Sunday evenings, for years, have meant only one thing to the All Stars Football Club (ASFC) — hours of football practice at the Jamnabai Narsee School playground in Juhu. But their weekly ritual was cancelled on October 25, in light of the October 18 attack on actor Tiger Shroff that took place outside the ground. Bunty Walia, who owns the ASFC, has called off all training sessions until further notice. We have heard that they will resume only after necessary security arrangements have been put in place.

A source from the ASFC told mid-day that the shooting attempt on Shroff — where reportedly five to seven bullets were fired at the actor’s car by two men on a motorbike — has left the team shaken.

The source said, “The October 25 practice match was cancelled by Bunty Walia. He is clear that till a security plan is put in place, he won’t announce the next match. Many actors are part of the ASFC, including Abhishek Bachchan, Kartik Aaryan, and Ranbir Kapoor. Everyone’s safety is top priority.”

When mid-day contacted Walia, he confirmed that the practice session was cancelled in the aftermath of the attack. The case is currently being investigated by the Mumbai Crime Branch.

“We are not sure about the next practice session. We’ll need to discuss with the police as to how to go forward. We cannot resume till we put the necessary safety norms in place,” said Walia.

As part of the safety measures, going forward, the ASFC may keep its training sessions away from the paparazzi’s lens. It is heard that the club will keep the dates and venues under wraps so as to not attract attention.

Jhakaas! That’s exactly the feeling when Anil Kapoor announced his return to reality television with India Ke Top 1%. After bringing his trademark energy to Bigg Boss OTT 3 in 2024, the veteran actor takes on a new challenge with the JioHotstar game show, which tests how people think rather than what they know. While Kapoor enjoys being the host, he admits that if the positions were reversed, he would “probably convince myself that the simple answer can’t possibly be correct”. In conversation with mid-day, the veteran actor discusses what drew him to the show, the Bollywood personalities he would love to see compete, and why actors must constantly evolve.

My first reaction was, 'This is different.' Most quiz shows test what you know, but this one tests how you think. I loved the idea that ordinary people could surprise everyone with their perspective and problem-solving skills. It’s entertaining, but it also makes you think, which is a rare combination.

Absolutely! That’s the beauty of the show. Some questions look simple at first, but they completely challenge your assumptions. I think many of my friends in Bollywood, including me, would find ourselves second-guessing our answers. Intelligence on this show isn’t about expertise, it’s about looking at things differently.

For me, being in the Top 1% isn’t just about intelligence. It’s about curiosity, discipline, consistency, and the willingness to keep learning. In life, the people who keep asking questions are often the ones who keep moving forward. That’s why I love the show’s thought process, baat khatki toh jeet pakki! Sometimes it’s that one small thought, that one different perspective, that makes all the difference. Whether it’s your profession, your relationships, or personal growth, it’s the effort to keep improving every day that truly sets people apart.

Probably anything that requires me to sit quietly and overthink! I’ve always trusted my instincts. Sometimes when you analyze a question too much, the obvious answer is right in front of you and you still miss it. Knowing me, I’d probably convince myself that the simple answer can’t possibly be correct.

I would love to call Amitabh Bachchan, Javed Akhtar, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar and Karan Johar for this show. They all would be fascinating because they have a unique and way of looking at the world. Even Anupam Kher would be entertaining because he always has an answer for everything, whether it’s the correct answer or not, we’ll find out on the show! And Farah Khan would be a strong contender. She’s extremely observant, very sharp, and has a wicked sense of humour. I’d just be worried she’d spend more time roasting me than answering the questions.

Without a doubt! Audiences today have access to content from all over the world. They can watch a film, a series, a documentary, or a reality show at the click of a button. That means actors need to constantly evolve, experiment, and push themselves. Versatility is no longer a bonus, it’s essential.

I’ve always believed that the medium doesn’t matter, the content does. Whether it’s cinema, streaming, television, or reality shows, if something excites me and gives me an opportunity to connect with audiences in a meaningful way, I’m open to it. Right now, I’m enjoying this experience and taking it one project at a time.

It’s the last season of ‘Koffee With Karan’. That’s something Karan Johar made clear when he announced the ninth season of the JioHotstar show. But is it the filmmaker-host’s final brush with a chat show? Not really. mid-day has learnt that he is planning to launch a new chat show. And since it’s Johar at the helm, you can count on the glitz, glamour, and gossip. 

Sources have indicated that Johar is keen to launch his own creation, considering JioHotstar owns the intellectual property that is ‘Koffee With Karan’.

A source shared, “While speculation is that Karan has decided to wrap up ‘Koffee…’ to focus on direction, he wants to create a new IP. He is a sharp businessman and a brilliant host. So, he is considering making a new chat show that his banner will hold the rights to. Today, there are many shows that first launch on YouTube, become popular, and are eventually picked up by a streamer.”

For now, however, his energy is directed at ‘Koffee With Karan 9’. This year, he has whipped up an all-stars line-up.

The source further revealed, “Salman Khan shot his episode on Thursday. The buzz is that Alia Bhatt will open the show, but Salman is also a strong option. Alia will come with husband Ranbir Kapoor and ‘Love & War’ co-star Vicky Kaushal on the show. Shah Rukh Khan and son Aryan will appear together.”

What’s common among Badri Ki Dulhaniya, Sweety Tera Drama, and Panwadi besides them being dance numbers? Dev Negi’s high-energy vocals. Now, his latest song, Thummak Thummak, from Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia-starrer The Vvaan has joined the list.

“The fact that both the song and the film are doing well makes me doubly happy. It’s also nice that it’s my collaboration with Tanishk bhai [Bagchi, composer],” Negi told mid-day over a call.

His voice has become something of a staple in Bollywood’s party tracks. But the singer admitted that when he entered the industry 13 years ago, he had a different plan in mind.

“I sang a few romantic tracks in the beginning and thought that’s how it would go, that I would sing a lot more love songs. But the moment Sweety Tera Drama and Chalti Hai Kya 9 Se 12 became hits, it generated more of such songs. I am grateful that I have hits under my belt, but sometimes I miss singing love songs,” he said, before adding, “It’s also this industry’s tendency to offer you similar songs once you score success in a genre.”

Besides adding more love songs to his discography, Negi has another wish. Having lent his voice to Shah Rukh Khan in Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) and Salman Khan in some films, he fervently hopes to sing for another superstar.

“Ranbir Kapoor has been on my wishlist forever. There’s some magic when he performs. It’s difficult to articulate the value he adds to a composer’s tune and a singer’s voice. I am a huge fan of his acting. I hope one day I get to sing for him.”

Sheetal Sharma’s Santacruz living room doubles as a home, archive and costume lab. Copper curios and family photographs share shelf space with hefty books on Chanel, Givenchy and Prada. His team gathers here to dissect scripts and build characters. At present, the room is occupied by a mythological drama set before the Ramayan.

“I don’t like working in production-house boardrooms. They feel very cubical,” says the 44-year-old, dressed in his own uniform of white linen shirt and olive-green trousers. “Here, there’s open space to think and bounce ideas around.”

There is a new object in the room too: the National Film Award he shares with Deepali Noor for the costumes of Pushpa 2 - The Rule. Sharma initially assumed the email announcing it was a scam. “With so many online scams around, I didn’t even open the link,” he laughs. A call from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting eventually convinced him otherwise. On September 22, he received the honour from President Droupadi Murmu in Gujarat.

Cinema was never the plan. Raised in a military family between Jammu, Amritsar, Pathankot and Mumbai, Sharma first enrolled in hotel management, “because I wanted to be a chef.” Dyslexia made the mathematical side difficult, and he left after 18 months.

An aptitude test guided him towards creative work. Graphic design proved too geometric; fashion finally stuck. At the Wigan and Leigh college of fashion and management in Mahalaxmi, he learnt to sketch, cut, stitch and embroider, before studying period costume for theatre in Britain. Then came the 2009 recession and a return to India without a job.

His real education began on Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely, where a tiny budget meant Sharma did almost everything himself. “I ironed garments, distressed fabrics and learnt to navigate Mumbai’s wholesale markets.”

He still does. Crawford Market, Mangaldas Market and Chor Bazaar are as useful to him as any fashion archive. For Pushpa 2, Rs 150 second-hand saris bought off the street were cut up and transformed into printed shirts for Allu Arjun and the supporting cast. Sixteen blue saris were used to a create look for Arjun in one dance sequence alone.

Sharma reads a script closely, and likes to pick apart every detail. He annotates it line by line, inventing histories that may never be spoken on screen: how long a character’s hair might be, whether they would have a tattoo, how much money they possess, what they would realistically buy.

Sometimes the clue comes from life. “Gangubai’s sunglasses in Gangubai Kathiawadi were inspired by women I spotted on Mumbai local trains, pairing saris with goggles. Her white wardrobe drew upon the scant historical description of Gangubai as a woman who wore white and plenty of gold. One sari I sourced was an 80-year-old piece from Jodhpur, woven with real silver thread.”

The clothes had to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s sets and light too. Sharma recalls how, on Kesari Chapter 2, a miniature of the courtroom helped the departments decide whether charcoal coats would photograph better than black. In Imtiaz Ali’s Main Wapas Aunga, clothes became a direct narrative device for Ishar Singh Grewal, the elderly protagonist played by Naseeruddin Shah, who has Alzheimer’s disease. A traditional Chand Bali earring changed size between scenes, while one outfit shifted from white to red without changing its tailoring, signalling the character’s growing memory loss. His private costume archive in Govandi now holds pieces from several films, kept with the producers’ permission: Shah Rukh Khan’s black kurta-pyjama from Raees, jewellery made for Vicky Kaushal in Chhaava and other remnants of characters whose lives ended when the cameras stopped.

For Stree, a vintage shawl found in Chor Bazaar became Shraddha Kapoor’s maroon embroidered jacket. When costumes from the first film could not be traced, Sharma says, “My team recreated them for Stree 2, re-dyeing and reprinting fabrics and even recreating materials that were no longer available.”

That obsessive eye does not make Sharma particularly interested in fashion trends. He cheerfully admits that contemporary terminology can escape him and prefers the permanence of a trench coat or Patiala salwar to whatever happens to be fashionable that season.

It may explain why his work rarely feels like celebrity styling. On Animal, where he joined after four previous costume designers, Ranbir Kapoor ended up in the linen shirts Sharma himself favours. “On set I was told, ‘You made him like you,’” he recalls. Nor does he believe cinema must always dress people exactly as they dress in life.

“Films also need to sell aspirations,” he says. “We are city people, so we might say, ‘Who does stuff like that?’ But in small towns, people really adore those things. They aspire to go to college looking like that. In the end, films are selling dreams.”

His own taste remains considerably less grand. If he ever starts a clothing label, Sharma says, it will be “easy and breezy”, built around simplicity rather than trends. Which seems fitting.

After years of making clothes speak for everyone else, Sharma is happiest when his own clothes speak the least.

In a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie, you can be assured of three things — moving storytelling, visual grandeur, and swoon-worthy costumes and jewellery. The filmmaker’s upcoming project, ‘Love & War’, is expected to be no different.

We’ve heard that an exclusive jewellery collection inspired by the film is being planned for a December launch. The line is expected to feature pieces drawn from the period jewellery created for Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, and other actors in the movie.

Bhansali had joined forces with the leading jewellery brand, Tanishq, ahead of the release of ‘Padmaavat’ (2018).

A source shared, “The brand had launched a special collection in collaboration with the film, recreating jewellery inspired by the pieces worn by its characters. The same will be done with ‘Love & War’ as Bhansali has brought 1950’s jewellery — from chokers to elaborate bracelets and exquisite pearl pieces — with the love triangle, set in the 1950s and 1960s. It will be launched a month before the film’s January 2027 release.”

The filmmaker is currently locking the movie’s final edit, teasers, and deciding between the three different trailer cuts. “The jewellery line will be finalized by November-end after the trailer has been released,” added the source.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali had launched a special jewellery collection ahead of ‘Padmaavat’ (2018) release as well.

Long before Ranbir Kapoor’s epic Ramayana: Part 1, there was Ramanand Sagar’s landmark 1987 TV series Ramayan. Almost 40 years on, the late filmmaker’s grandson, Shiv Sagar, is bringing a documentary that will chronicle the making of the Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia-led show.

Shiv told mid-day that the 60-minute documentary is currently in post-production. “It will show what happened behind the scenes — including anecdotes, never-before-seen footage, and retakes — during the making of my grandfather’s Ramayan. We have interviewed the cast, crew, and technicians connected to the series. We have [archival] videos of my grandfather and father. Its working title is Behind The Scenes Of The Ramayan, and we are planning to release it in the Diwali week,” he said.

Diwali is also when Ramayana: Part 1 will hit the screens. Shiv’s documentary will be launched on Tilak channel on YouTube and played at the Ramanand Sagar Museum in Karjat.

Close to the museum is the Ram temple built by Shiv’s father Prem Sagar and him at their Karjat property. He would like to invite Kapoor and the Ramayana: Part 1 team to the temple. “My sister Shabnam Gupta has designed Ranbir and Alia’s [Bhatt] new home in Bandra. I’d love to invite Ranbir and the Ramayana team to our Ram temple.”

Don’t be surprised if you see another avatar of Ranbir Kapoor minutes before ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ plays out on the big screen. Word is that the teaser of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Love & War’ — starring Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal — will be attached to filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari’s epic.

Initially, the plan was to unveil the romantic drama’s teaser on September 28, coinciding with Kapoor’s birthday. However, that plan has apparently been scrapped, with a different asset drop lined up for the actor’s birthday.

A source close to the development told mid-day, “The September 28 plan is not achievable as the final schedule of ‘Love & War’ got over only in the first week of September. Now, Bhansali sir wants to give the teaser a theatrical launch instead, and ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ provides the perfect platform. It’s one of the biggest films of Indian cinema, and with Ranbir being the lead in both projects, the teaser of ‘Love & War’ can create the impact the makers are looking for.”

While the teaser will be out in November, the trailer is expected to drop in late December before its January 2027 release.

With ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-ups’ in theatres now, Yash is giving undivided attention to his next ambitious release, ‘Ramayana: Part 1’. While the Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash-starrer has generated enough buzz, we’ve heard that the two male leads plan to take their epic to fans across India through special interactions.

According to an industry insider, Kapoor — who plays Lord Ram — will spearhead a fan meet-up in Delhi on October 31, while the South star will host the Bengaluru leg on November 1.

“The idea is to create a pan-India connect. Ranbir and Yash will lead the interactions in their respective cities,” said a source.

The team is also said to be planning a summit in Hyderabad, potentially a day before the Nitesh Tiwari-directed venture’s India release on November 8. Details of the event are still being worked out.

The source added, “The exact format has yet to be finalized, but over 4000 people are expected to attend. The makers want to ensure the film travels to the South belt. That said, the official première of ‘Ramayana’ will be in Mumbai.”

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has directed some of Hindi cinema's most memorable actresses. Yet, when he speaks about daughter Alia Bhatt, there is genuine surprise in his voice. During an interview when asked if he is proud of her daughter being the biggest star in the country, he first corrects us, 'one of the biggest stars of the country', and then goes on to say,

"She's astounded me because Soni and I never thought she had this kind of latent talent in her. We didn't really have what you would call a film culture at home. I kept making movies, but that was my work. When I saw her in Highway, I was astounded. I'm again astounded by her in Gangubai Kathiawadi. From where did she get that body language? She was never exposed to that kind of society or culture. I woke up to her exactly the way the nation woke up to her."

One compliment, in particular, convinced him she had truly disappeared into the character. "For me the greatest compliment to performance came from an event to Jharkhand. A tribal woman who watched Udta Punjab said she believed Alia belonged to her community. I thought, 'Oh my God, this is as real as it can get.'"

He goes on to add, "I always tell my children that whenever you feel you're soaring towards the zenith, remember you haven't even scratched the surface."

Asked whether he sees shades of his younger self in Alia, Bhatt smiles before saying evolution has made her better than the previous generation.

"She has a drive. Every generation is superior to the previous one. Evolution has its own way of improving itself. There is this thirst she has. She oscillates between Mumbai, Cannes, Singapore and Hyderabad, shoots films, fulfils professional commitments, comes back home and continues to play the role of a wife and a mother. It is an astounding kind of energy. (However), One of the greatest roles she's playing today is the role of a mother. It is very humbling to watch. You're such a big star, but you never make anyone around you feel that. The role of a mother becomes the most important role you will ever play. She's promoting films across the country, yet she's constantly running her home," he explains.

If Alia continues to surprise him as an actor and mother, granddaughter Raha Kapoor has transformed the entire family's dynamic. "She'll outdistance Ranbir Kapoor and Alia by miles. She's different. She has a different vibe. When she comes, the whole house becomes hostage to her energy. For those few hours, she becomes the centre of everything," he confesses.

Does he spend a lot of time with her? Bhatt replies, "I recently went with Neetu (Kapoor) to her school for her Grandparents' Day. Soni was in Istanbul. We were walking through a cloud of soap bubbles. I was holding Raha's hand while Neetu was holding the other. It was a beautiful moment. That was something which I remember doing with only Pooja. It brought back memories of walking with Pooja when she was little. Suddenly, time collapsed. She is a vibrant version of Pooja. (Eventually) The same kind of family."

Bhatt laughs while describing his unusual bond with his granddaughter. "She can't quite figure me out. She probably wonders, 'Who is this man and why does he speak the way he speaks?' I manage to tell her one story. She enjoys correcting me whenever I pronounce the name of an animal incorrectly. Soni is very protective of her. She has got the best Nani, and Dadi," he explains.

He continues, "And her father. Oh my God. I'm also astounded by the role he's playing as a parent. And they both are stars. It just shows that this narrative that, working actors especially stars neglect their children, which we heard in our days is a thing of the dark past and is not true anymore. Today you have better communication. You have CCTV cameras shooting for and you can see what's going on at home."

As Raha reminds him of Pooja, his eldest daughter, one cannot help but mention her. Bhatt's bond with eldest daughter Pooja Bhatt has often fascinated the industry, but he believes their closeness was forged long before fame arrived.

"When you become a father at 22 and you're struggling, life is different. I'd carry her water bottle to school. I'd wait around Bandra because I didn't have enough money to travel back and forth. I was unemployed. I spent a lot of time with her. I'd take her to my music sittings. She would sit there in her school uniform while the sessions went on. She, amongst my children, has spent the maximum time with me in those days. She has the courage to stand alone," he ends.

The recently released trailer of director Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana has garnered massive buzz. Actor Kajal A Kitchlu, who portrays Mandodari in the upcoming film, is glad that the epic is being positioned for the global audience.

“I really believe that it’s high time we told our superhero stories to the world. We want to talk about Lord Ram, Lakshman, Hanuman ji and all the wonderful characters that we’ve grown up reading, studying and learning about. This is a great time for Indian cinema to have that sort of global appeal,” she shares, adding that the Ramayana is a great place to start.

The 41-year-old adds, “What better story than Lord Ram to do that! I feel this is just the perfect narrative to give of our country. He’s the Maryada Purushottam, and there’s no one more heroic than him. And having (actor) Ranbir Kapoor play his role is a great representation.”

Having been away from Hindi cinema for some time, Kajal is delighted to be a part of such a major project. “It is satisfying as an actor to be associated with a magnanimous project like Ramayana. The kind of scale that you get to witness when you’re on set, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m really grateful to be a part of it,” she ends.

Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana has landed in controversy days after its trailer release. Arjun Kumar, president of Shri Ramlila Mahasangh and Lav Kush Ramlila, Old Delhi, has asked the makers for an advanced screening of the film to ensure that no religious sentiments are hurt.

Questioning the portrayal of Ram in the trailer, Kumar tells us, “How can Shri Ram, who lived with dignity, be shown taking a pledge and getting angry to kill someone? Also, (actor) Ranbir Kapoor is promoting sale of land in Ayodhya in an ad, and here he is playing Shri Ram. Will Ram ever sell Ayodhya’s land?”

He also believes that things like the costumes “could be rejected by the viewers” after the release.

Kumar clarifies that they don’t want the film to flop as “if films made on a great book like Ramayana flop, a negative message goes to society”. He also insists that they are not giving any certificate to the film, but will ask for scenes to be removed if “any of these hurt the sentiments” of Hindus.

Kumar warned that if the screening isn’t arranged, Shri Ramlila Mahasangh, along with various Hindu organizations, will stage demonstrations across Delhi and other states.

We reached out to the team of Ramayana, but they refused to comment on the matter.

Wherever Ram goes, Sita follows, but that certainly doesn’t apply to Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. While the film has hosted four major promotional events yet, Pallavi’s absence from the events and social media has sparked speculation, from online criticism to rumours of a fallout with the team.

Sources, however, say it is purely a scheduling issue. Pallavi is currently shooting Mani Ratnam’s next with Vijay Sethupathi in Kolkata. “Sai has a packed and demanding schedule in Kolkata. The team will move to another location immediately after this. She is focused on finishing her commitment first,” says a source.

Those close to the actor also stress that she has never treated social media as part of her publicity strategy. “She has always maintained a low-key online presence. The trailer is on her grid now. While she reposted it a bit late, that’s just how she has functioned throughout her career. She went for the Delhi event and then straight for her shoot,” says an insider, adding that Pallavi was never meant to attend the Ramayana unveiling at the San Diego Comic-Con.

Pallavi is expected to join co-stars Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, who play Ram and Ravana respectively, for the next phase of promotions. “The plan has always been for Sai to join the promotions in the next phase, which starts in September in several international locations.”

Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1 found itself at the centre of two different conversations on July 24. While the epic’s first major showcase at San Diego Comic-Con was met with applause from the international audience, its India trailer launch was called off amid the ongoing student protests.

Minutes before the Comic-Con panel began with actors Ranbir Kapoor and Yash in attendance, producer Namit Malhotra announced that the trailer would no longer be released globally as scheduled. 

A source said, “The makers chose to withhold the online launch, saying it would arrive at a later date. The protests across India had prompted the makers to do a rethink.”

The presentation itself went ahead as scheduled, with the team unveiling exclusive footage of the epic to an enthusiastic response from the nearly 4800 attendees.

“This marked only the second time an Indian film has received such a prominent showcase at San Diego Comic-Con after Kalki 2898 AD,” added the source.

While rumours over the past few days suggested that Ramayana: Part 1 might arrive ahead of schedule, the makers reaffirmed at the event that it will be a Diwali 2026 release.

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A dance performance preceding the ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ panel was widely criticized for being a mish-mash of multiple dance forms

A yellow Ambassador glides onto the red carpet. Flashbulbs erupt as Shanti Priya (Deepika Padukone) steps out in blush pink silk, her wave choreographed for stardom. Moments later, the fabric catches Om’s sleeve, setting in motion one of Hindi cinema’s most cherished meet-cutes. Years earlier, audiences had travelled to an altogether different world, where Helen danced to Mehbooba Mehbooba inside a cave lit by flickering torches. One film recreated the glamour of 1970s Bombay. The other conjured a ravine that never existed. Both persuaded millions that these worlds were real.

If you’ve ever visited the Harry Potter studio outside London, wandered through Warner Bros’ archives in Hollywood or admired K-pop exhibitions in Seoul, you know some entertainment industries preserve their history behind glass. Bollywood, for some reason, has never done so. Here, the cave comes apart plank by plank, the palace becomes plywood again, costumes disappear into garment bags and props are counted, labelled and packed into trucks. Still almost nothing is truly discarded.

“Most costumes and many props are hired,” says veteran filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar. “You use them for the shoot, return them afterwards and pay the rental.” Furniture, crockery, chandeliers, doors, windows and architectural fragments all begin another journey once the cameras stop rolling. Every item is checked against an inventory, packed away and stored until another script calls it back into service.

Ad filmmaker and photographer Sunhil Sippy says production designers often become collectors by default. “Many own prop houses themselves, or they’ve spent years building collections from Chor Bazaar and antique markets.” It’s not unusual for things from their own homes and studios to even find a way into frames. “For close-ups, I’d often bring something from my own house, an object I lived with every day because I knew I wouldn’t find it in a rental house. The right object gives a frame its truth.”

Not every prop returns to a rental house. Some end up at Many Many Things, a Versova prop studio run by production designers Shaira Kapoor and Dhara Jain, whose work covers Gully Boy, Bombay Velvet and The Archies. Over the years, productions have left behind what many would see as a museum-worthy collection of collectibles: a miniature red vintage car sourced for a Lays commercial featuring Ranbir Kapoor, gold bricks made for a smuggling sequence in Bombay Velvet, even two cement brains created as paperweights for a radio station set in Tumhari Sulu.

“We never planned to start a prop house,” says Kapoor. “Some pieces stayed back after productions, others came from family, and many were simply too special to let go.” Every object is catalogued, barcoded and tracked before heading out to its next assignment.

That, they insist, is how Bollywood has always worked. Doors, windows, plywood, lights, furniture and fabrics are dismantled, stored and reinvented. “We pride ourselves on making the same object look completely different,” Kapoor says.

“A new lampshade, fresh upholstery or different artwork can transform it.” Nothing illustrates that better than Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies. The pair sourced nearly 10,000 vintage books, along with vintage cookware and utensils, for Betty’s (Khushi Kapoor) home from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ooty, Bangkok, and international Etsy sellers. Once filming ended, most were sold on. “We don’t know exactly where they went,” Jain says. “But they’re still in the ecosystem. They’ve simply moved to another shelf.”

While a handful of props are preserved, Kakkar says that remains the exception. “Commercials work on rentals. Keeping elaborate sets after a shoot isn’t practical. The economics just don’t support preserving every unique creation.”

Costumes have had an even more uncertain fate. Academy Award-winning costume designer Bhanu Athaiya treated preservation as second nature, says her daughter, Radhika Gupta. “She never folded old saris or fabrics. She rolled them, wrapped them in mulmul cloth and stored them in steel trunks.”

Even that could not protect them from the weather and termites that infested them. Athaiya began designing in 1953, long before climate-controlled storage. Studio lights generated intense heat, makeup stained fabrics and colours faded under harsh lamps. “The costumes didn’t survive very well,” Gupta says, “More importantly, they belonged to the production houses, not to her.”

Until the 1970s, few studios archived costumes. Raj Kapoor was among the exceptions, though many garments, including costumes from Mera Naam Joker, were later lost in the RK Studios fire. Gupta still remembers actors arriving at their home to try on costumes as tailors and embroiderers worked around them. “My mother was a director’s designer,” she says. Directors described the character and mood of a scene, and Athaiya translated them into attire, even using colours in the black-and-white era to create tonal contrasts on screen.

Looking back, Gupta believes preserving costumes is about far more than saving clothes. “As Indians, we don’t really have a strong culture of preservation,” she says. “We tend to discard things and take them for granted.” Conservation, she adds, requires time, expertise and sustained funding.

Some of Athaiya’s surviving work has reached the public through the People of Mumbai exhibition at CSMVS, where costumes, sketches and archival material traced both her career and the city’s cinematic journey. “Bhanu Athaiya became a natural choice because her journey from the Sir JJ School of Art to costume design reflects that evolution,” says the exhibition’s architect, Nandini Somaya.

Displaying the collection required a careful process. Costumes were protected under acrylic sheets, while larger garments—including the landmark sari worn in Gandhi—were mounted on custom plastic supports and enclosed in protective cases to prevent stress on the fragile fabric. But such examples remain rare.

Madhav Agasti, who tailored costumes for more than 350 films, including Mr India and Andaz Apna Apna, says costumes usually remained with producers once filming ended. Mogambo’s military-inspired uniform, he believes, is still with Boney Kapoor. Lead costumes are never really reused, Kakkar explains. Designed for one actor and one character, they often end up with producers, collectors or members of the crew. Sometimes they become personal keepsakes. Shivam Hingorani, an assistant director on Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, still treasures the brown AllSaints jacket worn by Ranbir Kapoor. “The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted it.” And once production wrapped up director Ayan Mukerji handed it to him.

And, thus, Bollywood’s best stories survive in fragments: a sari wrapped in mulmul, a villain’s uniform in a producer’s cupboard, or a prop on someone’s shelf. They may never draw museum crowds, but for the person who recognizes one from the screen, those ordinary objects still possess the power to collapse time, carrying them back to the moment the story first came alive.

On July 2, social media was abuzz as an 11-second video featuring Ranbir Kapoor started doing the rounds, with many claiming that it was leaked footage from the asset of Ramayana: Part 1 that was showcased at CinemaCon 2026. Soon, the makers of the Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash-starrer sprang into action, deploying its anti-piracy partners to remove the content through takedown notices.

According to sources, a part of the footage being circulated widely on X, Reddit, and other platforms was not authentic.

A source revealed, “Our team is actively monitoring the internet and getting the material removed. Some elements of the 11-second video are AI-generated, while some glimpses of the film have been morphed and used. In any case, the team doesn’t want any look to be out yet. Glimpses, even the AI-generated ones, take away from the film’s vision.”

Director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra are said to be treating both piracy and AI-generated misinformation with equal seriousness. “The trailer will be launched later this month on an international platform. It’s on us to ensure nothing goes out before the launch,” added the source.

Five days after a tragic accident claimed the life of a crew member on the set of Love & War, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali resumed the period drama’s shoot at Royal Palms in Goregaon on June 22. We’re told the latest schedule, which already faced months of delays, commenced under heightened safety measures.

In the wake of the accident that happened around 3 am on June 17, Bhansali Productions has apparently put an immediate stop to all night shoots of the Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal-starrer until further notice.

The demise of carpenter Chandradhari Yadav, 42, who was working on the film’s set when he allegedly suffered an electric shock, has naturally affected the crew.

A source from the set told mid-day, “The electric wire was loose and he got a shock. After the accident, the makers have decided that no night shoots will be conducted going forward. They have also ordered additional electrical inspections, mandatory safety audits before every shift, and stricter monitoring of on-set work conditions to prevent such an incident in the future.” 

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Following an accident that led to the death of a carpenter on the sets of filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film Love & War on June 17, Bhansali Productions has offered compensation of Rs. 40 lakh to the victim’s family.

The incident took place in the early hours of June 17 at Royal Pump Studio in Mumbai’s Film City, where 42-year-old carpenter Chandradhari Singh Yadav died after suffering a severe electric shock. Preliminary findings suggest a short circuit may have caused the electrocution.

FWICE general secretary Ashok Dubey says, “Humne Rs. 50 lakh kaha tha aur humne apni taraf se prayatna kiya hai for Yadav’s family to get maximum compensation. Unhone (production team) hume bataya hai that insurance se bhi Rs. 10-15 lakh direct victim ki family ko mil sakta hai.”

The film body’s chief advisor Ashoke Pandit adds that members are urging the administration to “form a joint committee to get an audit for old structures and check on safety measures”.

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We’ve been in talks with the production team since the day of the accident. Humne apni taraf se prayatna kiya hai for Yadav’s family to get maximum compensation.

- ASHOK DUBEY, FWICE GENERAL SECRETARY

As football fever grips fans across the globe with the FIFA World Cup in full swing, actor and avid football enthusiast Aparshakti Khurana reveals his deep passion and enthusiasm for the sport.

“Despite my hectic professional commitments, just the adrenaline that football carries keeps bringing me back to it,” he shares, adding that the sport is his “biggest stress buster”.

With excitement building for the ongoing World Cup, the 38-year-old shares his match-day ritual: “I try to keep my day easy at work so I’m fresh enough to watch the match... you need a lot of energy as a fan too.”

Aparshakti also adds how it fascinates him to witness the standard of football on display. He says, “The quality of football has gone up so much in the past few years — the fitness, the competition and the intensity.”

While among Indian footballers, the actor reserves a special admiration for former player Sunil Chhetri and calls him a “legend”, on the global stage, Argentina’s Lionel Messi remains his favourite. “He’s inspired generations while remaining grounded, and his journey reflects what football is all about — passion, perseverance and teamwork,” he says.

While the actor feels Indian football is progressing positively, he stresses the importance of investing in grassroots development: “More investment in youth academies and football infrastructure would help. Consistent success from the national team and stronger domestic leagues can inspire a larger fan base and create a long-term football culture.”

Having played several matches for All Stars FC, a celebrity football team dedicated to raising money for charity, Aparshakti is quick to name actor Tiger Shroff as the best footballer in the team. “His fitness is unmatchable.”

Comparing football dressing rooms with film sets, Aparshakti adds, “Even though I haven’t played football at the highest level, I know one thing for sure — no film set can compare to a locker room or a sports field. That’s where we find the real heroes. We make only films on them.”

Croatia: Technically strong, disciplined and capable of surprising bigger nations

Argentina’s Lionel Messi

Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain

Argentina lifting the World Cup in 2022

Sunderland ’Til I Die (2018)

Jason Statham (Hollywood actor). From Bollywood, I’d say Ranbir Kapoor and Tiger Shroff

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Argentina vs Spain with Argentina emerging as winners