Days after the Bombay High Court granted ad-interim relief to actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha by restraining certain websites, social media accounts, AI-linked entities, and others from misusing and exploiting his personality rights, his lawyer explains what the order entails and why it was necessary.

“Various forms of illegal exploitation of his persona were being done for commercial gain. This included merchandise being sold on online platforms without his permission, such as mugs, fridge magnets, etc. People were making money out of it.”

Hiren Kamod, counsel and IP expert, Bombay HC, tells us. He adds, “There were a lot of fake profiles in his name. The third infringement was distorting his pictures to make GIFs and memes. There was also pornographic material on which his face was morphed. We wanted to curtail this rampant usage.”

However, this order does not stop comics from mimicking Shatrughan and his iconic dialogue, ‘Khamosh’. Kamod explains, “If Sunil Grover or any comedian wants to imitate him, there can’t be any injunction against them; there is no commercial exploitation. What you can’t do is sell any product with the actor’s name or mannerisms like ‘Khamosh’. None of the personality rights protection orders can stop any actors from impersonating/mimicking artistes.”

A poster of Hum Mein Shahenshah Koun and (right) producer Raja Roy

Producer Raja Roy, brother of actress Reena Roy, has revived his long-delayed Hindi film Hum Mein Shahenshah Koun, starring Shatrughan Sinha, Rajinikanth, Hema Malini, Anita Raaj, Prem Chopra, the late Jagdeep and Amrish Puri. Shot in 1989, the film remained unreleased for 37 years and is now finally set for a theatrical release.

After principal photography was completed, Raja moved to London, leaving the project unfinished. Although there were attempts to revive the film over the years, a series of personal setbacks, including the untimely loss of his son and later the death of director Harmesh Malhotra, pushed it further into limbo. Eventually, Raja returned to India with the resolve to complete the project.

Reflecting on the film’s long and difficult journey, Raja said, “We never lost hope for this film. Many tragic events have unfolded over the decades, both personally and professionally. Today, I feel grateful that we are finally able to release it in cinemas. This film has endured grief, setbacks, and silence, yet it has survived. This is not just a movie for me; it is my child.”

Speaking about the technical upgrade, Raja explained, “It is an action film driven by Vendetta. We have used the latest technology to enhance the viewing experience. AI tools were employed for visual smoothing, audio mastering, and to bridge gaps in certain scenes, ensuring continuity without compromising the original performances or narrative structure. I have embraced new-generation techniques while retaining the soul of the film. The final result is now in the audience’s hands.”

Shabana and Aslam Mirza, associate producers of the film, played a key role in restoring and completing the project using modern technology.

Aslam said, “For nearly five years, I have been working to revive this film. Many people advised me to release it with minimal corrections, but I felt that would be unfair to the film, especially considering Raja Roy ji’s passion and the years of waiting behind this project. The film deserved to be completed properly and presented in a digitally refreshed, modern format on the big screen. We have also added a new song with a contemporary feel to complement the film.”

Addressing the legal clearances required for the revival, Raja shares that the necessary permissions were secured decades ago. He said, “We obtained NOCs from all the actors back in the 90s.”

Speaking about the cast’s response to the film finally seeing the light of day, Raja shared, “I share a very warm relationship with Shatrughan Sinha ji. When I informed him about the release, he congratulated the entire team and expressed his willingness to actively participate in the promotions. I am in discussions with Rajinikanth ji and will be meeting him soon to talk about promoting the film in the South.”

When we reached out to Hema Malini, she chose not to speak about the film but wished the team the very best.

Rajinikanth and Prem Chopra in a still from the film

Days after actor-politician Jaya Bachchan’s widely-discussed remark about paparazzi, veteran actor-politician Shatrughan lent his voice in their support.

Appearing alongside actor Poonam Dhillon at a recent event in Mumbai, Shatrughan quipped, “Aap log pant bhi achhi pehente hain aur shirt bhi achhi pehente hain,” prompting laughter and cheers. Following this, Poonam can be heard saying that with such positive energy, it felt as though “the new year has already begun.”

In an earlier conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt, Jaya had said some paps are not fully trained and behave unprofessionally: “Bahar drain-pipe type gande-gande pants pehen kar, haath mein mobile le kar… they think just because they have a phone, they can take your picture and say whatever they want, along with the kind of comments they pass.”

Last month, Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal marked their first wedding anniversary. After dating for seven years, the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony surrounded by close friends and family on June 23, 2024. The wedding, full of warmth, laughter, and love, marked the beginning of a beautiful new chapter for them.​

Reflecting on their married life, Sonakshi shares, “Obviously, we started spending a lot more time together after marriage, and it’s been so much fun. I highly recommend marriage — especially when you’re marrying your best friend. People say things change after marriage, but for us, nothing has. And even if it has, it’s for the better.”

The couple is often asked whether they plan to expand their family. To that, Sonakshi says, “My rishtedaars often ask me about it, and my answer to them is, jab hoga tab pata chal jayega aapko. Isko chhupa thodi sakte hain (laughs).”

On the work front, Sonakshi is all set to make her Telugu debut with the supernatural thriller Jatadhara, where she appears in a dramatically different look. “My dad was very impressed with the first look. But then, whatever I do, my dad is my biggest cheerleader. However, the response to it has been good, as I’ve never been seen in this avatar before. Getting into that character was difficult, but it was a very satisfying experience for me as an actor.

Although she will soon be seen in a supernatural film, during movie nights with Zaheer, horror films are strictly off the list. “I have stopped watching horror films with him because he scares me all the time. Watching horror films with him is like an adventure sport. We plan to watch other genres together, but then one of us invariably falls asleep. Our timelines often don’t match, so we end up watching content separately,” she shares.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, whose cinematic journey began in a theatre in the remote village of Budhana (Uttar Pradesh), believes that Indian cinema’s global recognition has been largely driven by independent filmmakers. With their work being appreciated in Europe, this acknowledgment, he feels, was long overdue and keeps him anchored to the kind of cinema he has always loved – from Naseeruddin Shah’s powerful performance in Sparsh (1980) to Irrfan’s in The Lunchbox (2013).

“These films, performances, and my theatre training shaped me into the actor I became,” he says. In conversation, Nawaz speaks to us about the deep impact films have had on him.

According to Nawaz, film festivals expanded his vision of what Indian cinema could be. Sharing that he has been in screening rooms from Venice to Berlin, where audiences come for cinema, not spectacle, Nawaz says, “Berlin ho ya Cannes ya Venice, itne log aate hain sirf cinema ke liye. You go there, watch films from around the world, and then you see the ones that went from India, aur tab lagta hai ki ‘Thank God! Hamare yahan se bhi itni achhi filmein gayi hain.’ Even if they didn’t run in India, even if people here didn’t know about them – they worked globally.”

He adds, “Be it All We Imagine As Light (2024) or The Lunchbox – these films went on to become global phenomenon.”

This year, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound made it to Cannes. Payal Kapadia was on the Cannes jury. About the growing global recognition of Indian indie films, Nawaz says, “Indian cinema ko global level pe kisi ne crack kiya hai toh woh independent directors ne . Most of our commercial films are preferred by Indian diaspora and Middle East. But in Europe, our independent films are more appreciated.”

Nawaz reveals he has always been a cinephile, drawn to movies by actors who pushed boundaries. “There are so many films I keep going back to Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar’s films, Naseeruddin Shah’s Ijaazat (1987), Om Puri’s Ardh Satya (1983), Pankaj Kapur’s Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1990). Yeh filmein main baar-baar, hazaar baar dekh sakta hoon .”

For him, it’s not genre or director, but the power of performance that links them. “It’s the actors,” he says. “Hamare country mein aise actors ka hona, yeh hamari khushnaseebi hai. Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Kamal Haasan, Manoj Bajpayee, Irrfan – they’re great actors.”

“The first film I ever watched in a cinema hall was Jaggu (1975),” Nawaz recalls, adding, “I must’ve been five or six. Hamare yahan toh Shatrughan Sinha bahut hi popular thay western UP mein.”

For his directorial debut, Kussh S Sinha has crafted a supernatural thriller, Nikita Roy. At the centre of this mystery layered with the occult is actor and Kussh’s sister Sonakshi Sinha, who plays the titular role. Tell the first-time director that very few supernatural thrillers are centred on women, and he says that a lot of effort went into building Nikita’s character.

“Nikita is part of a group of people who want to investigate charlatans. [We set out] by understanding her psychology. What motivates her? Why does she want to be an author? Why does she want to make people realize that they shouldn’t believe in the supernatural? All these layers were kept in mind while designing the character,” he shares.

If he had a complex character on paper, Sonakshi breathed life into it. Having watched his sister on screen over the past 15 years, Kussh knew that playing an investigator adamant on finding the truth would come easily to her. “It was easier to direct Sonakshi because I have studied her as an actor. In fact, at times, my biggest grouse as a viewer was that other filmmakers were not using her talent to the fullest. She is an extremely talented actor with immense emotional range.”

How did the sibling dynamics translate on the set? “On set, she is an actor who has been doing her work for a number of years. So, I treated her as I’d treat any experienced actor — with respect, and I’d take into account what was required from them and what they required from me.”

Directing an eclectic cast that included Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal, and Suhail Nayyar was a pleasure for the debutant director. Kussh reflects, “I got lucky that they are all accomplished actors. That helped with bringing the characters to life.”

Carrying the Sinha legacy ahead comes with emotional pressure. But the filmmaker asserts that Nikita Roy is a reclamation of his voice, on his own terms.

He states, “I respect what my father [Shatrughan Sinha] has achieved. But there was no emotional pressure on Sonakshi and I as we did Nikita Roy together. My father has been an actor and a politician for decades. My sister has been an actor. This is me walking my own path. At the end of the day, you have to work as hard as everybody else, if not harder.”

Shatrughan Sinha, who worked with Manoj Kumar in films like Kranti and Santosh, shares, “Manoj Kumar was a Bharat Ratna in the true sense. He was rightly called the son of the soil, and he was the pride of the nation. He was not only my co-actor and director, but also a very good friend. We were regularly in touch for the last three decades. He used to fondly call me Ramayanvasi because my house is called Ramayan and when my kids Luv and Kush were born, he had come to visit us at the hospital. He had named my kids and he would say, 'Main unka mama hoon'. He used to love Poonam's cooking and we would regularly send his favourite dishes to his home. Around four months ago, we met him at his home, and I asked him about his health and homeopathy medicines because he knew a lot about it. He said, 'Arre Shotgun chhodo woh baatein, I am very fine and strong'.”

Sharing how he regretted not doing his film Shor with Jaya Bachchan, he says, “Sir had offered me a film Shor with Jaya ji, but we had date issues. Jaya ji wanted to complete the film in 4 months and I needed 8 months. So Premnath ji, who was also a very good actor, did the role. I could not act in Shor and it is my biggest regret till date.”

Sinha shared further, “We all actors would agree that there were two most handsome guys from those days - Manoj Kumar and Dharam ji. We had never seen such good-looking men who were also talented.”

Recounting their time together on the sets, Sinha says, “I was perennially late on the sets, but he never scolded me. He used to say, 'There must be a genuine reason why you are late. Let's finish our work on time now’. I remember him as a complete artiste - a talented actor, even better director and editor, and he had passion for Indian cinema. He used to sometimes write scenes on the set and shoot a song at one go. A positive mind, great sense of humour and fun-loving. Manoj sir had deshbhakti ingrained in him and I will always fondly remember him.”

It has been 25 years; Amitabh Bachchan has been sitting across the hot seat, quizzing contestants while subtly giving them hints and keeping Kaun Banega Crorepati entertaining with anecdotes. Next week, the reality quiz show kicks off the celebration, Gyan Ka Rajat Mahotsav, on January 20. Contestant Vinay Gupta from Kathu takes the hot seat as a representative of his village, becoming the first-ever contestant from his hometown to feature on KBC. The cherry on the cake comes when he gets Bachchan to spout one of his iconic dialogues from Zanjeer (1973).

Bachchan gets into action mode and recites the dialogue, “Jab tak baithne ko na kaha jaye, seedhi tarah khade raho. Ye police station hai, tumhare baap ka ghar nahi.” After the thunder of applause, he smiles and explains how he had to say this dialogue on the first day of shooting. “I was initially hesitant to say these lines to Pran sir, a man of extraordinary talent, but he was extremely supportive.”

Written by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, Zanjeer was the turning point of Bachchan’s career after his debut with Saat Hindustani (1969). The senior actor confesses that, at that time, the late actor Rajesh Khanna was the biggest superstar in India.

“Kya aura tha, kya following thi… His presence was so powerful that women would take the dirt from his car’s tyres and apply it to their foreheads as a blessing. I was a nobody, but Salim-Javed came to meet me and offered me the story. Javed saab said he had seen me in a scene from Bombay To Goa [1972], where Shatrughan Sinha and I were sitting in a restaurant and he slapped me. When I stood up, I was still chewing the sandwich I had been eating. That moment made Javed saab believe that I could handle the role in Zanjeer.”

Actor Sonakshi Sinha took to Instagram Stories (see right) on Monday evening, criticising actor Mukesh Khanna for saying that it was her father, actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha’s fault that she couldn’t answer a question on Ramayana on a television quiz show.

In 2019, Sonakshi participated in Kaun Banega Crorepati and was asked for whom Lord Hanuman brought the Sanjeevani booti, but she couldn’t answer correctly. In a recent interview on Siddharth Kannan’s YouTube channel, Mukesh blamed Shatrughan for not teaching Sonakshi about Ramayana. “Her brothers’ names are Luv and Kush. People were angry that Sonakshi didn’t know this, but I would say it’s not her fault—it’s her father’s fault. Why didn’t they teach their children this? Why did they become so modern?”

Reacting to the remarks, Sonakshi asked Mukesh to “stop bringing up the same incident time and again to be back in the news at the expense of me and my family”.

She further warned him against speaking about values her “father has instilled” in her: “It’s because of those values that I have only said what I said, very respectfully, after you decided to make some distasteful statements about my upbringing.”

This is not the first time Mukesh has criticised Sonakshi. In 2020, Shatrughan defended his daughter, saying, “Who has appointed him the guardian of the Hindu religion?” He told Bollywood Hungama, “Not answering a question on the Ramayana doesn’t disqualify Sonakshi from being a good Hindu. She doesn’t need a certificate of approval from anyone.”

We aren’t very different from each other, our core is the same,” says Sonakshi Sinha, as she sits down with hubby (a term she’s still getting used to), actor Zaheer Iqbal, in the same room where they exchanged vows, to share with us little known facts about their love story. The couple, who got married on June 23, have this lovely vibe about them – warm, easy, loving – and that reflected in their wedding celebrations, which they say was planned in all of 25 days.

Their big day was all about them, the people who love them and the simple things that matter to them. In an exclusive conversation with us, Sonakshi and Zaheer talk about their relationship, bonds with their family and how their wedding turned out to be just the way they’d imagined – perfect! Read on...

Sonakshi: It’s just the way we wanted it. And that’s just us, that is the kind of people we are, and we wanted our wedding day to reflect us. Right from sending out the invite, which a friend of ours quickly made for us, to the wedding afterparty – we wanted it to be chilled out. We didn’t want to have the whole rigmarole of multiple functions, and we were sure we wanted our wedding to be one big party. So, that is what it was – one day of having fun where everyone who truly loves us showed up to celebrate us.

Zaheer: The first time we met was at Salman bhai’s (Salman Khan) house. And strangely, we were both present at Salman bhai’s birthday parties (at his farm and Mumbai home, Galaxy) several times since 2013, but our paths never crossed. I didn’t know she was there, and she didn’t know that I existed. Then finally, we met at Galaxy one evening, when a few of us just chilled together, and that was our first interaction. But the first time we really spent a lot of time with each other was on June 23, 2017 (hence, we chose that date for our wedding). There was a screening of Tubelight and an afterparty, where we ended up spending five hours together. We kept chatting, and suddenly, we turned around and we were like…where did everyone else go? We knew that day there was something special here.

Sonakshi: I was always certain that I wanted to keep it simple and wear a red sari on my wedding day. I saw pictures of the red sari (on the store’s website), and my sister-in-law called for it. I saw how it looked on me, and I knew that was my bridal outfit. Over the years, I’ve done so many shoots decked in bridal outfits, so I was like…I can’t look like that on my wedding day. I wanted to be comfortable, be able to dance and have a good time. I wore my mom’s saree and jewellery for one of the functions, it felt perfect.

Zaheer: The reason why our relationship works is because we both are not superficial. So, for us, the day was about us getting married, it wasn’t about the clothes we were wearing or anyone or anything else. Very often, you hear about how couples are exhausted after their wedding. We wanted to make sure that we are not that couple, and we have a lot of fun on our special day.

Sonakshi: They did, but we told them this is what we wanted, and they were very supportive. In fact, my mom was very impressed that we planned the wedding entirely on our own and they didn’t have to fuss over it at all. We planned everything in 25 days. I was shooting, and one day when we were on set, we thought of it and quickly called dad and asked him if he was free on those dates (as prior to that he was busy, campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections). He told us to go ahead with it. Then after 15 days, we thought let’s make a list and start inviting people personally, so it was literally like that. The wedding happened right here, where we are sitting now, it was so personal. The beauty of it all was that the decor was underway, the food was being laid out, our friends were ordering pizza, walking in and out of our rooms, and all this while we were getting ready. It felt like a home party.

Zaheer: I went over to their house, and I was nervous, because until that moment, I had never had a one-on-one chat with him. The moment we started talking, we began discussing a million things and we became like friends. Of course, I also told him that I wanted to ask her to marry me. I know he’s got this image of being intimidating, but he’s so genuine, chilled out and he is the sweetest person I’ve met in a long time.

Sonakshi: When I told my father about us, even I was very nervous. I didn’t know how he would react. I was trying to play it really cool. I asked him, “Aren’t you worried about my marriage because you haven’t asked me anything about it?” He said, “I have asked your mom ki apni beti se pucho”. Then, I told him there is a guy called Zaheer in my life, and he said, “Haan, maine padha bhi tha.” (There was news about us in the media sometimes). He said, “You guys are grown-ups, miya biwi raazi toh kya karega qazi.” I was like, ‘Oh, that was easy!’ I realized how chilled out and cool my dad is. He was really supportive about our relationship.

Sonakshi: Both mom and dad were very emotional. Dad just appears strong about it, but from within, he’s a softie. He was standing right next to me, and I knew that he was feeling very emotional, so I held on to him and told him, don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere (her eyes swell up as she says this). My mom broke down during the wedding when she realized that I was actually going to be moving out of the house. Now, we visit them very often, in fact, I speak to my mom a lot more now, at least twice a day.

Sonakshi: Absolutely! I think it will be beautiful. But genuinely, we’re not that very different from each other. Our core values are the same. Basically, our parents have taught us to be good human beings and believe in God, irrespective of whatever name you know him by. The most important thing in life is to be a good person – that’s the kind of values we have imbibed.

Zaheer: I know one thing for sure, that I could have 50,000 disagreements with Sona, but it will never have anything to do with religion. Salim uncle (Salman Khan’s father) had once shared with me that this is what he had told Salma aunty’s parents when they got married.

Sonakshi: In the seven years that we were dating, the fact that we are from different faiths has never come up in a discussion. We both respect other religions. It’s never been an issue for us or even a discussion. The only noise is from the outside and we have learnt how to shut it out because it doesn’t matter. We are two people who love each other, and no one else has a say in it. Also, we are actors. We belong to every person. We belong to the audience who come from different faiths.

Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has responded to the trolling his daughter Sonakshi Sinha is facing for her inter-faith marriage with actor Zaheer Iqbal. He firmly stated that no one has the right to comment on her marriage.

On Monday, a protest march was organised in Shatrughan’s native state of Bihar by a fringe group called Hindu Shiv Bhawani, calling the marriage ‘Love Jihad’ and demanding that Sonakshi never return to Bihar.

In an interview with Times Now, Shatrughan referenced the lyrics of late lyricist Anand Bakshi: “Kucch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna”. He added, “‘Kehne waale agar bekar, bekaam-kaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai (for unemployed people, this is all the work they have). My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional.”

He continued, “A wedding is a very personal decision between two people; no one has the right to interfere or comment. To all the protestors, I say — go, get a life. Do something useful with your life. Aur kucch nahi kehna (I have nothing else to say).”

Sonakshi and Zaheer got married under the Special Marriage Act in Mumbai on June 23. Their registered marriage was an intimate affair, followed by a wedding reception the same night attended by celebrities including Salman Khan, Kajol, Tabu, Anil Kapoor and others.

Reports of Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s wedding have been the talk of the town since Sunday. The actors have been dating for over two years and reportedly plan to get married on June 23 with two-day festivities.

While they are yet to announce the wedding, family members have started addressing the news. Her father, actor-MP Shatrughan Sinha told Zoom: “I am in Delhi right now. After the election results, I flew down here. I haven’t spoken to anyone about my daughter’s plans. So your question is, is she getting married? The answer is that she hasn’t told me anything about it.”

The 77-year-old added, “Main bhi utna hi jaanta hun jitna maine media maine padha hai. If and when she takes me into confidence, my wife and I will give the couple my blessings. We wish her happiness and trust her judgement. She would never make an extra-constitutional or illegal decision. As a consenting adult, she has the right to make her own decisions.”

Even Sonakshi’s brother, Luv, had this to say in the matter, “I won’t be commenting. It’s better if you reach out to Sonakshi or the other person directly involved. All I can say is, I have nothing to say on this matter.”

Rumour has it that Sonakshi Sinha is all set to marry boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal on June 23 in Mumbai. Though they haven’t spoken about their relationship, they haven’t shied away from making public appearances together and have even featured in each other’s vacation pictures. As per reports, the wedding invites, designed like a magazine cover, have been sent out.

Both Sonakshi and Zaheer were launched in Bollywood by Salman Khan. Sonakshi made her debut with Dabangg in 2010 and Zaheer’s first film was Notebook in 2019. They shared screen space in the film Double XL (2022) and later in a music video.

While Zaheer shared a bunch of pictures on Sonakshi’s birthday on social media this year, last year, he had written a lengthy post in which he addressed their linkup rumours. He wrote, “Kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. You can always lean on me. You are the best. Keep “Roaring” and soaring always. May you see more of the world than anyone ever has. May you always live the mermaid life. Always be HAPPY. I love you (sic).”

In a recent interview with us, after she walked the ramp at the Bombay Times Fashion Week, Sonakshi spoke about her dream bridal wear. She said, “Whenever I get married, I would like to wear a classic red lehenga.”

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Recently, Sonakshi Sinha admitted on The Great Indian Kapil Show, “mujhe kitne zor se shaadi karni hai”. The actor’s manifestation seems to have come true, as she and actor Zaheer Iqbal are set to tie the knot this month. 

A source close to the couple confirms that Sinha and Iqbal, who “have been living together for a year now”, will get married on June 23 at the Mumbai-based restaurant, Bastian. “It’s going to be an intimate affair. Many of Sonakshi’s industry friends will also be a part of the special day too,” the insider says, while another elaborates, “There will be a celebration on June 22 at their family home in Juhu, for which only close friends and family are invited. The wedding will take place in the morning of June 23, while reception will be held in the evening.” 

The couple worked together in Double XL (2022) and met through actor Salman Khan, who gave both of them a break in Bollywood. One of the sources tells us that “the wedding planning had been on for a while”, adding, “The couple was waiting for the elections to get over as Sonakshi’s father (actor-MP) Shatrughan Sinha was busy contesting from Asansol, West Bengal for TMC party. He won, and now the wedding will be like a double celebration.”

Sonakshi Sinha’s words on The Great Indian Kapil Show, “mujhe kitne zor se shaadi karni hai” seem to have come true, as she and actor Zaheer Iqbal are set to tie the knot this month. 

According to reports, the couple’s wedding invite has been designed like a magazine cover that says “The rumours are true”.

With inputs by Akash Bhatnagar and Yashika Mathur

A new beginning awaits Shatrughan Sinha after a robust 54-year career. The veteran actor is set to make his web series debut with Gangs Of Ghaziabad, a crime drama set in Uttar Pradesh of the ’90s. While Nagender Choudhary’s show also stars Ashutosh Rana, Jatin Sarna and Sunny Leone, what makes it personally special for Sinha is that it unites him on screen with actor-son Luv Sinha for the first time.

Luv recalls being the last to know that he was a part of Gangs Of Ghaziabad. “Nagender ji narrated the script to Paa, who loved his character and immediately came on board. I was to fly to Dubai when Nagender ji asked me to drop in on the set. That’s when he told me that he had cast me too and I had an intense, emotional scene with Paa,” he smiles.

Working with his father had been a long-standing wish of the actor, who made his debut with Sadiyaan (2010). Was he nervous when it finally happened?

“Only those who think they can better a legend like my father, feel scared. When you know that the actor in front of you is a true artiste, it’s foolish to think that you can be better than him. You have to do your role with sincerity and not try to outshine him. This was something I was waiting my whole life for. I was grateful. I’d love to do a film with Paa. Abhishek [Bachchan] is blessed to work with Amit ji [Amitabh Bachchan] in so many movies.”

The veteran actor, who plays a politician in the series, wrapped up his portions in March.

Sonakshi Sinha is exactly where she wants to be. Behind her, she has a successful web series in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, and ahead are interesting projects, including Kakuda and Karan Rawal’s thriller. Does turning producer figure as the next step in her career? Many of her peers —from Deepika Padukone to Alia Bhatt, from Anushka Sharma to Kriti Sanon—have made the shift. But the actor says she is enjoying the strong roles coming her way too much to turn producer.

“Kussh [Sinha, brother] has his production company,” starts Sonakshi, who fronts Kussh’s maiden offering, Nikita Roy and The Book of Darkness. 

“I am busy as an actor and entrepreneur, with my press-on nails company. My energy goes into both [these channels]. I’m very happy with the offers I’m getting now, I want to pick and choose good work. I don’t have the time to sit and work on scripts with teams to produce projects. If I get into something, I’ll get into it 100 per cent; I can’t do anything half-heartedly,” she smiles.

The actor rules out the possibility of expanding her love for cinema to script writing. “I’m not much of a writer. I like painting and creating art.” When she is not acting, painting or focusing on her business, you’ll find Sonakshi spending her downtime in her Bandra apartment. The actor says she chose the location keeping her actor-father Shatrughan Sinha’s dream in mind.

“My dad used to tell me how he bought his first house in Bandstand. He still has that. So, I always wanted a house in Bandra too. It’s my place to have work meetings and catch up with friends. I still live in Juhu.”

Akansha Ranjan is a producer’s daughter, an actress’ sister and best friends with Alia Bhatt, but she is certain about carving a path for herself in the film industry on her own. “Making a mark all on my own has a different kick to it! And I can feel it. Nobody can say that I had it easy or that anyone helped me,” says Akansha.

The fact that she is connected with the movie business is often spoken about. Whether it is her father Shashi Ranjan, who’s backing films, her sister Anushka Ranjan, who has been seen in films and series or her actor best friends. However, the actress makes it clear that she doesn’t use her connections to get work.

“My dad wanted to be an actor but unfortunately, he could not make it. He was in the same batch as David Dhawan, Satish Kaushik, Gulshan Grover and Shatrugan Sinha in Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and he is the only one who couldn’t make it as an actor. He knows that actors ke dost hone se kuch nahi hota hai and I have also learnt that. I have been friends with actors, but I never expected them to help me out in any way. I know my journey and my circumstances. I am familiar with failure, but I have never imagined seeking help from my friends in the industry. I want to be able to make it on my own,” she shares.

Akansha, who was seen in the web film Monica O My Darling, goes on to add, “I believe that someone else’s success is not yours. I am happy for all my friends for their success, and while I have waited in the green room clapping for them, it is my turn now. I believe it is my time to shine.” The actress will also soon make her Telugu debut.

On the personal front, rumour has it that Akansha is dating Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl director Sharan Sharma. Akansha admits, “Yes, I am in a relationship with Sharan. While I have not hidden the fact that I am dating him, I don’t like to discuss my personal life too much.”

New Delhi: His iconic 'tareekh pe tareekh' dialogue may have captivated cinema lovers over the years, but the 17th Lok Sabha never saw BJP's Gurdaspur MP Sunny Deol even utter a word. The Bollywood star was among 9 MPs who failed to address the house even once during its 5-year term.

Deol, though, was not alone. TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha, elected to Lok Sabha in a byelection in April 2022, remained 'khamosh' too.

Though he made several appearances in the lower house and participated in a handful of opposition protests, the Asansol MP never spoke, did not submit any questions, nor did he raise any matters of urgent importance relating to his constituency.

By all means, this was a difficult feat to pull. Shortly after Om Birla was appointed as the Lok Sabha speaker, he drew up a list of first time MPs, prodding each to speak in the house at least once, if only to make Zero Hour interventions.

Despite his best efforts, several members ended up without having delivered a single speech in Lok Sabha between 2019 and 2024.

Other MPs who did not participate in the proceedings of the house included Bijapur BJP MP Ramesh Chandrappa Jigajinagi, away for a considerable period of time on account of ill health and BSP MP Atul Rai who was in jail until August last year.

TMC's Dibyendu Adhikari and BJP's Pradhan Baruah (Lakhimpur-Assam) and B N Bache Gowda, Anant Kumar Hegde and V Srinivas Prasad (all from Karnataka) are the other MPs who did not speak during the entire tenure of the current Lok Sabha.

Minutes after charming the crowd at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Sonakshi Sinha spoke to CT about that precious feeling of being financially independent, the love she received for Dahaad and more. Excerpts.

"I share a special connection with Kolkata. I was born when my father (Shatrughan Sinha) was shooting for Goutam Ghose’s Antarjali Jatra here. I’d also received the maximum amount of love for Lootera, where I played the role of a Bengali girl"

Well I haven’t moved out completely, I still live with my parents. As they say, there is no place like home, and Ramayan, where I’ve lived with my parents all my life, will always be my home. But the new house is where I have my meetings, do some of my shoots and chill. So it is more of an office space kind of a situation right now. But yes, it brings with it a certain sense of achievement because I have always dreamt of having my own house.

I think it’s extremely important. Financial independence means you are totally and completely in charge of your life, especially if you are a woman. Earlier things were different, as women were more dependent on the male counterparts in their family. But today, women are achieving that financial freedom, their independent goals. I always say that you’ve to make yourself so strong that you don’t have to depend on anyone for anything.

I think this whole change in the kind of content is due to the change in audiences in general post pandemic. You can’t blame anything else. People will still go to theatres if the content is good. Yes, a lot of the women-driven stories have shifted to OTT, but who’s to say it can’t shift back?

I believe I’ve always done the right thing. With Akira I tasted blood! Having the complete responsibility of a film on your shoulder makes you feel like a hero. How can I go back? How can I do a film where I am just a part of the story? I want the story to revolve around me! I’m happy with the way things have gone for me. There has to be a really strong pull factor (to draw audiences to theatres). A good story and great performances can still hold their own if the word-of-mouth is good

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