New Delhi: Film actor-producer Anushka Sharma has acquired a minor stake in Agilitas Sports, which makes and retails sports footwear and apparel. Sharma's husband, cricketer Virat Kohli, is already a co-investor in Agilitas, which was founded by former Puma India executives.

Sharma will co-develop the company's yoga line under its sportswear franchise brand One8, Agilitas cofounder and CEO Abhishek Ganguly said.

"Anushka is partnering with Agilitas by investing capital in the company and building yoga-wear," he said, but declined to provide further details of the deal. Last year, Kohli, who ended his eight-year, Rs. 110-crore deal with German sportswear maker Puma, acquired a minority stake in Agilitas for about Rs. 40 crore as a co-investor and business partner. The deal also saw Agilitas acquiring Kohli's sportswear brand, One8.

Agilitas, which raised 450 crore from Nexus Venture Partners late last year, had previously acquired Indian footwear manufacturer Mochiko Shoes, as well as domestic India licensing rights for Italian shoe brand Lotto in a multi-year deal.

According to a report by research firm IMARC, India’s sportswear market touched sales of $10.69 million in 2025, and is forecast to touch $16.65 million by 2034. The report attributed the increase to “higher health consciousness, mainstream adoption of athleisure fashion and expanding ecommerce channels”.

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.”

Cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Anushka Sharma have acquired a large land parcel in beach town Alibaug, with the two adjoining plots together measuring over 5.19 acres. The couple has acquired the plots in Zirad village in Raigad district, for a total consideration of Rs 37.86 crore.

This is the second land parcel acquired by them in the coastal town. In 2022, Kohli and Sharma had acquired an around 8-acre land parcel here to build their farmhouse.

The latest transaction was registered on Tuesday, and involved stamp duty payments of about Rs 2.27 crore, showed documents accessed through CRE Matrix, a realty data analytics platform.

One of the plots acquired by the couple measures around 3.6 acres, while the second spans 1.55 acres. The purchase adds to the growing list of large-ticket residential land transactions in Alibag, underscoring the town’s evolution into a premium residential market on the outskirts of Mumbai.

ET’s calls and text message to Kohli’s manager remained unanswered.

Located across the Mumbai harbour, Alibaug has seen rising residential land activity in recent years, supported by improving connectivity and growing interest in low-density developments.

Infrastructure projects such as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, along with ferry and speedboat services, have significantly reduced travel time between south Mumbai and Alibaug, making the region more accessible for frequent travel.

A decade after the commercial failure of Bombay Velvet (2015), filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has reflected on how the experience affected his relationships with its stars Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma.

“I think Ranbir was very upset, and he keeps saying, ‘Why do you keep talking about Bombay Velvet? Just ignore it. The film didn’t work, but you don’t have to talk about it all the time.’ But people ask me questions all the time, how can I just ignore that?” he told Screen.

Kashyap also recalled his hesitation in facing the lead actors after the film’s failure and admitted to becoming distant from them: “We don’t meet often. Whenever we meet, we just hug and greet each other. And at the beginning, I just didn’t know how to face them because they had given me a lot of trust and love. And I was dealing with my own demons. So I needed to come out of that and make a very small film and was very focused on Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016). But slowly, we became distant.”

The 2015 neo-noir period drama, which also featured Karan Johar, collected only Rs. 43 crore worldwide against its Rs. 118 crore budget.

British filmmaker of Indian origin Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham (BILB) was a game-changer that brought a fresh, spirited take on Punjabi culture and Bollywood to western cinema in 2002. Chadha’s films paved the way for diverse storytelling long before Bridgerton made interracial love stories mainstream. Her upcoming project, Christmas Karma — a Bollywood-inspired adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol starring Kunal Nayyar — continues that tradition. Currently in Mumbai, Chadha spoke with Bombay Times about the much-anticipated BILB sequel, her love for Bollywood and telling stories of immigrants. Read on...

Well, I am exploring the idea. I loved working with Eva Longoria on Christmas Karma, and we were talking about BILB because Eva co-owns several football clubs. I was never interested in returning to Bend It Like Beckham because it’s such a special film for so many people, but the incredible growth of women’s football around the world has made me excited to return to this world. So many international players have told me that Bend It Like Beckham inspired them to play, so I want to celebrate women’s football and look at the challenges that are still there for women to thrive on an equal playing field. I’m excited to bring back all of our beloved characters and see where they are in their lives now. Can you imagine? Jess Bhamra in her forties!

What can I say, I am always ahead of the game (smiles). The world takes time to catch up with me, but it’s okay. Bride & Prejudice is very popular around the world. I was surprised — I was in LA and had gone for dinner to my friend’s place, and her niece (an Italian girl around 12) told me that when she and her friends have sleepovers, this is the movie they watch and the one they dance to as well.”

I feel it’s like a soothing balm for a lot of people. I grew up celebrating Christmas in England as a child, with stockings and cookies. My father would place carrots and whiskey out for Santa Claus. Then he would get up in the morning and say, ‘Look, Santa came and drank my whiskey!’ And we would exclaim, ‘Oh my God! Santa drank your whiskey!’ It was party time, where we all ate together. That was our version of Christmas. So, I was going to make my unique version with a holiday movie that celebrated Christmas the way we did. I am super happy because I have the first Christmas bhangra song in the world in my movie.

It’s all about economics. The first thing that people do when things go down is blame the immigrants. It’s a worldwide phenomenon. The problem in England is that there are no manufacturing jobs. The people at large don’t have the educational qualifications to do the kind of jobs that they would like and earn the kind of money that people who are educated and work hard have. So there are scapegoats with nowhere to run. My children and their generation see race in a very different way. They actually don’t see colour. Times are changing, but I also feel there is something called the English culture. I grew up with it. For some people, it is also important to have English culture and traditions. We should uphold our traditions, but not lose theirs either. So, this Christmas film is from a nation of both cultures and also about what Christmas means to someone like me, or say, Jess Bhamra from Bend It Like Beckham, and how she would be celebrating with her family. It’s a very British interpretation, and I think the message and meaning of Christmas is to give thanks, to do charity and to be kind.

I want to work with Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. There are so many great actors in India that I’d love to work with. If I ever get a chance, I want to make a Punjabi film. I do have a subject, and I am talking to someone. Let’s see if I can make it happen. I’d love to make a film in India in an Indian language. I have done so many crossover films now, it would be a great experience to do something different. 

Gurinder met Virat Kohli at a charity event in London. Does she follow cricket and can someone like him be the centre of her film in the near future, given his global fan following?

She replied, “I think it’s his wife (Anushka) we need to ask. She’s the actor. We met at a charity sporting event and there was a lot of security around him. At one point, I tapped him on his shoulder and he just turned around and said ‘Oh ma’am, ma’am!’ And he called me ma’am, Oh My Lord! And then we got out and he told me, he loves London and he’s settling in well. So that was a nice interaction. My father loved cricket but I am not an expert. I think a true cricket lover should make a film about Virat – it would be a smash!”

On November 2, Team India scripted history as it emerged the champions of the ICC 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup. The win has already had a ripple effect in films. mid-day has learnt that Netflix India is facing pressure to release Chakda Xpress, the Jhulan Goswami-biopic led by Anushka Sharma. The biopic has been lying with Netflix for nearly three years, reportedly due to a fallout between the streamer and the production house, Clean Slate Filmz, led by Karnesh Ssharma.

After the Indian women’s cricket squad’s win, many social media users called for the film’s release. Some members of the movie’s team have also appealed to the platform. A source from the film’s core team tells mid-day, “We have personally written to top executives at Netflix India to see if they can rise above the conflict so that the film can see the light of day. A biopic on a legend like Jhulan di deserves to reach the audience.”

What exactly went wrong with director Prosit Roy’s biopic on the former captain? An insider, who worked on the film, shares, “The production house went over-budget. What added to the woes was that the platform heads didn’t like the way the project was shaping up. But it’s still a solid film.” Since the biopic’s shoot wrapped up in 2022, it has been caught in a deadlock.

Chakda Xpress’s rights currently rest with Netflix. Another source shares, “The recent victory has put the attention back on the biopic. Internal discussions at the streamer have started, and the team is expected to take a final pass this month to determine if it can be released after additional work.”

mid-day reached out to Roy and Ssharma. Both declined to comment.

Actor Renuka Shahane has expressed profound disappointment and heartbreak over recent reports suggesting that Anushka Sharma’s film, Chakda Xpress, might be shelved. The film is a biopic is based on cricketer Jhulan Goswami. Renuka, who filmed her scenes for the movie in 2022, shared her shock during an interview recently.

“I didn’t know. I am very shocked. I am totally heartbroken, basically, because I think everyone has put in so much effort. Anushka has also worked on herself so much for it,” Renuka stated.

She further emphasized the film’s significance, particularly for women in sports. “And whatever scenes I did were so powerful and so impactful, especially for women in sports,” she explained in an interview with NDTV.

Renuka highlighted the inspiring story of the cricketer: “Jhulan Goswami is iconic, and coming from a very poor house and making it big— and yet the kind of discrepancy that still exists between men’s cricket and women’s cricket, and all other sports, I would say— Chakda Xpress had that core quality of sportsmanship.”

Renuka also lauded Anushka’s portrayal, noting, “Anushka has done such a good job of creating that character.”

She revealed that the majority of her scenes were with Anushka, who was her seen in, Zero, in 2018.

Chakda Xpress, which completed filming in 2022, is slated for release on OTT. Despite the current uncertainty, Renuka remains hopeful, wishing “there was some way such a beautiful film could be salvaged.”

​It was a blend of cricketing and cinematic worlds when cricketer Harbhajan Singh and actress Geeta Basra tied the knot in 2015. In an interview with us, the couple reflects on their decade-long marriage, parenthood, and what keeps their bond strong through changing times.

Talking about married life, Harbhajan in his characteristic humour, says, “Yaar, main toh maanta hoon ki shaadi nibhane ke liye two things are very important kuch nazar andaaz aur kuch bardasht karna padta hai, baaki pyaar mohabbat toh chalti rehti hai shaadi mein. If you follow these two things, shaadi tik jaati hai.”

Geeta emphasizes that marriage is constant work. “Married life is hard work, it is work in progress and not something that you can take for granted. Tying the knot and having kids is just the beginning. You have to make time for each other, even as life gets busier with responsibilities and work.”

Drawing parallels between marriage and cricket, Harbhajan says, “It’s easy to walk away, but marriage isn’t like a cricket match where you can decide you don’t want to play anymore. You can’t back off saying ki mujhe aur test match nahi khelni hai. Every relationship has its own ups and downs. You have to work on it continuously to make things work.”

Speaking about couples they admire, Geeta and Harbhajan feel that Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have set a commendable standard. “They’re an ideal couple,” Geeta says.

Reflecting on what leads to marriages breaking down, Harbhajan says, “It all comes down to personal choice and emotional strength. Pressure, triggers and life situations can push people to make decisions. Ego should never come in the way. Communication, patience and emotional maturity are key to sustaining a relationship.”

Geeta adds, “At the heart of it all, there has to be love. You can’t live with someone for the sake of it.”

Looking back at the early days of their relationship, Geeta recalls how cultural differences and contrasting career backgrounds posed challenges. “Though we’re both Punjabi, we were raised very differently. I grew up in the UK, and Harbhajan in Punjab. Our perspectives, our education — everything was different. We had to adjust to each other’s worlds,” she shares.

After a break from the film industry, Geeta is ready to return to the big screen. Geeta, who was a part of films like Dil Diya Hai (2006) and The Train (2007), was last seen in the Punjabi film Lock (2016). “This year is exciting. You’ll see me in Awasthi vs Awasthi and the Punjabi film Mehr.”

Meanwhile, Harbhajan, who has made cameo appearances in multiple films and played the lead in the Tamil film Friendship (2021), wants to take up meaningful roles. “If I could pick a role, I’d love to play a fauji. I want to be part of films that deal with real stories,” he says.

Meanwhile, the two are also busy with their new online chat show, called Who's The Boss? that focuses on relationships and features celebrity couples.

To prepare for his role as Satbir, the antagonist in the film, actor Darshan Kumar began closely interacting with people who lived near National Highway 10, and added Haryanvi songs to his playlist.

Anushka Sharma’s character Meera smokes cigarettes in the film. To prepare for the role, the actor started smoking too. However, she kicked the habit the moment the film wrapped.

Rajkummar Rao and Freida Pinto were director Navdeep Singh’s initial picks. Anushka had initially declined the role of Meera, but was convinced to take it on by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap while shooting for Bombay Velvet (2015). Actor Neil Bhoopalam was later cast as Meera’s husband, Arjun.

Anushka refused to have any song-dance or item songs in the film. “Someone suggested we have a typical song-and-dance sequence just before the most critical point. I was told it would be good to pause with a romantic song where the leads get out of the car and start singing. My reaction was a blank expression,” Pinkvilla quoted her as saying.

In 2015, the makers confirmed that the film would get a sequel titled NH12. But there have not been any developments since.

Anushka Sharma made a public appearance after a long time at an event in Mumbai. The actress arrived for an exclusive ‘Yes Moms and Dads’ gathering where she interacted with mothers in her first media appearance after welcoming her second baby. At the event, hosted by Slurrp Farm, she opened up about feeling the pressure of being the perfect parent along with her cricketer husband Virat Kohli and teaching gratitude to their daughter Vamika and son Akaay.

Talking at the event, Anushka said, “There is also so much pressure to be like this perfect parent. We are not perfect parents, we will complain about things, and it is ok to admit it to them also. So, they know that you are flawed. Imagine kids having to live up to, ‘Oh my parents are like this’. So, owning your mistakes makes (it easier).”

She also emphasized on managing her children’s growing up years and teaching them how to be grateful of their privileges.

She said, “In my case, I have realized that my daughter is very young. And I don't think I can teach her anything. It is how we lead our lives. Are we showing gratitude to others in our daily life? Are we grateful for the things we have in life? Are we showing that as an example? Do we think this is enough? I think she has picked up on that, I don't think I can teach her anything. For them to learn gratitude, they have to see you being grateful. It is a very selfish space to say that I'll teach my child this and that, you have to be grateful, your child will follow suit. You just have to enjoy their childhood. If you ever see them showing disrespect, they are not showing disrespect, they are just being kids and you can gently guide them. Living by example is the only way to make sure they soak the good things from the environment,” she concluded.

Anushka who was last seen in Zero with Shah Rukh Khan in 2018 also mentioned how she got influenced by her daughter’s healthy routine and now swears by it. Vamika has her dinner in the evening and sleeps quite early. Anushka too followed suit.

About the benefits, she says, “I sleep better that way and feel fresh in the morning, there is less brain fog. So now the entire family does that. Sleeping on time and waking up early works. Kids give you cues. You just need to have space to accommodate that.”

She also opened up about losing out on social life after embracing parenthood, saying, “I can only hang out with people who do the same and these are very few people. So social life, you can forget about it. People invite us to dinner and I am like… You are probably eating a snack at the time people are having their dinner. Someday, occasionally you have to let it go, otherwise people will hate you,” she added.

When asked Anushka to describe herself as a mother, she signed off saying, “I think I am very chill. Lot of people won’t think that I am chill, but yes I am!”

Patralekhaa has been a part of the industry for 10 years now and feels it’s going to be her year, as “it’s the product of seven years of hard work”. The actor is looking forward to four projects including films Phule, IC814: The Kandahar Hijack, Wild Wild Punjab and web series Gulkanda Tales. Calling it “one of the busiest phases” in her career, she adds, “I have been working hard to reach this stage. It required a lot of patience and perseverance.”

The 34-year-old, who has been a part of films like Love Games (2016), Nanu Ki Jaanu (2018) and Badnaam Gali (2019), credits OTT for getting her interesting opportunities. Web shows like Bose: Dead/Alive, Main Hero Boll Raha Hu and Aar Ya Paar got her recognition for her acting skills.

“I am glad with OTT, there’s varied content and diverse roles. When I met directors, they told me to try getting work on OTT. (Filmmakers) Raj and DK were the first ones who got me on board for Gulkanda Tales,” she says, adding, she’s been working non-stop for the last two years.

Patralekhaa admits the lack of offers used to bother her initially: “I had nobody to lean on in the film industry. But I caught up. That’s what patience and perseverance brings to the table.” Her professional life rose post her wedding to actor Rajkummar Rao. She quips, “I feel I should’ve got married much earlier.”

There was a time when female actors’ marital status dictated the number of offers they got. Patralekhaa credits a change in that to her fellow actors: “Kareena (Kapoor Khan), Deepika (Padukone) and Anushka (Sharma) have broken the norms. I don’t think marriage is seen as a hindrance anymore.”

Surely, you’ve seen the film Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008). “If I’m not mistaken, it was Ranbir Kapoor’s second film, and his first for Yash Raj [Films],” Bollywood star Katrina Kaif informs us.

Now, there were four women in that movie. Three you know: Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone, Minissha Lamba. The fourth was? Katrina!

The film was, in a sense, a goal unlocked for her—she had been “vying for a Yash Raj production” for some time. Except that once she met producer Aditya Chopra, he said, “The script was getting too long—so we had to snip the fourth female part.”

Katrina recalls, “It was a limited role, yes. But I was, like, you gotta be joking! Shortly thereafter, Aditya called me to offer another film. 

“He’d already taken me off a big commercial release. My response to the new offer was—he’s instead offering me a small, artsy film, with no songs, scale, dance, and with Kabir Khan, who’s a documentary filmmaker? I was not happy about it!”

Salman Khan convinced her to do the role. He had met Kabir before, discussing his debut, Kabul Express (2006), and was impressed enough—although they worked together on Ek Tha Tiger (2012) much later.

The Katrina film in question is New York (2009), a political drama, set in post-9/11 America. She says, “I walked begrudgingly on to that set, looking disdainfully [in my head], biting my teeth: such a small crew, where are the lights, cameras… I had just come off Singh Is Kinng (2008), that had been so massively loved by audiences.”

Cut to the wrap-day of the film’s shoot in New York, and she was crying: “Nobody wanted the shoot to end. Up until this day, New York remains the most amazing and eye-opening experience of my life in films.”

“The closest friends I have in the industry are from that film. It played a bit of a role in the journey of my life, thereafter. Kabir gave me the confidence to have my own voice. Something I hadn’t even considered.”

Until then, Katrina confesses, she went by a simple Bollywood playbook on sets: “Do as told. Quietly.” If you scroll through her filmography thereafter, full of male superstar-driven money-spinners otherwise, you do sense a particular pivot, post New York.

Next stop: Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti (2010), the Mahabharat, adapted into the heartland of India’s politics: “I mean, what an experience, what a shoot!”

Katrina remembers, “There was this sequence in Bhopal, where my character’s husband dies, and I take centre-stage. I look before me. There are 2,000-3,000 people, for as long as your eyes can see. I’m supposed to give a speech in front of them, like a politician, and with the film’s entire cast [on the podium]. My hands were trembling. I remember Nana [Patekar] Sir telling me, it’s going to be fine; just go ahead and do it. And it was fine!”

From here on, we can cut further to multiple parts in Katrina’s thoroughly mainstream career, with enough meat for her to juice out as an actor as well—Zoya Akhtar’s ensemble road-trip, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011, easily my favourite), to Bharat (2019), a synchronous history of contemporary India, told through the lives of its protagonists, with Katrina paired opposite Salman. 

But she wants to zero-in, instead, on Aanand L Rai’s Zero (2018). TIL: Before Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) got onboard that picture, it was titled Katrina Meri Jaan, with Katrina playing a double role!

Well, to clarify, “That was a different script. It changed thereafter. But when Anand Sir was narrating me this [new script to play Babita Kumari], my ears and eyes kept perking up to the other female role [of Afiya, suffering from cerebral palsy].”

“Anand Sir said he had someone else in mind for it. I went home that day and recorded an audition tape on my iPhone for the part. I went back and showed him the recording on my laptop. It really moved him. That gave me hope, and we kept circling on it, for days.”

“I was so attached to the part [eventually played by Anushka Sharma] that I couldn’t even care if there was anything good in what was being offered to me.”

“It was Shah Rukh who said I was getting too emotionally attached, and that I should trust him, and do the film. That’s how I got a chance to do [Babita]. It’s one of the best roles I’ve ever done.”

These intercuts into some of Katrina’s more challenging parts are essential. If only to explain how she’s delivered arguably her finest role in films thus far. 

That of Maria, in Sriram Raghavan’s Merry Christmas (2024), squarely shouldering a tough, tight plot, primarily set in a South Bombay apartment, flitting between a couple of male characters, while the camera stays on her, almost throughout a stunningly claustrophobic murder mystery! 

It is, in many ways, a culmination of sorts. The person you’d instantly think of in that role is probably Tabu. Katrina agrees, “I think Tabu is fabulous, anyway. But I loved her in [Raghavan’s] Andhadun.”

That said, when Sriram and his co-writer, editor Pooja Ladha Surti, first narrated Merry Christmas to Katrina, she found herself asking several questions to do with the motivations of her character: “It’s at the end of this meeting, Sriram Sir said I should write the backstory of Maria—oh, no, wait, it’s been a while, it wasn’t him.”

“After that narration, I actually wrote down Maria’s backstory on my own, at home. This was during the lockdown. I emailed it to him, and he loved it. We achieved a more in-depth story, based on that. He’s the kind of filmmaker who gives you that space.”

And yet, if you go through a series of interviews with Katrina before the release of Merry Christmas, she appears to repeat one aspect of her time filming the suspense-drama—that she was crying so much, before and during the filmmaking. Strangely, none of the interviewers seem to ask her, why? Sounds awful—why would she have to cry so much?

Katrina laughs, “Some of the crying [during the shoot] was part of the script.” Clearly, that’s not all. Let’s revisit the timeline again then. “Firstly, there was a major time gap from the narration to when the film went on floors, which was literally three and half weeks after I got married [to actor Vicky Kaushal].”

“You’re in this celebratory, jubilant space. There was COVID in between. All I wanted to do was spend time with my husband that we hadn’t had together. Since I’m obsessed with my work, diving into this intense and darker film was getting difficult. In my head, I wasn’t in that zone. But once you realize it’s happening, you just have to dive into the deep end.”

The other thing, Katrina confesses she has, is a loosely streaming sense of “selective memory”: “Now, Sriram Sir had told me, and this got reconfirmed by my manager—but I had totally passed it over my head—that we had to shoot the film, separately, in Tamil as well!”

“One of those things about ignorance being bliss, but it can land you in trouble. Even Sriram Sir hesitated from bringing it up, until four days before he had to remind me, to start the film’s sequences in Tamil; after shooting in Hindi.  

“I tried to convince him not to do it. I went so far as asking him to cast another actress for the Tamil part.” Why so scared? “I’ll tell you why: if this was any other film—take my last four releases—doing it in Tamil all over would be fine.”

“But this is a very conversational film. There are scenes, where there are 15 minutes of only dialogue. That much of talking, when it has to happen again in Tamil is different. That’s when the tears started.”

“The tears of quietness [before that] were for the Hindi portions. Three days, I cried a lot. I was working myself up as well. My [Tamil] dialogue coach, Deepa Venkat, came in, to drop the stress: ‘The moment you hear action, do not think; force yourself; trust what happens!’”

I’ve watched the Hindi and Tamil versions of Merry Christmas. She’s pulled off both breezily, looking equally effortless. 

For most Indians, the mental image/portrait likely to emerge, once they hear the name, Katrina Kaif, is likely to be the unabashed dancing queen from Chikni Chameli, or Sheela Ki Jawani, aimed at the nation’s front rows, looking for carefree, ‘paisa-vasool’ entertainment.

In 2009, Leo Mattel modelled the Indian Barbie on the 10-on-10 Katrina, with a tote bag; then in her mid-20s. She’s been at the top of Bollywood blockbuster scene for two decades. 

Yet, if you sit down to casually chit-chat cinema, series, etc—her eclectic palette could surprise you, sometimes.

For instance, in a clip sent over to me by a friend, before I meet Katrina for this edition of Sit With Hitlist, she’s seated with Vijay Sethupathi, her Tamil co-star from Merry Christmas—casually talking up Vijay’s films, Super Deluxe (2019), and 96 (2018).

Both movies would be considered prohibitively avant-garde by desi-commercial standards. Is that the ‘Vicky Kaushal’ effect on her, I gently tease—referring to how her husband, who made his debut with Neeraj Ghaywan’s Masaan (2015), could be exposing her to another world within Indian cinema! 

Quick to respond, she says, “As a wife, I do pull Vicky’s leg about how he’s such an art-house film buff. And he’s, of course, totally in tune with all the latest shows and films, and what’s being made. That’s where he comes from.”

But, no, so far as the film 96 is concerned, “I got to see it, because I was approached for its Hindi remake.” Super Deluxe is her late-night OTT, as with any other movie-binger. 

Even as an actor, Katrina says, “It’s not like I’ve lived in my own different land. I’ve always been in touch [with all other cinemas].”

“For example, Dibakar Banerjee’s films. It’s another matter that [a film together] couldn’t work out. That was because of me. And that’s destiny. But we’ve been in touch. Until about a year and half ago, I was regularly meeting [director] Vasan Bala, discussing ideas.”

Either way, what’s undeniable with any relationship, let alone marriage, is how one tends to inevitably expand interests and friends’ circles, as a result of the partner. With Vicky (they got married in December, 2021), Katrina says it’s been more with the meeting of large families. 

“I have six sisters. He has a huge family still back in Punjab. Besides, he has a large circle of friends, from college—I think about 20 of them. Some of whom live in New York, so we meet them, when we’re there…” 

Vicky’s father, Sham Kaushal is, of course, an old Bollywood hand—one of the city’s top action directors over decades, who’s equally straddled multiple movie universes within Mumbai; from Black Friday (2004) to Krrish 3 (2013). 

Once you probe further, you realize Katrina isn’t as hung up in her head over off-stream and mainstream—the distinction isn’t as marked, or she hasn’t cared to creatively define it. 

For instance, she says, “I want to portray myself in a new way now. I don’t wish to repeat myself too much. In several scenarios, I myself feel repetitive and bored. I’m pretty sure, the audiences will, too. I’m no more the 19-year-old, who entered this industry.” 

At the same time, she’s clear, her big, 2023 release, Tiger 3, the commercial hat-trick instalment of the Salman blast-fest checks all of those novelty boxes: “Tiger 3 belongs to the amazing franchise—the space that gives me joy. It’s not repetitive at all. I found the way [director] Maneesh [Sharma] explored [lead character] Zoya’s backstory was really brave, within an action blockbuster. That’s a side of me close to my heart—I love the female action genre.”

Likewise, with dance, she adds, “When I walked into Dhoom 3, those songs, and dancing to them as a circus performer, looking athletic—that’s been my dream and passion; maybe it’s not someone else’s. Rehearsals in those dance halls is my solace. That’s who I am.”

The film New York indeed provided her a fresher “milieu”, but the film that brought her up to skill as an actor, a gamechanger of sorts, she reasons, was Vipul Shah’s Namastey London (2007): “Even though it was comical, with a romcom tone to it; it was such a great character, and story. Not the typical East meets West.”

In Namastey London, Katrina paired opposite Akshay Kumar, the other co-star, besides Salman, she’s delivered a string of roaring commercial successes with. 

She thinks she’s done more films with Akshay than Salman; starting to count them on her fingertips, while this can be googled in a second. Quick search results in a tie, Salman: 7, Akshay: 7. 

Besides the obvious longevity of their respective careers—both Salman and Akshay have been maxing mainstream box-office for over three decades—something she can lay claim to herself, I ask Katrina to decode these two superstars, in terms of how different they are to be on set with, as actors. 

She says, “It’s just the morning and night thing—who you see more daylight with. With Akshay [a morning person], I just have to request him for a later call-time on the set. With Salman, it’s the opposite.”

“I have to ask Salman, ‘Please come early, no?’ That apart, they’re two totally different individuals. While it doesn’t look it, Salman is always thinking of the larger story of a film, rather than the scene at hand alone. With Akshay, there’s a lot more improvisation.”

Either way, her own riffing off the actors’ energies on shoot doesn’t change: “I’m not focused on what my co-actor is doing. I come prepared to the set. That’s what I do on my own. And then I incorporate that with the director and co-actor.” 

To be honest, I tell Katrina, I was a little apprehensive myself, stepping into this interview. Not for the lack of prep, of course. And she’s perfectly genial, even genuinely happy/goofy, to converse with. 

It’s just that she may not be the most giving of all interviewees, when it comes to delving further into her life, outside films, or her world, before films. 

Even as the intention isn’t to pry on a private life; only to shine a better torch on a public figure. And so be it. A decade ago, I tell her, I had been commissioned by Caravan, a magazine of longform journalism to write a 7,000-word piece (way over twice the size of this profile) on Katrina.

I was drawing a complete blank, for days. Choosing therefore to fill up the space with more of context-setting, instead—history of Anglo-Indians in Bollywood; shift from silent cinema to talkies; the anatomy of the Hindi film dance; a growing expat sub-culture of heroines in desi-mainstream, etc. 

While I had chatted with Katrina for a few hours for the piece, there were no expository personal anecdotes, at all. I had asked her then if I could speak to her British mother (Suzanne Turquotte), about her growing up years. She texted back, “Could we rather not?” Totally respect that, of course. 

Yet, for a desi pop-culture story, there is none that matches Katrina’s scale—for someone who landed in Bombay, from London, in her late teens, with a friend. 

Had only watched one Bollywood film (SRK-starrer, Asoka; 2001), until she made her own film debut, a couple of years later. She knew no one in town, upon arrival. She knew not a word of Hindi, before aspiring to be the quintessential Hindi film heroine, and inching towards the top-spot, soon after. 

No, seriously, how? Let’s attempt a step-by-step, still. Even before she got a movie gig, Katrina had landed a contract with L’Oreal, which means she was a successful model, already. But, she says, “My heart was always here, in films. I don’t know how.” Target set, surely what followed was perseverance. 

She says she would start her day at 6 am, to attend kathak classes, until noon, in a “small, non-AC room, with Guruji Veeru Krishnan—Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta were the seniors [in class].” 

With Hindi, actor Jackie Shroff advised her to master the Devnagari script: “On the set, those days, often you’d be handed the dialogues, right before shoot. I didn’t want to be in a position, where I’m wondering what to do. The base in Devnagari saved me. There is then nothing complex [in the learning of the language].”

But beyond all of the above, it was, as Katrina puts it, “Naivete and innocence of the times. Barely at 17, I saw nothing as difficult back then. Today, I would say impossible to the same things. Which is strange. I guess that’s what happens when you have nothing to lose. At this point, of course, I have other goals—but I’ve achieved all that I’d set out to do. Yet, criticism would hurt and affect me far more.”

When she was starting out, though, “An instance, I remember, from a South Indian film, with Venkatesh [Malliswari, 2004]— I was shooting a song, and there was someone on the set, yelling, ‘This girl can’t dance.’  I’ve had people telling me to my face: ‘You will not make it. You won’t succeed.’ Somehow, I wasn’t pained. Never felt sensitive about it. For me, it was about taking in the info. It didn’t penetrate me to stop.”

“I would sit and cry, but believe in the process in the healthiest way; work a little harder to perfect my craft. Eventually, I worked with all those same people who said, ‘We won’t take you in our films!’”

In Bollywood, David Dhawan’s Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya (2005) was her second film, and her first hit (Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar must count as a cameo). 

She debuted disastrously with Kaizad Gustad’s Boom (2003), the year’s most anticipated movie—albeit a film so deliciously bad, that it must rank up there among the greats. 

As always, bad movies make for the most fun reviews—essentially, stand-up comedy on text/print. That review fetched me the job as a permanent film critic, I tell Katrina, off-record. Unwittingly, I owe her one!

Practically everyone involved with Boom pelted eggs on it, in  public, post-release. Not sure about Bo Derek (also in the cast), certainly Amitabh Bachchan; also, Salman Rushdie (his girlfriend, then, Padma Lakshmi, was in the film). Katrina hasn’t said a word on it since. And she continues to maintain that stony silence. Respect her choice, of course. 

Was it Tolstoy, who roughly said, a great story is one of two things—a man sets off on a journey, or a stranger comes to town. Katrina is both those splendid stories. 

I offer an unsolicited advice—that she should someday write that story. Totally unfiltered, just the way she saw it, with all those things she’s kept to herself since. 

She says, “No, thank you. Let’s leave some things unwritten. What I want said is the work I have done, and the work that I hope to leave behind.”

After weeks of speculations, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have announced the birth of their baby boy Akaay.

Taking to Instagram, the couple posted, “With abundant happiness and our hearts full of love, we are pleased to inform everyone that on 15th February, we welcomed our baby boy Akaay & Vamika’s little brother into this world. We seek your blessings and good wishes in this beautiful time in our lives. We request you to kindly respect our privacy at this time. Love & Gratitude. Virat & Anushka (sic).”

The couple revealed that the baby boy was born on February 15.

As soon as the couple dropped the good news, fans and members from the film industry and cricket world flooded the comment section with good wishes.

Virat had opted out of the five-match series against England citing personal reasons. The lack of detail led to intense speculation. A couple of weeks ago, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers had inadvertently spilled the beans about Virat-Anushka expecting a second baby in a YouTube video, and later apologized for it.

Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers has revealed that Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child. Speaking on his official YouTube channel, De Villiers said that Kohli has been indulging in “quality family time”.

He shared, “Virat is spending some quality time with his family, and that is the reason he is missing the initial two Test matches... Yes, his second child is on the way. Yes, it’s family time and things are important to him. If you are not true and genuine to yourself, you lose track of what you are here for. I think most people’s priority is family. You can’t judge Virat for that. Yes, we miss him. But he has made absolutely the right decision.”

Speculations around Anushka’s second pregnancy started surfacing online in November 2023. Then in January, Kohli pulled out of the Indian squad for the opening two Tests against England citing personal reasons. The couple welcomed their first baby, daughter Vamika, in 2021.

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Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers (ABD) revealed that cricketer Virat Kohli and his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, are expecting their second child.

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, ABD said that Kohli has been spending “family time”. He added that one cannot judge the former India skipper for prioritising family. “Yes, his second child is on the way. Yes, it’s family time and things are important to him,” said ABD.

He added, “If you are not true and genuine to yourself, you lose track of what you are here for. I think most people’s priority is family. You can’t judge Virat for that. Yes, we miss him. But he has made the right decision.”

HT City was the first to break the news about Sharma’s second pregnancy. Later, many reports surfaced online, especially after she was spotted with a baby bump. The couple has remained tight-lipped about the pregnancy and haven’t shared any updates yet. However, with ABD now confirming the news, congratulations are definitely in order for Kohli and Sharma.

They got married in December 2017, in Italy, and have a three-year-old daughter, Vamika.

When Anshul Chauhan signed Animal, she was certain that Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s directorial venture would be an experience to cherish, but, little did she know that her performance would bring her as much attention as it did. Earning praise as Ranbir Kapoor’s younger sister in the film, Chauhan acknowledges that the film is “doing the most for me because the project worked”.

“I featured in Tejas, which released last month. I played a substantial part in it but the film didn’t do well. I had more expectations as an actor from Tejas, but [I am coming to realize that] a project has to work for an actor to get noticed,” she says. She believes her collaboration with Kapoor is a result of manifestation. 

Heaping praise on the actor, she says, “He was always there to give the cues, even when the camera wasn’t on him. That’s beneficial for actors like us. [Usually], lead actors work for eight hours, have their [shots] filmed, and leave. As for their co-actors, it is the assistant directors who give cues. But, being cued by the co-actor always enhances one’s performance because reciprocating emotions becomes easier. Ranbir was there on sets for more than 12 hours a day to do that.”

Up next for her is the Anushka Sharma-led sports biopic, Chakda ’Xpress. The actor, who plays a cricketer in the film, refers to Sharma as her role model. “Anushka is my favourite co-actor, and the best human being I have met in the industry. She is a secure actor, with pure, and clear intentions. Working on Chakda was a fantastic experience. I learned cricket for six months. Rarely do female actors get roles that are so emotive. It has an element of heroism attached with it,” she says, adding that she plays a grey character in it.

Congratulations seem to be in order for actor Anushka Sharma and her husband, cricketer Virat Kohli, if our sources are to be believed. We have exclusively learnt that the couple is expecting its second baby, with Sharma possibly in the second trimester already.

A source says, “Anushka is expecting her second baby. Like the last time, they will formally share the news with the world at a later stage.” The couple has a daughter, Vamika, who was born in January 2021.

It’s been a while since the 35-year-old was spotted at an event or papped in Mumbai. “This isn’t a coincidence. She is staying away from the public eye to avoid speculation,” adds the source. Sharma isn’t travelling with Kohli or attending his matches either — something that she does otherwise.

Another source tells us that the couple was recently spotted at a maternity clinic in Mumbai: “They requested the paparazzi to not publish their pictures, with a promise to make an announcement soon.”

Since Vamika’s birth, they’ve been very particular about not showing her face in public or posting her pictures online. Kohli had previously said, “We have decided to not expose our child to social media before she understands and makes her own choice.”

Sharma wrapped up shooting for her next, Chakda ’Xpress, a while ago. She plays former Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami in the film.

Last year, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli acquired an eight-acre property in Zirad village in Alibaug. On Sunday, the cricketer made a visit to the coastal town as construction of the luxurious farmhouse kicked off. 

A source reveals, “All the necessary clearances have been received from the local bodies to begin construction. The land, acquired through real-estate company Samira Habitats, will house a spacious bungalow designed by Udayan Mazumdar and Blanca Bravo Reyes. Both Virat and Anushka are nature lovers. They want the house to be well-lit, minimalistic and surrounded by greenery. The property is being designed keeping their aesthetic in mind.”

In an unsurprising move, the premises will also boast of a cricket pitch. “Virat expressed his desire to have a cricket pitch. That way, he can practice the sport when the family is at the farmhouse, or even engage in a quick game when their friends drop in. The couple is overseeing the property’s design down to the last detail, personalizing it in every way possible so that it becomes a home away from home.”

The land was reportedly acquired at over Rs 19 crores.

The Mumbai Police has imposed fine on riders of two motorcycles for not wearing helmet while offering lift to Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Anushka Sharma on the city roads, an official said on Wednesday.

"Amitabh and Anushka both have been fined through their riders for bike ride without helmets on Mumbai roads," a senior police official told PTI.

The fines were imposed in the two separate incidents after some people pointed out on social media that the riders violated the mandatory helmet rule, he said.

The Mumbai Traffic Police uploaded on their Twitter handle copies of the challans issued on Tuesday against riders of both the vehicles.

Actor Anushka Sharma was recently seen riding pillion on a motorbike, with both the riders without helmet. Netizens criticized it and some people had brought it to the notice of Mumbai Police by tagging the clips on the police's Twitter handle.

Taking cognizance of it, the police issued a challan against the vehicle rider along with a fine of Rs 10,500, the official said.

"Challan has been issued under Sec 129/194(D), Sec 5/180 & Sec 3(1)181 MV Act to the driver along with a fine of Rs.10500 and been paid by the offender," Mumbai Traffic Police tweeted along with a copy of the challan.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was also a few days back seen taking lift on a motorbike to travel amid the city traffic.

He had shared pictures of the ride on his social media account and the riders were seen without helmet.

Netizens pointed out that the rider and the actor were not wearing helmet, following which the Mumbai Police said they had shared this information with the traffic branch.

The traffic police in a tweet late Tuesday night said, "Challan has been issued under section 129/194(D) of MV ACT along with fine of Rs 1000 and it is been paid by the offender."

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Days after the police initiated action against him for riding a bike without a helmet, Amitabh Bachchan flipped from the first version of the story. Now the actor says he was riding the bike on a film set with due permission, unlike earlier, when he had claimed to have taken a lift from a fan.

Taking to his blog on Tuesday, he wrote, “Much made out of the bike picture! How you moving on the street with stranger? No security? You are loved take care? And then NO HELMET! This is on location shoot on the street of Mumbai. Formal permission taken for shoot. One lane in the region BLOCKED off by Police permission for shoot. The lane barely 30-40 metres. The dress I wear is my costume for the film,” he explained in his blog. The actor insisted that he was “just “fooling around by getting on the bike of a crew member”.

Saying that he’s not the only one who’s taken a ride like this, Bachchan adds, “I had seen Akshay Kumar do this to get to location on time.” He concludes: “Thank you all for your concern and your care and love and your spanking me and trolling.”

Mumbai: Actor Anushka Sharma is the “first owner of copyrights” on her performances at events or in advertisements and is liable to pay value added tax on income she earns from it, according to the state government. Copyrights are taxable goods under the Maharashtra Value Added Tax (MVAT), the sales tax department told the Bombay High Court while seeking a dismissal of her petition against the levy.

The actor had challenged a March 2021 order to pay dues of 1.23 crore for assessment year 2012-13 under the MVAT Act. Sharma also challenged similar orders for three subsequent years. Her petition had argued that she has not sold the copyrights and hence sales tax cannot be levied on it.

The HC had sought the government’s reply. Tendered on Wednesday, the affidavit by David Alvares, joint commissioner of sales tax, Large Taxpayers Unit in Mumbai, said under the MVAT Act, “copyrights are intangible goods” and “hence taxable goods.”

Sharma provides her services and earns an income through a ‘contract for services’ and hence under section 17 of the Copyright Act she is its first owner, said the joint commissioner.

The definition of ‘sale’ under the Act included transfer of right to use goods, said the reply. Sharma’s rights under the Copyrights Act get transferred and are used by her clients for commercial purposes, for which she receives an income, it said. This is a sale under the MVAT Act, justifying demands made in the assessment order.

In case of films, the producer is the first owner of copyright, and hence income for acting in films is not taxed under MVAT Act, the affidavit filed through government lawyer Jyoti Chavan clarified.

Yash Raj Films is Sharma’s agent and through them, she entered into tripartite agreements with companies including Nivea India, Gitanjali Gems, Cannon India, Oranjuice Entertainment and is paid for “artistic performances” used by the clients for advertisements or entertainment, said the state. Such copyrights comprise a bundle of rights (sound recording or visual recording of performance, right to reproduction of performance, right to broadcast the performance, etc) as given under the Copyright Act 1957, it added.

The reply said her petition was not maintainable; it said the Act provides for an appellate body to hear her appeal against the order. The matter came up before a bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Abhay Ahuja. The HC adjourned the matter to Thursday after her lawyer sought time.

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Mumbai: The Bombay High Court recently frowned at actress Anushka Sharma for not filing two petitions by herself but through her taxation consultant. “There is no reason shown as to why the petitioner cannot file these petitions on solemn affirmation,” said Justices Nitin Jamdar and Gauri Godse in the December 15 order.

Anushka filed the petitions through Shrikant Velekar, a taxation consultant. She challenged orders passed by the deputy commissioner of sales tax, Mazgaon, raising dues for 2012-13 and 2013-14 assessment years under The Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act. Her petitions said she had performed in films and also at awards functions as per a tri-party agreement with her agent Yash Raj Films Pvt Ltd and producers/event organisers.

The assessing officer levied sales tax not on consideration received for films but for endorsement of products and for anchoring at award functions. For 2012-13, the sales tax demand inclusive of interest was Rs 1.2 crore on Rs 12.3 crore consideration. For 2013-14, it was Rs 1.6 crore on nearly Rs 17 crore consideration. Anushka’s petitions said there is no provision to file an appeal unless 10% of the disputed tax is paid.

Anushka’s petitions said the assessing officer erroneously held that by endorsing products and remaining present and anchoring award functions, she acquired copyrights which are goods of intangible nature and sold/ transferred the copyrights. Therefore, the consideration is liable for 5% tax. 

But Anushka contended that copyrights of videos always remain with the producer who is the owner of it. “. . performer’s rights are not copyrights and performer’s rights are not capable of being transferred to any other person,’’ her petition added.

At the hearing, the judges expressed their disapproval saying they had never heard of or seen petitions filed through tax consultants. They asked Anushka’s advocate Deepak Bapat whether Bombay High Court Original Side Rules provide for filing petitions through a tax consultant. Bapat said these petitions will be withdrawn and filed again with Anushka signing them. Disposing of the petitions, the judges granted her liberty to “file petitions afresh on the petitioner’s own affirmation.”

State’s advocate Jyoti Chavan said Anushka has alternate remedy before the appellate authority. “The question of alternate remedy raised by the respondents is kept open,” the judges concluded.