but just to be on the screen and make my work reach to Shah sir, it meant more than anything to me.”

Recalling a piece of advice that Shah Rukh Khan gave him, Abhay Verma shares, “Every word that comes off the legend's mouth just becomes legendary. I had asked him how did you choose your early films, to which he said, ‘Although the times were different, just work with people who love you and who you love’.”

The actor adds that it also complements his own philosophy as an actor. “I have taken my acting as democracy: to the people, by the people, for the people,” he says.

Reflecting on Khan’s approach on sets, Verma shares, “He just takes a chair, sits in the corner without disturbing anyone and sees how things are happening, how cinema is taking place. Even despite his injuries, or if he's feeling unwell, how he just gives everything, there's lots of learning from it.”

The actor also remembers a kind gesture by Bachchan during the shoot: “One day he was getting ready, and I told him that my family is in my van, so whenever he had two minutes, if he could let me know, I'll just bring them to him. He just stood up and walked to my van. He met my mom and said, ‘Hi, my name is Abhishek Bachchan and I'm working with your son in King’.”

Apart from King, Verma also has Laikey Laikaa and a film with Shanaya Kapoor in the pipeline, and with all his work, he hopes to break his ‘chocolate boy’ image.

“My biggest success would be that I break my image with every character that I play. I want my characters to live longer than me. I really don't want any image associated with me,” he ends.

Ahilya Bamroo always knew she wanted to be an actor. What she didn’t know was that an Instagram account would become her ticket to the movies. Growing up in the multicultural township of Auroville near Puducherry, she was far removed from the traditional film circles, but her humorous videos on accents, multilingual observations and language-learning series went viral and eventually led to acting in Shoojit Sircar’s I Want To Talk and Sing Geetham, directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, which released last month.

In a candid conversation with Hyderabad Times she shared about her unconventional journey, how her upbringing shaped both her life, her role as Gauri in the film, and the lessons she learnt from working with the legendary filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao.

Growing up in Auroville gave Ahilya a childhood unlike most. Surrounded by people from different countries and cultures, those formative years instilled empathy, patience and a broader perspective that continue to shape her both as an artiste and as a person.

“At one point in school, I was one of only four Indian students in a class of about 25. Everyone else came from places like Korea, Germany and Italy, so it was an incredibly diverse environment. Because we were such a small community made up of people from so many different backgrounds, you naturally learned empathy,” she says, adding, “You had to be patient with one another because everyone came from a different place. I’m incredibly grateful to my parents for raising me there.”

Those values also helped Ahilya connect deeply with Gauri, the character she played in Sing Geetham, an eco-fantasy musical directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao and set in the fictional mining village of Kuberapuram.

“The theme of the movie is very relevant to what’s happening in the world today. Many of the things Gauri goes through are things I’ve also felt at different points in my life, and that’s been shaped a lot by where I grew up. I grew up in a forested environment, in a place that really values nature, peace and serenity over material wealth, and in some ways, that perspective feeds into the film as well,” she says.

Despite sharing an emotional connection with the character, Ahliya believes Gauri is far more courageous than she is. “At the same time, Gauri is much braver than I am. I really admire her. I’ve actually learned a lot from her. So even though I don’t come from the same background as the character — I’m not a Telugu girl and I didn’t grow up in those exact circumstances — there were still parts of her personality that I could connect with and draw from,” she says.

Beyond the character, the biggest takeaway for her was watching the 94-year-old legendary filmmaker at work.

“What’s inspiring is that the strong, progressive ideas around women and lead characters are coming from someone who is 94 years old. It’s incredible. I remember once, someone suggested doing a scene in a way that’s commonly done in mainstream Telugu commercial cinema, but he simply said, ‘We’re not making a film like everybody else, are we?’ He encouraged us to move away from familiar commercial conventions and experiment scenes in a more organic way instead of relying on a formula. Even now, he continues to experiment, push boundaries and always wants to change the game. Watching that firsthand has been incredibly inspiring,” she says.

During the pandemic, Ahilya’s comedic skits, vlogs and spot-on impressions, including a fan-favourite French accent, found a wide audience on Instagram. What began as a creative outlet soon became a launchpad for her acting career, with the platform helping her land opportunities in both Bollywood and Telugu cinema. 

“I think one of the best things about Instagram is that it has made opportunities much more accessible. You can be sitting in a small town in India, and someone in Mumbai, Delhi or Hyderabad can come across your work and cast you in a project. In that sense, I owe a lot to Instagram because it allowed me to stay in my little world in Pondicherry while still being discovered by people in the industry,” she says, adding, “In fact, this is the second film I’ve landed through an Instagram direct message. The first was I Want To Talk, with Shoojit Sircar and Abhishek Bachchan, which still feels surreal to me. I’m incredibly grateful to Instagram, but I’m equally grateful to filmmakers who are willing to look beyond the usual circles when casting.”

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“Singeetham sir is so ahead of the curve. He always has been, as an artiste and as a visionary. Very often, he’ll suggest changes to the script or propose approaching a character differently, and it always feels so fresh and modern. The way he looks at stories is constantly ahead of its time.”

“Of course I want recognition, but I don’t measure success by how many followers I have or whether a film I’m part of becomes a box office hit. For me, it’s about growing as an artiste.”

A chandelier glows above the stage, its crystal droplets catching the light and sending it pouring over white feathers and fresh flowers that emerge from its centre. As the bride and groom make an entrance, it lowers slowly over the dance floor and the room gasps as one. Nothing about its framework would suggest that under the glass and blooms sit hidden tiers of deliciously moist chocolate cake, one of Rushina Mehrotra’s edible engineering marvels.

Mehrotra, 47, has spent the past 16 years building cakes for everyone from the Ambanis to Bollywood names such as Shahid Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Farah Khan. Yet the founder of Andheri-based Daffodils Creations still describes her career as a happy accident. “I always wanted to start a business of my own, but I wasn’t sure what line I would work in,” she says.

She was no stranger to the world of entrepreneurship. Mehrotra grew up in a family where sweets were part of everyday life. Her father, Hasmukh Bhimjiyani, is the force behind Trupti Sweets, one of Mumbai’s longstanding mithai institutions, and conversations at home often drifted from family matters to discussions about quality, customers and the realities of running a business. “Growing up in that environment naturally influenced me,” she says.

But she was also drawn to sport. Back when she was a student at The Bai BS Bengallee Girl’s High School, in Churchgate, she spent hours at the National Sports Club of India in Worli, where she played snooker with her father.

What began as a father-daughter pastime soon turned competitive. Mehrotra went on to play at the national level during an era when women’s snooker in India was still a rarity. “There were probably fewer than ten women competing across the country at the time,” she says.

She even remembers defeating Anuja Thakur, the reigning national champion, a result that remains one of her proudest sporting achievements.

If her business instincts came from her father, she credits her creative side to her mother, Sudha. “She was a homemaker, but had an artistic bent”, Mehrotra says, of Sudha, who would handcraft Ganpati idols at home each year during the festival season.

An MBA in marketing at MET university in 2002 led to nearly a decade in corporate roles, but after the birth of her first child Aaryaman, now 17, she began to question that path. “I could have continued juggling work and family, but it didn’t feel fulfilling,” she says. Around the same time, she began noticing customized cakes gain traction abroad. They were becoming expressions of personality over just desserts. India, she suspected, would not be far behind.

That’s what led to the launch of Daffodils Creations in 2009, “from a small kitchen inside the Trupti factory in CP Tank,” which, often, just delivered one order a week. Things changed in 2011, when filmmaker Farah Khan tried one of her cakes at a party and commissioned one for Abhishek Bachchan’s birthday: a giant burger built around an inside joke, complete with fries, pizza and soda on the side.

“That order gave me the confidence to quit my job and pursue baking full-time,” Mehrotra says. Khan became a regular client and opened doors to a wider circle, resulting in commissions for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s productions to a life-sized guitar cake made for Ed Sheeran during a visit to Khan’s home.

Her husband, Amit, backed the leap, helping her set up a 250-square-foot studio in Andheri, closer to her marital home. “That gave me the freedom to build the business without financial pressure,” she says, of the studio that has, since, grown into an 1,800-square-foot operation with a team of 15, its own delivery service, and a weekly output of 150 to 200 cakes alongside dessert tables of macarons, cookies, doughnuts and French entremets.

One features a gym enthusiast mid-workout; another balances a construction-themed cake atop a boy performing a headstand. An ocean-inspired creation relies on the tentacles of a giant orange octopus to create the illusion that the entire structure is suspended in mid-air. Her goal isn’t just to make a cake look realistic; she wants it to feel alive.

That ambition often demands as much engineering as artistry. For Prithvi Ambani’s third birthday, son of Shloka and Akash Ambani, Mehrotra transformed a venue into a sugar-dusted Candyland. At its centre stood a jellybean globe surrounded by balancing figures, towering lollipops and gravity-defying sweets. For Kiara Advani, commissioned by Sidharth Malhotra’s team, she created a “Born to Shop” cake complete with miniature Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana storefronts.

Behind every creation lies a lengthy planning process. “Ironically, the planning often takes longer than making the cake itself,” she says. Conversations with clients can stretch across days as details about the occasion, guest list and personality of the celebrant are translated into a design.

For all the attention her creations attract, flavour remains non-negotiable. Belgian chocolate remains the bestseller because, as Mehrotra says, “it’s a crowd-pleaser”. Smaller gatherings leave more room for experimentation. Pistachio raspberry, Biscoff mango and mango ras malai rank among her most popular combinations, the last drawing inspiration from her family’s confectionery roots.

At home, conversely, there is no extravagance. Despite growing up surrounded by some of the city’s most elaborate cakes, her sons Aaryaman and Riaan, 11, are happiest with simple birthday cakes like cheesecakes.

And to her, after all these years, what still matters most are the reactions. The videos and messages that arrive after a celebration remind her why she began. “A cake is so much more than dessert,” she says. Each one is built for a moment that cannot be repeated: a child celebrating their birthday, a family reunited around a table, and a couple stepping into a new chapter. By the end of the night, little remains except crumbs and photographs. Yet those moments have a way of staying put, long after the sugar has melted away. “And that’s what makes it so magical,” she says.

Joining the TV show Juhi Mui marks a full-circle moment for Sanjay Suri. Having begun his career on television in 1997 before moving to films, the show’s socially relevant theme and limited commitment made it an appealing proposition.

He says, “I kept myself away from longer commitments. This was a month-long commitment, and we’ve kept the track open so I can return when required. In cinema too, I’ve mostly been part of socially relevant films. When this show was offered to me, I felt it was a good story and socially relevant too.”

Talking about returning to the medium after nearly three decades, he shares, “I hosted the travel show Indian Holiday nearly 30 years ago followed by Yehi Toh Pyar Hai as the lead. Then Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi happened, followed by films and producing, and life took another trajectory. So, this is like my ghar wapsi after 30 years.”

Sanjay believes the distinctions between television, films, and OTT are increasingly becoming irrelevant. He says, “You’ve got to remain platform-agnostic and do the work you want to do, especially at this stage of my career. Earlier too, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to take up a TV show. I simply couldn’t commit to one or two years because I was focusing on films.”

The actor dismisses the belief that film actors turn to television only when opportunities elsewhere become scarce. He says, “That could be someone’s perception. Even back in the day, I sat at home for two years and didn’t do anything. I’ve just had a release with Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga, have an upcoming OTT show, and will dabble in short films. If you look at the 27 years I’ve been active since 1999, I may not have a Rs. 100-crore film to my credit, but I’ve been fortunate to be part of some wonderful films that have stood the test of time. My aspirations have never been driven by panic or visibility.”

Over time, Sanjay stopped measuring success by mainstream benchmarks and focused instead on work that aligned with his creative instincts.

He shares, “I was never offered a buffet of films. It was always, ‘Okay, he does this alternate kind of cinema,’ and maybe that forms a perception. I did a commercial film, Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa, which was Abhishek Bachchan’s second film, but my experience was that everything revolved around one person. In those days, cinema was very hero-driven. Either you’re the lead, or you’re reduced to nothing. I said, ‘Okay, I’ll play on my T20 ground.’ I don’t mind being a brick in the wall, but if you take that brick out, it should make an impact. Even when I turned producer, it wasn’t from the point of view of making money. It was about telling stories. I Am became one of the largest crowdfunded films in the country and went on to win a National Award. That was great gratification for everyone involved.”

Riteish Deshmukh is a relieved man, physically, mentally and emotionally. His latest labour of love, Raja Shivaji, has worked at the box office, especially in Maharashtra. His craft as a director, apart from acting, too has found praise. Speaking on The Right Angle show, he spills the beans on everything, from the obsession with numbers to politics and the paparazzi:

About the figures floating around regarding Raja Shivaji’s budget, only the producers know the real budget. The last thing we need to do as filmmakers is discuss a film’s budget because it doesn’t affect anything. Budget se kya lena dena hai? If someone asks me the budget, I ask them, ‘How much are you paying for a ticket to watch it?’ They say ‘Rs. 100’ or ‘Rs. 250-300’, and I reply that’s the budget, it should just be worth your time. One should stop talking about it. Let it be magical, you just go and experience the film. When I would go to watch Amitabh Bachchan ji’s films like Sholay in my childhood, I would never think, ‘Iska budget kya hai?’ I just wanted the big-screen entertainment. We would never know how much it collected. Unfortunately, that’s the game today. People wonder how much actors charge for films… it’s our mistake, we feed these numbers. Those who feel this is right, it’s okay. We have made seven Marathi films under our production house, and we have never revealed our films’ budgets. It isn’t anyone’s business.

You have so much work at hand that you don’t really get the time to be nervous. I can be nervous about a film where someone else is doing all this work. But when you are the one making it and ensuring that the film reaches people on time, so much time goes into it… you can’t even think about what people will say about it.

Genelia (Deshmukh, wife-actor) and I are a team, of course, but most of the heavy lifting was done by Genelia. This is a production-heavy film. The heavy lifting was not on my shoulders, so it became easier. As for the subject, you can make a film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from any angle, you just have to decide the narrative. We understand the connection he has with people. The biggest pressure, hence, is how do you write the right things when making a film on him? I would ask all such questions to myself. The prep as an actor for such a role was as long as the prep for being a director on it.

After years of divorce rumours and relentless online chatter around his marriage, actor Abhishek Bachchan has finally addressed his relationship with wife, actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

In a recent interview with YouTuber-actor Lilly Singh, he emphasized that their bond has always been rooted in a “partnership”, even calling “severe ego” a defining aspect of how they function as a couple.

“Through our courtship, our engagement, and our marriage, it was always about partnership. There was no discussion like, ‘I will bring the food, and you take care of the house’. It flows very naturally. For me, I think it comes from severe ego,” he shared.

Explaining what “ego” means to him, he said, “I say ego because I am not the kind of person who believes somebody else has to give up or stop running for me to win that race. And that is my mental structure. I don’t want to be in a partnership or marriage where my wife has to stop doing something because I have to feel manly about myself. And thankfully, my wife is not someone who thinks like that either.”

Reflecting on the dynamic of success in their relationship, he noted that it was never unfamiliar territory. “When my parents got married, my mother was a bigger star than my father was. So, it wasn’t an unnatural thing,” he said.

Speaking about their early days, when Abhishek was paired opposite Aishwarya in his second film, Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke (2000), he shared, “We weren’t in a relationship together (then). We were just buddies. We were always friends.”

He reiterated the importance of partnership in their relationship, adding, “It was always about a partnership. I have known Aishwarya from the start of my career… So, there is no competition at home (about) who has to be the man, who has to be the woman.”

Speaking about raising their daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, Abhishek shared that both he and Aishwarya lead by example when it comes to parenting.

“We try to be the best example for Aaradhya. Instead of telling her this is right, or this is wrong, we show her what to do by being that,” he explained, adding, “In that sense, it has never been like I have to teach her self-defence. If you have seen my wife, she can take care of herself.”

He also admitted, “I think fathers are lousy teachers because our emotions get in the way and we don’t have that sensitivity chip that women do.”

With web shows like The Family Man and The Good Wife, Priya Mani Raj has found a renewed connection with audiences across India. While she has long been a well-known name in the South, the digital space has helped her reach a wider, pan-India audience. Yet, her journey with Hindi cinema began much earlier — with Mani Ratnam’s Raavan.

When asked if she had high expectations from her Bollywood debut, she says, “Yes, I did. I was brought up watching Hindi films, so when I got an offer to do the Hindi version of Raavan, I was thrilled. I got to act with Abhishek Bachchan and so many wonderful actors like Ravi Kishan and Pankaj Tripathi. I was very happy. I didn’t have scenes with Aishwarya, but I met her during promotions, and she was so warm.”

She adds, “Honestly, I did think I’d get more offers after that. But I was quite selective. I got some offers that I liked and some I wasn’t convinced about, so I just kept them at bay. I wasn’t disappointed because I had my plate full with South films anyway.”

​Opening up about her initial journey, Priya Mani reflects on how she learned the ropes without any guidance.

She says, “When I look back at my old pictures or films, I’m like, ‘Why was I like this?’ But it’s a learning process. Nobody is perfect when they start out. Back then, I didn’t even know what grooming meant. I was 18 when I started out, and no one in my family was from the industry. I didn’t have a godfather to guide me, so I went with my instinct. I still do. I didn’t know you could have a personal makeup artist, a hairstylist, or even someone called a stylist,” she laughs, adding, “My peers had friends styling for them, and I just figured things out on my own.”

It was much later, she says, that she began to understand the importance of self-care. “It was only around 2011 or 2012 that I realised you could actually hire a stylist or get a designer to put things together for you. And after I started dating Mustafa (her husband), I learned to invest in myself — to look good, go for a manicure or pedicure, take care of myself, and look presentable,” signs off the Jawan actress.

Almost nine years after the last instalment of the Sarkar franchise, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has announced its fourth chapter. The director tells mid-day, “The writing is done. I am starting the shoot in [mid-2026].”

Of course, it is impossible to imagine Sarkar without its principal cast — Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. Asked if the father-son duo will return for the fourth film, Varma confirms, “Both Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan will be a part of the film.”

The story began in 2005 with Sarkar, followed by Sarkar Raj (2008) and Sarkar 3 (2017). While the Bachchan duo remained a constant through the franchise, the rest of the cast changed with each instalment.

While Varma chose not to divulge the names of any additional cast members, he revealed that he aims to wrap up Sarkar 4 within the year. Post that he will begin work on his previously announced thriller, Syndicate. The director says the project is currently in the casting stage.

Rumours had abounded for weeks that Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal 5 is inspired by Do Aur Do Paanch (1980). Earlier this month, the filmmaker dismissed these reports. Now, it looks like we may get a movie bearing a connection to the Amitabh Bachchan and late Shashi Kapoor-starrer, not from Shetty’s stable, but from producer Deepak Mukut. The producer revealed to mid-day that the project is at the scripting stage.

Mukut, who has the rights to the 1980 original, shared, “A decade ago, I was planning a remake with Kunal Kohli as the director, and Abhishek [Bachchan] and Bobby Deol playing Bachchan ji and Shashi Kapoor’s roles [respectively]. At that time, it could not materialize.”

The producer is now giving a second shot to the project. “I haven’t [decided] whether the movie will be inspired by, a remake, or a sequel to Do Aur Do Paanch. Ideally, I’d like to cast Abhishek and Bobby again as they look great together on screen,” he said.

The rumours surrounding Golmaal 5 had reached Mukut too, who immediately took action. He recalled, “I put the notice in a trade magazine, so that no one else can remake or be inspired by it. I own Do Aur Do Paanch’s rights.”

In early February, Rohit Shetty shut down rumours of ‘Golmaal 5’ being inspired by ‘Do Aur Do Paanch’. The filmmaker stated that the reports “are factually incorrect, misleading, and completely untrue”.

It’s hard not to recall Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic Gujarat tourism campaign when news emerges of the Bachchan family’s renewed link with the state. This time, however, the focus shifts to Abhishek Bachchan, who is stepping into real estate with a project in GIFT City, Gandhinagar — on the land originally acquired by his father years ago.

Bachchan jr has entered a profit-sharing agreement with producer and real estate entrepreneur Anand Pandit, whose real estate firm is expanding into Gujarat for the first time. A source told mid-day, “Veteran producer and real estate tycoon Anand Pandit’s close emotional ties with the Bachchan family are no secret. After collaborating with Abhishek in the OTT film The Big Bull (2021) he has joined hands with the actor for his real estate project. The duo will develope luxury residential, and commercial properties across the GIFT City area in Gandhinagar. It is Anand’s first venture.”

Confirming the development, Pandit told mid-day, “Abhishek is a close friend and confidant. We could not be happier to align our strategic entry into the GIFT City area with Abhishek’s rather sharp creative and business acumen. We look forward to working with him and scaling our presence in a high-potential, emerging real estate market.”

He added, “For this project, we have entered into a development agreement with Abhishek under a profit-sharing model. The project is being taken up through my company which has entered into a development agreement with Abhishek under a profit-sharing model. The property will be developed into premium residential, grade-A office and retail spaces with a built-up area of over one million sq.ft.”

Pandit further revealed that the land was purchased by Amitabh Bachchan around 15 years ago when he was the brand ambassador of Gujarat [early 2010]. “Yes, and then he gifted it to Abhishek,” clncluded Pandit.

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Gift City stands for Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, a planned global financial and IT services hub located between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat

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Besides being a part of the entertainment industry, Abhishek Bachchan also co-owns Jaipur Pink Panthers, a professional kabaddi team from Jaipur that competes in the Pro Kabaddi League

Actor-couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan continue to face constant speculation about their relationship after 18 years of marriage. Now, Abhishek has addressed the chatter and explained how they have kept their daughter, Aaradhya, insulated from it.

“I don’t know what the story is so I don’t feel the need to address this. If you’re a celebrity, people are going to want to conjecture about everything,” he told Peeping Moon, adding, “Any rubbish that is written is completely false, not based on any fact whatsoever, malicious, and incorrect. First, (the media) were deciding when we were getting married; after we got married, they decided when we were getting divorced. It’s all rubbish. She (Aishwarya) knows my truth, I know her truth. We go back to a happy and healthy family, which is most important. And that’s all that matters.”

On whether Aaradhya (14) ever comes across rumours about her parents, he added, “I don’t think that interests her, and she won’t believe anything that she reads. Her mother has taught her not to believe everything that she reads. Like my parents were with me, we are completely honest with the family. So, we are never in a position where anyone needs to question anybody.”

Abhishek (49) and Aishwarya (52), who married in 2007, have stayed away from commenting on conjecture around their marriage and continue to make public appearances together.

Actor Bhumika Chawla completes 25 years in the film industry this year, a milestone shaped across 62 films in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema. She looks back at her journey with gratitude, remembering how Mumbai became the foundation of her life and career.

“Since the time I came to Mumbai, it has accepted me and made me what I am today,” she says. Bhumika recalls arriving in the city as a 17-year-old, when advertisements and music videos defined the early 2000s: “From being that young girl to now having an 11-year-old son, it has been quite a journey.”

She also reflects on how much regional cinema has transformed since she began working. “In those days it was not easy to work across regions the way it is today,” Bhumika says, noting that the mainstream popularity of South films and actors is a relatively recent cultural shift. “How popular regional films have become today was not the case when I entered the industry. And it is not that only now everything is good. That narrative has become a bit cliched for me,” she says.

Among the highlights of her career, she still remembers the impact of Tere Naam (2003) with Salman Khan and Run (2004) with Abhishek Bachchan. She shares, “I feel grateful that those films became so big. Once in a while you think about those days when you picked those films, met those actors and worked with them.”

She also remembers Salman’s generosity on the set of Tere Naam: “He never pressured me even though I was a newcomer who could miss a line.”

With renewed talk of a sequel to Tere Naam, Bhumika believes certain films deserve to remain untouched. “I feel sometimes a film should be left where it is, especially if it has been successful and remembered even after so many years,” she ends.

Bollywood legend Dharmendra, 89, passed away at his Mumbai residence on Monday, November 24, following a month-long illness. His eldest son, Sunny Deol, conducted the last rites at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Vile Parle at 1:30 pm, with members of the Deol family by his side. Joining them were Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Abhishek Bachchan, and Agastya Nanda, among others.

The actor's health had been cause for concern since he was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for breathing difficulties, on October 31. Well-placed sources informed mid-day that it was initially described as a precautionary, routine age-related health check-up, but when his respiratory problems persisted, it indicated serious distress to his lungs. On November 1, he had been placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for closer monitoring.

On November 10, Dharmendra’s condition had deteriorated further, which is when he was put on ventilator support in the ICU. However, speculative news reports on his health led to immediate pushback from his family, who claimed he was “stable and improving.”

In the early hours of November 12, Dharmendra was discharged from the hospital. His treating physician, Dr Pratit Samdani, confirmed to the media that the family had decided to continue his recovery at home. He said, “Dharmendra-ji was discharged around 7:30 am. He will be treated at home, as the family has decided to give him treatment at home.”

On the same day, the family also issued a public appeal, requesting privacy amid swirling media speculation. They said, “Mr Dharmendra has been discharged from the hospital and will continue his recovery at home. We kindly request the media and the public to refrain from any further speculation and to respect his and the family’s privacy during this time. We appreciate everyone’s love, prayers, and good wishes for his continued recovery, good health, and long life. Please respect him because he loves you.”

According to sources close to the family, Dharmendra’s health was still fragile after leaving the hospital, with regular checkups continuing at his Juhu residence, even while prep for his 90th birthday was underway.

On the closing night of the Jagran Film Festival, collaborator and filmmaker Anil Sharma told the press, “He is doing much better than before. Please pray for him. God willing, we will celebrate his birthday on December 8, with much fanfare.” Unfortunately, this was not to be.

Dharmendra is survived by his wives, Prakash Kaur and Hema Malini, and children: Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Vijeta Deol, Ajeeta Deol, Ahana Deol, and Esha Deol. Dharmendra’s family said that his final days were spent surrounded by loved ones as he battled his health issues quietly.

Dharmendra became the template of a leading man for a whole generation. He was able to bring warmth and toughness, which rewired how heroes were portrayed in Hindi cinema through the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. He effortlessly transitioned from being an action hero to a romantic lead, showing why versatility is essential to stardom. 

In pop culture, Dharmendra turned into a larger-than-life figure. The “He-Man of Bollywood” label stuck partly because he embodied the classic strong-but-soft archetype. But his movies reflected his range. Sholay is the obvious crown jewel, where his chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan helped define buddy-action films. But it’s the comedies like Chupke Chupke that made him a household name. Films like Phool Aur Patthar, Dharamveer, Dreamgirl, Blackmail, Anupama, Bandini, Satyakam, and Seeta Aur Geeta showed the world how he could switch between genres effortlessly — going from small dramas to blockbuster action fare to grand romance, even supporting parts in strong films, all for a good movie in his repertoire.

His last film is the upcoming war drama Ikkis, based on the life of Param Vir Chakra awardee Arun Khetarpal. Helmed by Sriram Raghavan, it is set to release on December 25.

With a career spanning over 25 years, Abhishek Bachchan has several successful films to his credit. Yet, one movie that a lot of his fans and critics swear by is Guru. This Mani Ratnam film helped Abhishek garner love and appreciation in the industry. However, Abhishek says that if given another chance, he would love to work on Guru again, shot by shot, and do a better job.

In a chat, he said, “If given the opportunity to do the film again, I can unequivocally say that I can do a much better job today. Having said that, I don’t compare my movies or treat this as a benchmark to other movies because every film is different. But if Mani Ratnam gave me the opportunity to do Guru scene by scene, shot by shot again today, 100 percent, I’d do a much better job for him.”

On one hand, where Guru is loved for its storyline and performances, it also holds a special place in Abhishek and Aishwarya’s love story. “I proposed to her at the premiere, after the premiere in New York,” said the actor.

He further added, “But all my films are very personal. And I ensure that. There are possibly one or two that might not be as personal. But my rule of thumb is it has to be personal. If it’s not personal, then I’ll probably not do it.”

During the conversation, he spoke about another character and movie he did with Mani Ratnam — Yuva. Speaking about Lallan from Yuva, Abhishek shared, “The first time you are working with the great Mani Ratnam, you don’t say anything. But Mani sir involved me so deeply in Lallan, in the preparation of Lallan, and allowed me to have an opinion on him. He heard me very sweetly; he didn’t need to. I thought Lallan was the sweetest character, you feel for that guy.”

Walking down memory lane, he added, “There was this one scene in Yuva which sadly never made it to the final cut, which I thought was very important, wherein he’s had a huge fight with Rani (Mukerji), his wife, and she’s like, Why can’t you change? He’s lying down on the bed and she is sitting next to him. He is on her lap, and he is howling. Because she has caught him going back to what he was doing, and she’s trying to bring reform to him. So, she asks him, ‘Why can’t you change?’ And there was a line that Anurag (Kashyap) had written, which just summed it up for me. I felt so bad when I read that. Lallan says, ‘I am trying, lekin suvar goo khana chhodta nahi hai (A pig never stops eating shit or being around shit).’ I felt so bad when I read that. He said, I’m trying, but I don’t know anything else.”

Following the positive response to his portrayal of Himel Majumder in Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, Mimoh Chakraborty is eager to explore more versatile and meaningful characters. However, his journey in showbiz has been far from easy. Soon after his debut with Jimmy (2008), he was written off by many. What kept him going was the unrelenting spirit he witnessed at home, that of his father, the legendary Mithun Chakraborty.

Mimoh shares, “My father’s legacy speaks volumes that words can barely do justice to. However, there’s one thing he told me that has stayed with me. He said, ‘Mimoh, you know my struggles. If I didn’t give up in those conditions back then, what right do you have to give up now?’ His struggles were far worse than mine. He had nothing, sometimes not even one proper meal a day. He would have lunch but wouldn’t know where dinner was coming from. Still, he never gave up.”

Recalling one such story, the actor adds, “He told me how he used to walk three to four kilometres every morning to Talwalkar’s gym in Pali Hill. He didn’t have money or a membership, so he struck a deal with the watchman. He would clean the bathrooms in exchange for a chance to work out. That’s how determined he was to build a physique good enough to become a villain in Bollywood, but destiny had other plans for him, and he became a hero.”

The actor also credits Salman Khan for being a constant source of encouragement. He says, “Bhai has always been close to our family and has helped me with many projects, even though some didn’t take off. He is always just one phone call away. Even Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, and Arjun Rampal have given me great advice and supported me in their own way. These are acts of kindness I will never forget.”

Ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar, who lives next door to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s mother, recently weighed in on the actor’s relationship with husband, actor Abhishek Bachchan. Speaking to Vickey Lalwani, Prahlad, who lives in the same building as Aishwarya’s mother, Vrinda Rai, clarified that the actor continues to stay with the Bachchan family and visits her mother often because the latter is unwell.

Prahlad said, “I don’t think there is any truth (to the separation rumours). I live in the same building, and I know how much time Ash spends in the building, and there’s a valid reason for that. Her mother is unwell. She drops her daughter at school, and she has to pick her up at 1 pm, so she has three hours to kill. She spends those three hours with her mother. Then she picks up her daughter and goes home.”

When asked about rumours of a rift between Aishwarya and her mother-in-law, actor-politician Jaya Bachchan, and sister-in-law, author Shweta Bachchan, Prahlad dismissed it with a quip: “So what? She is the bahu of the house, and she still runs the house.”

Prahlad also noted that the actor-couple have chosen to not comment on the speculation: “If you notice, neither Abhishek nor Aishwarya has given a comment on this. Why should they? Tum bhaunkte raho. She has always kept her dignity, and journalists hated her for that.”

​Abhishek Bachchan may have clocked in 25 years in the movies, but he isn’t resting on milestones. From an unprepared 22-year-old stepping onto the sets of Refugee, to navigating highs, lows, reinventions and resurgences, in a conversation with us, the actor reflects on his journey so far and says he is eager to see what lies ahead. Excerpts:

Reflecting on his 25-year journey in cinema, which has included movies like Dhoom, Yuva, Guru, Bunty Aur Babli and Sarkar, he says, “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years. I’m not someone who usually looks back — I prefer to keep my eyes on what’s ahead. But when I do reflect, the first feeling that comes to mind is gratitude. I have gratitude that the audience has tolerated me for 25 years (laughs), and to the filmmakers who believed in me, and continue to believe in me.”

When asked what advice he would give to his younger self, he says, “I’d say, wait, spend some more time preparing yourself. I was 22-23 years old when I started shooting for Refugee. I was so excited to have bagged a film that I just jumped into it. J P saab is such a master at what he does that you really didn’t have to prepare anything because he takes such brilliant care of you. He was the ultimate puppet master. We would just show up and he would make us do everything. He treated us like kids and spoiled us thoroughly. In retrospect, after 25 years of experience, I’d say take some time and be a bit more prepared. But I guess whenever you look back in life, you’re always going to find something you could have done better.”

During his career, Abhishek stepped away from the screen for a while in the late 2010s, only to return with Manmarziyaan (2018), a comeback that marked a significant shift. The actor, who is enjoying the new phase of his career with projects like Breathe and Dasvi, shares, “Everybody around me had advised me against it. However, it was the best decision I took. I think it’s important for actors to recalibrate when things are not going the way they want. So, it was important for me.”

Now, in the 25th year of his acting career, he’s seeing a resurgence that’s hard to ignore. Abhishek, who was recently seen in Kaalidhar Laapata, says, “Thankfully, people are still giving me an opportunity to make films. For any actor to continue to work for so long is a privilege. It’s not an easy industry to survive in. Right now, I’m truly enjoying this phase of my career. I’m being offered diverse roles like I Want To Talk, Be Happy, Housefull 5 and Kaalidhar Laapata. I’m glad directors believe I can take on such variety. It’s challenging, and it’s great that they think I’m worthy of that challenge. So, I just keep my head down and focus on work.”

Interestingly, several fans online have claimed that this is Abhishek’s “eternal peak.” Reacting to the praise, he smiles and says, “Wow, I am at the ‘eternal peak’? Let me just frame that word, eternal peak means I am never coming down from here. I am very flattered, however, I hope it’s not true because I have miles to go. I have many more peaks to conquer. We’re just getting started. Twenty-five is just a number. I’m very energized. I feel like a newcomer and excited for what lies ahead.”

"It feels like yesterday,” smiled Abhishek Bachchan, recalling his film debut 25 years ago with Refugee (2000). The première of Refugee, held at Mumbai’s iconic Liberty cinema, will remain an indelible, landmark moment. The evening marked that he was ready to follow in the footsteps of his successful parents, actors Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, but more importantly, it signified the beginning of a new identity for him.  

 

The date of his first première is at the top of his mind: “June 29, 2000,” he rattled off. The mix of nervousness and excitement meant he “couldn’t sleep the night before the première.”

Première day dawned with light showers, and Abhishek believed it to be an auspicious omen. As evening fell, all roads led to Liberty cinema. Opened in 1949, the first film to debut at the theatre was Mehboob Khan’s Andaz, starring Dilip Kumar, Nargis, and Raj Kapoor. On this evening, one of Kapoor’s granddaughters Kareena Kapoor Khan was making her debut alongside another star kid from a legacy family.

At the première hosted by filmmaker J P Dutta, the Bachchan and Kapoor families were in attendance as was the who’s who of the industry. Abhishek shared, “I remember everyone [from the] film industry and the media was there. I walked in [and the first person] I met was Yash Chopra, who hugged me and gave me advice. I remember who was sitting next to me and how the show finished.”

Even as the show ended, the night had just begun for Abhishek, who went to celebrate his foray into Hindi cinema, with his friends. “We went to the Regal Room at the Oberoi Hotel. A dinner and party were hosted for the première. I was there until early in the morning with my friend Sikander [Kher].”

What he did next is the moment he remembers the most vividly. “While driving back at 7 am, we stopped at Marine Drive. I stood there for a while and took in the moment that I was going [to be an actor]. We also returned to Liberty to see if people had queued up to watch the film.”

That morning started the career of the actor, who would go on to have a long run at the movies; with memorable performances in Yuva (2004), Guru (2007), and Manmarziyaan (2018), among others, and who would foray into OTT before his peers did.  

Of course, that morning, Abhishek didn’t know any of this. All he had was one question: Is the audience liking his movie? He laughed as he recalled, “[Later in the day], I called Bebo and told her we should do theatre rounds [to gauge reactions]. We went to Gaiety-Galaxy and Chandan Cinema.”

When this reporter saw Kaalidhar Laapata, our first reaction was to go home and ask our parents what is on their bucket list. When we ask the same of Abhishek Bachchan, who headlines the Zee5 film, he says there are too many things he wants to do but refuses to tell us what exactly. “I feel if I talk about it, then it doesn’t happen.”

The film, written and directed by Madhumita, is the Hindi adaptation of the Tamil film K.D (2019). It follows a middle-aged man experiencing memory loss and a sense of abandonment after overhearing his family’s plan to leave him behind during a religious gathering. He then embarks on a journey during which he meets an eight-year-old orphan, and they set out to fulfil items on his bucket list. In conversation with mid-day, Bachchan talks about what drew him to the film, why Daivik Bhagela was the right choice as his co-star, and why understanding the economics of films is important.

I just loved the way Madhumita had written the film and the way she wanted to tell the story more than just the subject matter. I loved her approach to it; she made it very human. I loved the fact that she was going to end up saying some very profound things — things that stay with you long after the film is over. But [she said] it in such a casual manner. The conduit of all of this is a 10-year-old kid. I found that very interesting.

You feel that? [Laughs] They do, right? I mean, just by their countenance alone, they kind of make you very carefree because they’re so innocent and not inhibited at all. So I think that does bring out a lot of the child in you.

Daivik is very sweet, but he’s an old soul. Immensely well-prepared. He’s a wonderful actor and has got a very bright future ahead of him. A lot of that has got to do with the fact that he comes from a very renowned theatre troupe in Bhopal, where we shot the film. His confidence is something else. When we were casting, Madhumita said that she needed a kid who just has to be the character — confident to the point of being overconfident and chalu. How do you cast a kid like that? And in walked Daivik. Before he could say anything, we were sure this is the guy. He had that X-factor in him, which was brilliant.

I don’t think it was anything much. Everybody told me that he might be intimidated, so I’d have to be careful and make it casual for him. So I thought I would have to handle him. Daivik walked in — he was totally cool. I was very happy with that. You always think, with kids you have to behave in a particular way. He was like a normal co-star. I’m not saying he’s mature or that he has grown up too fast. I’m saying that he was very well-prepared and embodied all the qualities that the character needed. He was not precocious at all.

 

I had a truly wonderful time working with Madhumita. Her crystal-clear vision for the film, and especially how she intended to adapt the script from page to screen, was something I thoroughly enjoyed and found incredibly inspiring. I also deeply appreciated her insightful notes and her consistent focus on the emotional depth of the characters in every moment. It was a genuine pleasure collaborating with her.

It’s always the film. It can’t be about me or the kid. No one aspect of the film is larger than the entire film. I just hope they enjoy it. If they have a smile on their face at the end of it, I’m already happy. I’m going to go tell Nikkhil [Advani, producer] and Madhumita that I’m done. [If people have] watched the film, gone home and asked their parents, ‘Hey, I’ve never asked you. You’ve done so much for me. What can I do for you? What’s on your bucket list?’ Then we’re flying.

Of course. You have to. I think it’s very important for people within the film industry too. I don’t agree that it’s important for people outside the film industry, though. When I go to a movie, I’m not going to see a hit or flop film. I go to see a good film or a bad film, and that’s what the audience should do too. I’m not too fond of the fact that today a lot of the film industry and media houses have made it into a business to report the numbers. That can’t be the discussion. The discussion has to be around: did you enjoy the film or not? I’ve seen Amar Akbar Anthony [1977]. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen it. I don’t know the collections of the film. I just know that it’s a very entertaining and fun film. So that’s the way a film should be for the audience. But as an actor or somebody who is part of the film industry, it’s very important to be cognizant of the economics because it is a commercial art. You’re selling a ticket; you owe them their money’s worth. So you have to be aware of that.

In June, mid-day reported that Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Siddharth Anand were conducting a crucial schedule of King at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, Mumbai, from May 21 (Locked up, charged up, June 17). Now, we’ve heard that the unit has taken a break before it charges ahead for an extensive Europe schedule in the last week of August.

The next leg of the spy thriller, which reportedly sees Shah Rukh play mentor to Suhana Khan as they lock horns with Abhishek Bachchan’s antagonist, will take them across European countries.

A source says, “Locations are currently being locked. The shortlisted cities include Budapest, Prague, and possibly Berlin, where sleek chase sequences will unfold. Siddharth wants these sequences to be stunning, and has apparently told his team to scout for some never-before-seen locales.”

Meanwhile, even as the cast and crew are on a break, a few indoor crowd scenes will be shot on controlled sets in the next few weeks. The source adds, “These will be quick, smaller-unit shoots aimed at filling plot gaps without requiring the full crew’s return.”

Shah Rukh, who is also producing King, is said to be deeply involved in its VFX. The film also stars Rani Mukerji and Deepika Padukone.