Keep up with Akshay Kumar if you can. Only two days after returning from the UK where he was shooting a month-long schedule of Samuk, the superstar headed to another film set in Dehradun. Over the next five days, the actor will film a special song for director Anees Bazmee’s yet-untitled family comedy, which also stars Vidya Balan and Raashii Khanna.

According to sources, the song will be one of the major highlights of the movie, with the makers apparently allocating a budget of around Rs 1 crore to it. So, think grand sets, larger-than-life treatment, and of course, Kumar’s smooth moves.

A source close to the development told mid-day, “Akshay returned from the UK on October 12, and within two days, left for Dehradun. There is no break between the two schedules. The makers wanted to wrap the song before the third week of October, and Akshay was more than happy to return to the comedy’s world.”

Choreographer Vijay Ganguly has been brought on board to design the track. He is said to be envisioning it as a grand affair, in keeping with the world that Bazmee has created for the entertainer. “It’s a special post-credit song. Vidya is also likely to feature in it, but her parts will be stitched later,” added the source.

The comedy marks Kumar’s reunion with Bazmee 15 years after their last collaboration Thank You (2011). It’s also the actor’s fourth outing with Balan after Heyy Babyy (2007), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), and Mission Mangal (2019).

After spending years in the UK, Niki Aneja Walia is back in India for good and taking on more acting assignments, with a focus on films and OTT. Last seen in Bhai Tera Star Hai, she is keen to explore roles that allow her to move beyond the preconceived image associated with her. Her first stint in Bollywood, however, did not unfold as she had hoped.

Niki, who made her acting debut with Mr Azaad before walking away from films, recalls, “I chose to give up films and move to TV for personal reasons. I never felt comfortable in the film industry because, back then, the casting couch used to give me the creeps. So, apart from the MD comparison, my biggest challenge was compromising. I refused to do it. I am not selling my soul to earn an audience. I want to wake up and love who I see in the mirror.”

Walking away came at a professional cost. The actress, who has been part of several TV shows, including Baat Ban Jaye, Sea Hawks, Dastaan, Samandar, Gharwaali Uparwaali, Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani and Dil Sambhal Jaa Zara, says, “I paid a price for being honest. When I moved away, I had spoken about a filmmaker, and I don’t think the industry took too kindly to my honesty. I had been asked to go out for dinners with distributors, and when I refused, I was not treated well on the sets the following day. There were pleasant experiences with other makers too, but somewhere deep inside, I felt I could not continue. I chose conscience over a successful movie career.”

The comparison with Madhuri Dixit also came into play when Anubhav Sinha was casting Gulaab Gang. Having worked with the director before, Niki approached him because she really wanted to play the character eventually portrayed by Juhi Chawla.

She shares, “I have worked with Anubhav a lot, and he is like a brother to me. So, I reached out to him when he was casting for Gulaab Gang because I really wanted to play the character eventually portrayed by Juhi Chawla. He said, ‘Main toh Madhuri ko le raha hoon, do-do Madhuri mere frame mein kya karengi.’”

She admits that being compared to Madhuri has always flattered her, but she draws the line at comparisons that diminish her own identity and work as an actor.

She says, “In films, I have always been compared to Madhuri Dixit. I have had fans write to me that if it was not for her, I would have had a more successful career. Personally, I have felt so flattered every time someone has said I resemble Madhuri Dixit. But one thing I don’t understand is, what’s ‘Gareebon ki Madhuri Dixit’? I find it very derogatory.”

At 21, Anupriya Nagar invested all the money she had earned and saved from three years of part-time jobs in the UK into her first film, Hanuman Ansh, despite having no filmmaking experience. A graduate of economics from the University of Bath, she had even got a job in Zurich before returning to India in 2025 and eventually getting involved with the film as a co-producer.

“I feel like age is just a number,” she says. “My only focus was to bring Maharaj ji’s (Neem Karoli Baba) stories to the younger audience, to Gen Z. We get to know about such things through foreigners. I myself got to know about him through a foreigner and, being the youth of India, I was ashamed that I was not getting to know about him through his own story.”

For her, backing Hanuman Ansh was never about financial returns. “This was the risk I was willing to take. I earned this money in the three years that I studied in the UK, doing part-time jobs. When I came across Maharaj ji at a beautiful juncture of my life, I just wanted to get into this project. I didn’t know what I could contribute because I had not done filmmaking, but I was ready to give my heart and soul to it. The project needed some investment at that particular time, so I said, ‘Whatever I have, I’m ready to give you guys.’”

Her family initially worried about the decision. “My father was protective. He said, ‘You don’t know much about filmmaking and you know how the industry is. You’re so young.’ But when I told him I was making a film on a noble saint and narrated the story, he was fine. They’ve been with me through thick and thin. In fact, I think they do more publicity for the film than I do!”

The film’s box office journey has since surprised everyone. After opening on 300 screens and dropping to just 30 on its eighth day, it eventually expanded to over 1,500 screens, and now releasing internationally. It has also touched the Rs. 100 crore figure.

“My box office is people knowing about Maharaj ji,” she says. “But the collections reassure me that people are interested in this kind of content. People are making an effort to get his darshan in theatres.”

The film ends with a promise of a sequel, and Anupriya confirms it will happen, “We are not going to dishearten our viewers. Maharaj ji has given us so much in abundance regarding the box office, so we don’t have a choice but to make this.”

More importantly, she wants the sequel to retain the simplicity of the first film. “Our film was supposed to be made in Rs. 2 crore. If we had made the same film in Rs. 10 crore, it wouldn’t have come out this way. The rawness and simplicity came from the low budget, and we will definitely keep that in mind,” Anupriya ends.

Ajay Devgn is ready to revisit the grey side of his screen persona. Almost 21 years after Kaal (2005), the actor will play a supernatural, morally ambiguous character in director Rohit Jugraj’s horror film tentatively titled Griha Pravesh.

“The story is fascinating and something out of the ordinary,” says a source close to production, adding that the film was to be shot in a “single schedule in the United Kingdom from July”. Early this year, mid-day had reported that the film will begin rolling in July (The Devil in Devgn – March 25), but his other commitments have pushed the project.

“The first schedule has been postponed because Ajay is shooting the television series Crime Patrol, which he is hosting. He is also completing the last schedule for the jungle adventure film, Ranger. Kumar Mangat [producer] and Rohit felt that it would save more time if they completed a chunk of the schedule in Mumbai and then went to London later in the year,” adds the source.

The film draws inspiration from the book Garuda Puran, a Sanskrit text comprising a dialogue between Lord Vishnu and Garuda, the King of Birds, and compiled by Veda Vyasa. Divided into two parts, it explores life, duties, death, the afterlife and the soul’s journey, as well as karma and rebirth.

“The book is divided in two parts — Purva Khanda that covers life and duties and Preta Khanda, which focuses on death, the afterlife journey of the soul, and funeral rites. It also focuses on whether actions on earth determine a soul’s experiences, peace, or suffering in the afterlife and its future rebirth. Ajay’s character is somewhere connected to all this [as a corrupted soul],” explains the source.

The first week-long schedule, featuring the characters’ introductions, will be “shot on a suburban Mumbai set depicting British house interiors”. Devgn will then promote Drishyam 3, which releases in October, before shooting for the thriller Chauhaan in December. 

This is the second time Ajay Devgn and Rohit Jugraj are working on a horror film. The latter had assisted filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma on the Devgn-led ‘Bhoot’ (2003).

If July 2025 saw Ahaan Panday break out in Bollywood with the blockbuster Saiyaara, this July saw the young actor almost completing his second film. mid-day has learnt that last week, director Ali Abbas Zafar called it a wrap on the 60-day United Kingdom schedule of the yet-untitled action drama. In the last leg, the unit filmed a romantic song and some dramatic scenes with Panday and leading lady Sharvari in Birmingham.

Also starring Bobby Deol, Jimmy Shergill, and Aaishvary Thackeray, the film sees Panday portray a gangster.

A source said, “In the past few weeks, they shot three songs. One was a solo track of Ahaan shot at Town Hall in Birmingham. It’s a festive number that sees the lead actor dancing alongside young girls doing the hula hoop. Two romantic songs with Ahaan and Sharvari were also filmed at different locations, including Birmingham, Coventry University, Penrith, and Carlisle. Vijay Ganguly choreographed all three songs.”

The romantic action drama will trace how Panday’s character goes from a young boy to a dreaded gangster. The source added, “Aaishvary plays the antagonist, while Bobby is Ahaan’s mentor who takes him under his wing when he is young.”

Kunal Kohli with British actress Amelia Gething and Hollywood actor Nick Sagar

Filmmaker Kunal Kohli is stepping into uncharted territory with his latest project, All About Her, a British English feature film starring a predominantly British and international cast. The film, which is currently being shot in the UK, is his first English-language directorial venture.

Talking about it, Kohli says, “Directing an English film and working with a full British and international crew is a whole new chapter in my life. Shekhar Kapur has always been my inspiration, and I am hoping this starts a trend of more Indian filmmakers working globally. Though English is not my first language, the experience of directing a film in English has been incredibly rewarding.”

Headlined by British actress Amelia Gething and Hollywood actor Nick Sagar, the Sheetal Parab production venture is expected to wrap filming later this month and will be submitted to international film festivals before its release. Nick Sagar is best known for his role in The Princess Switch film franchise, while Amelia Gething has garnered attention for her performances in Emily and The Spanish Princess.

He adds, “Shooting a film in the UK with British actors and crew gave me a great deal of creative freedom. Direct interaction with the actors helped bring the characters to life on screen exactly as I had envisioned, in complete sync with Amelia and Nick. Although I was new to their industry, the actors placed their trust in me and together we created an incredible cinematic journey that we are excited to share with audiences across the world.”

Ahaan Panday and Ananya Panday dancing to ‘Saat Samundar’ at Alanna Panday’s sangeet; (right) Ahaan dancing to ‘I Am The Best’

He is not an internet star, but even before he broke out with Saiyaara (2025), Ahaan Panday was already being talked about. The reason? His dance videos from sister Alanna Panday’s wedding had gone viral. While everyone expected Yash Raj Films (YRF) and Mohit Suri to cash in on it in his debut film, the director opted to keep his character intense. But here’s the clincher — fans wanted to see him dance. So, in his second, yet-untitled film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Ahaan will play the quintessential larger-than-life hero, complete with dance numbers.

“Ahaan, [who is currently shooting in the UK], is going to can a dance number next month, prep for which is underway. A four-day shoot for the song is being planned in Manchester. The sequence will show Ahaan in his effortless best and that’s how Aditya Chopra and Ali want to present him onscreen,” informs a source, adding that the shoot will happen at the end of the UK schedule.

YRF will lock a top choreographer for the number in the next few days “because the visual and dance forms have to be unlike anything YRF has done before”.

“Apart from daily dance rehearsals, he has also been working on stamina, body conditioning, camera [placements], music beats, expressions, signature hooksteps, and building the effortless swagger needed for a big Bollywood hero song since the number is designed as a high-energy commercial track mounted on a large scale,” adds the source.

When you transition into certain chapters of your life, you become more prudent. Earlier, I was young, restless and ambitious. Even now, I am ambitious, but not in the rat race. I am more content and happier with what I have. When you are younger, you stress about small things. After having a family, priorities change. That’s how we mothers learn to balance our home, professional and personal life.

You go by the book with the first child. You don’t want to do anything wrong. Everything is documented. With the second child, you are at ease and just going with the flow. Besides, both children have such different personalities. You can’t expect the way of raising the first to continue for the second one. I have to be a very different mother with both kids.

Hinaya (9) is very calm, reserved and sensitive, like a ‘girlie girl’. Jovan (4) is very affectionate like me. I also love to express and show affection. Jovan will kiss and hug all the time. Both kids have traits from both parents. At the same time, I want them to carve their own identity. I want Hinaya to be so fearless that she can express her opinion in front of anyone. I want Jovan to be chivalrous, kind and empathetic.

Jovan was born in Mumbai. Hinaya was born in the UK. We never lost touch with our culture. On my birthday, we hosted a Sukhmani Sahib paath. We follow the spiritual path and we are very much in touch with our Hindu roots. But we also celebrate Christmas in a big way. We believe in tooth fairies and all things magical that I was raised with. Our traditions and festivities should not be lost while raising children.

I believe a discipline chart is important. One needs to follow a routine to channelize the energy of children. Having said that, each mother has her own way of raising children. Like in north India, kids usually take bath in the morning, but my children bathe in the evening after a massage. People used to keep asking why I do this and I had to explain that this helps them sleep peacefully. So, there are certain things I follow as per my belief and understanding.

I am quite a strict parent. I don’t give them screen time at all during weekdays. On weekends, they are allowed screens for a short while to watch a movie or something. They don’t get gadgets during meal time either. My kids know rules are rules and they have to follow them, no matter what.

The age gap is a challenge. They have different interests and they fight a lot. Both are very attached to me and want my attention. Even in a flight, both want me to sit next to them. At bedtime, both want extra time with me. It is very hard as a parent to deal with this. Sometimes, I feel I should cut myself in two halves (laughs). But then you love those moments too. It’s all about balancing during such times.

For five years, I never left my daughter alone. She used to accompany me for shoots. Once, I had to leave her for a month. It was very hard and emotional. When I am working, Bhajji is at home with the kids. I feel relieved that one parent is with them. It’s also his time to bond with them. I want the kids to see that their mom is following her dreams and wants to achieve them. Moms should not let their passion or drive diminish. Obviously, I choose and pick what’s important in terms of work.

He is very good with the kids. I know some fathers don’t spend quality time with their kids, but Bhaji is very involved. He likes to bathe the kids, play with them and spend quality time. We both have equal responsibility as parents, and he understands it so well. Kids understand that we both bring different things to the table. Both parents have to be present in the parenting journey to raise confident, secure children.

I am strict and Bhajji is softer. I feel our techniques are different.

I am stricter about routine and discipline. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to parenting. The fact that we are on the same page is what matters. As individuals, we may be different people but when it comes to kids we are a team. Kids are very smart these days and they pick up on small things. It’s important for them to understand that parents are ‘one’. It gives them a perspective. It should not be that if mum says no, they can go to papa. It doesn’t work like that.

We do nothing! We don’t step out unless there is something very important. I oil the kids’ hair. We watch a movie, play games and relish aloo parathas. We are typical Punjabis and big foodies.

We make it a point to not over-pamper our children or give them extra luxuries. I know kids who go to school with bodyguards, but I don’t feel the need for that. Our kids lead a normal life and do their own chores. When we go to the UK, they do things themselves as we don’t have a fleet of nannies there and the kids realize that. I want them to be humble, not spoilt. I don’t want them to get everything easily and served on a platter. Wherever we go, there are protocols to follow and the kids are aware of them.

Without Bhajji’s support, I couldn’t have done movies or travelled. Then there’s my sister Ruby. When Bhajji and I have to travel together, then Ruby Maasi is there. My kids are very attached to her. My mom and sister-in-law are also very supportive. It takes a whole family to raise children. Kids also learn to respect elders. Family values are best instilled in a supportive setup.

I want them to feel that mom is their best friend. They should be able to count on me for everything. Of course, the respect should be there. But at the end of the day, I want them to be comfortable with me so that they have my back and I have theirs.

Self-aware, sharp and gently irreverent, she moves between insight and humour without missing a beat. This World Book Day, author-filmmaker Twinkle Khanna, known for writing Mrs Funnybones (2015), The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad (2016), Pyjamas Are Forgiving (2018), and Welcome To Paradise (2023), offers a glimpse into the perceptive lens through which she sees the world.

I have a feeling that it will offend quite a few people, but my job is not to go around offending people. My job is to make people reflect on the things that are visible. But our own conditioning blinds us to those factors. It might make people uncomfortable and they might call it offensive... (But) I think about how I will unravel the layers of conditioning, not just around them but also around me because I also find my way through life as I write.

Once in an interview in the United Kingdom, I said sanitary pads were taxed and Viagra was tax-free because policies were made by 65-year-old men. I was really talking about UK because in India, Viagra was also taxed. When I came back to India, a few politicians did not come for the premiere of Pad Man (2018 film produced by Khanna) because they felt it was targeting them because, unfortunately, they were also 65.

Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar recently shared a behind-the-scenes look from his upcoming project, featuring the leading man, Ahaan Panday.

Now, a source tells us, “Shoot begins on March 30 in Mumbai’s YRF Studios for a 27-day schedule. Then, the team will travel to UK for a 60-day shoot in May. All the actors are currently in action training, and will be till end of March.”

When contacted about his lead, Ali, 44, is all praise for Ahaan. “He doesn’t perform emotions, he feels them. And as a director, that’s a rare quality to find. The camera has a way of catching the truth and with him, the truth is always there in his eyes,” he says.

Only one film old in the industry, with his debut Saiyaara being a surprise hit, Ahaan, 28, will take on the action-romance genre in the upcoming film.

Ali adds that Ahaan “brings a modern energy to classic romantic leads”: ‘It’s always amazing to work with raw, new talent and Ahaan, to me, is at the top of the league from his generation.”

Director Gurider Chadha and producer Anushka Shah

It’s been two weeks since Gurinder Chadha released her upcoming feature, Christmas Karma, in the UK, the country where she lives. It’s a week before she releases the film in India, the country she carries with her everywhere. Like her film, Chadha has always found her belonging there and here.

So, as we sit with her, in a Mumbai suburb club, to talk about the film, we can’t help but ask her, “What’s home for you?” “Southhall is my home,” Chadha replies promptly, while browsing through her phone gallery to show us the street she grew up in.

 

“And I always end up going back to those streets. I was there last week and I did a little activity with local school children to open their Christmas festival. I saw one particular area where the first Indian shop in Southall opened, where my parents used to go. Next to it was a playground where I played as a little girl,” the filmmaker shares with a child-like excitement.

Her love for her British roots and Indian origin is reflected throughout her filmography. Christmas Karma is no different, in that context. But something else is different this time, Chadha says. “When I adapted Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice (as Bride & Prejudice), no one asked why Gurinder Chadha should do this. But because the country’s moved a bit to the right, there are people who feel emboldened, and they are asking, ‘Why should Gurinder Chadha do Charles Dickens? How dare she make a film on Christmas? It’s our holiday’.”

In such times, a film like Christmas Karma that puts an Indian immigrant in the UK at the centre of the story is only timely. Chadha says, “There’s a fight going on for who decides what British cinema is and whose voice is considered to be British or not. It’s really important that those questions are being asked at a time when racism is on the increase. I make films for those fighting the good fight, ones who talk about inclusivity. I don’t make films for bigoted racists or colonialists.”

But it’s not to say that the director doesn’t feel isolated at times. “Sitting here, we’re all Indian women, right? I’m not anything unusual to you. In England, I’m a complete anomaly. Where are the Indian women? Where are the actual directors?”

That’s a question that does need to be asked. Throughout her career, Chadha has been a force to reckon with when it comes to telling stories of the Indian diaspora, including successes like Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Bride & Prejudice (2004). But there haven’t been voices after her that have been able to make themselves heard and seen. The first thing to understand, Chadha says, is the struggle that theatres in the UK have been facing since  the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“In England, people are saying, ‘It’s a miracle that you’ve got a film made, because there’s so little getting made right now.’ Post-pandemic, it’s been a tough time for all film industries, everywhere. So, that is also something to be kept in mind,” she says. But that just scratches the surface. The bigger obstacle for any South-Asian filmmaker in the west is still rooted in his/her identity.

“When you try and make a film with a person of colour as the lead, it’s very hard because people don’t see it as necessarily as mainstream and commercial as we think it is. And this is when I have proved the opposite with my films. I have examples. I have numbers to support it. I tell them, ‘I don’t understand. Why are you hesitant? Look at the successes.’ I am shocked by the lack of films from the diaspora. I also didn’t make a sequel to Bend It Like Beckham because I felt that that was a film that I couldn’t really emulate,” she says.

But her single-minded pursuit to tell stories of Indian immigrants stems from a personal emotion, which she is not sure motivates the generations of filmmakers that came after. Even Christmas Karma, the adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, is born out of the endeavour, Chadha says, of showing that the struggles of her ancestors, who had to leave their land behind, weren’t in vain.

“Christmas Karma comes from the same wheelhouse as Bend It Like Beckham. It’s a human empowerment movie. It’s about having the muscle memory of knowing that your parents and your grandparents went through some kind of migratory movement. In my case, it was a partition that my grandparents went through. Then my parents were born in East Africa. I was born in Kenya, but I grew up in England. And you carry all that with you. So, the successes of my generation are really about wanting to show that our parents’ lives were worth it. And their struggles were worth it,” she smiles.

And in her endeavour, she always ends up finding allies. Even though the director initially struggled to find investors for Christmas Karma, she eventually found a partner in producer Anushka Shah, whose Civic Studios has backed the project. And if her films have been unifiers for Indians around the world, in her life, she has forged a sisterhood with Indian women, who walk the same path as hers.

One such bond is what she shares with filmmakers Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta. The trio has a WhatsApp group as well, which goes by the name “Behenji Brigade”.

“Mira gave this name. I congratulated her on Zohran’s (Mamdani, Nair’s son) win. I messaged her, ‘Bohot Mubarak, Mira. What wonderful news to wake up to. It is great that my son has such a role model to look up to. Kya baat hai.’ Then Deepa wrote, ‘Bilkul, Mira. Many, many congratulations. Waah Bhai Waah.’ Mira said, ’It’s the dawn of a new day. We’re bursting with joy,’” Chadha shares.

And if there’s another friendship that the filmmaker is proud of, it’s with Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, who even sang a Hindi cover of George Michael’s Last Christmas for Chadha’s film.

“She is just amazing. She is always sending me messages, where she would say, ‘Keep breaking new ground.’ She doesn’t have to do that. She sang the song to support me. Priyanka is also a woman who left the safety of Hindi cinema and went abroad, and had to knock on doors to get recognition. She did it the hard way. Maybe some people in India don’t see that struggle but I have seen it. I know what it is like for her because I know what it has been like for me.”

What is Bollywood’s newest star, Ahaan Panday, doing after the smashing success of Saiyaara? Moving full-throttle into his second film, an action drama to be helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar.

mid-day has learnt that the director is headed to the UK in December for a month-long recce before the shoot kicks off in February 2026.

Sources tell us that the action drama, produced by Aditya Chopra, will be primarily shot in London, Birmingham, and Manchester, with some portions planned in Leeds.

A source breaks it down further, saying, “Ahaan’s Saiyaara made upwards of Rs 550 crore globally. That has given Ali and Aditya Sir the confidence to go all out with his second film. For most part of December, the director will scout for locations in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds that will add to the storytelling when they are presented on the big screen. Almost 80 to 90 per cent of the movie will be shot in England.”

We’ve heard that Panday is simultaneously prepping for the project, especially since this will be his introduction to the action genre.

The source adds, “His debut film presented him as a devoted romantic hero. With the second venture, Aditya sir wants to project him as an action-romance star. He has been undergoing hand-to-hand combat training and weapon training.”

Mumbai: Bollywood is set to pack its bags for Britain again. In a shot in the arm for UK-India creative collaboration, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in Mumbai that Yash Raj Films (YRF) will start work on three major productions in the UK from early 2026, a move expected to create over "3,000 jobs and boost the British economy by millions of pounds".

Starmer made the announcement on a visit to Yash Raj Studios, which marks 20 years of operations on Oct 12. He was accompanied by a delegation representing film powerhouses such as the British Film Institute, British Film Commission, Pinewood Studios, Elstree Studios, and Civic Studios.

Starmer spent time touring the studio - meeting actor Rani Mukerji, sitting in for a short screening at YRF's private auditorium, chatting with technicians, and even trying his hand at the studio's console board. Mukerji is wife of YRF chairman Aditya Chopra.

"Bollywood is back in Britain, and it's bringing jobs, investment and opportunity, all while showcasing the UK as a world-class destination for global filmmaking. This is exactly the kind of partnership our trade deal with India is destined to unlock-driving growth, strengthening cultural ties and delivering for communities across the country," said Starmer.

The UK PM's two-day visit to Mumbai comes as part of his first major trade mission to India, following the landmark UK-India trade deal signed in July. The trade deal is meant to lower tariffs on British goods, improve market access and raise bilateral trade by £25.5 billion a year, with UK exports projected to grow by nearly 60%.

The 125-member delegation accompanying Starmer includes CEOs, entrepreneurs, vice-chancellors and cultural leaders, marking the largest UK govt trade mission ever to India. Among the companies represented are Rolls Royce, British Telecom, Diageo, the London Stock Exchange, and British Airways, alongside growing SMEs and start-ups from across the UK.

An MoU between the British Film Institute and India's National Film Development Corporation is also proposed to encourage co-productions and sharing of resources.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy who visited India earlier this year said, "Partnerships between Bollywood and British studios make complete sense for our Creative Industries Sector Plan."

The potential is huge. Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, made on a £12m budget, generated around £300m for the UK economy.

For YRF, the return to UK will mark the end of an eight-year hiatus in filming there. It also celebrates 30 years of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), the cult romance that spanned England, Switzerland, and Punjab's mustard fields. "The UK holds a very special place in our hearts," said YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani.

Widhani added that the company is currently producing Come Fall In Love, an English stage adaptation of DDLJ, in the UK. "So, we are thrilled to join hands with UK again... and discuss how India and UK could come together to push the content landscape globally..."

There is much to be said about an actor who accepts a slump in his career, waits patiently for the tide to turn, and then returns boldly to the screen after eight years, despite industry whispers warning against casting him. Manoj Manchu plays the main antagonist, Mahabir Lama, also known as the Black Sword, a villainous sorcerer in the popular film Mirai.

Speaking about its success, Manchu said, “It’s a good movie. I am grateful that the director, Karthik Gattamneni, trusted me. We worked on it for three years.”

For the actor, the only apprehension when he signed the film three years ago was its spiritual dimension, especially when he had to “confront Rama” in the final fight.

“I was super excited. Only scary thing was once Mahabir Lama gets the ninth book, then the fight will be with Rama. It will be Rama versus Lama. I’m a very devotional person and an ardent devotee of Shiva. Playing against God as Mahabir Lama [felt like I was] going against God. That was challenging. But I was grateful to get such a larger-than-life character,” he explained.

Like any actor making a comeback, Manchu also feared his decision might not work out. However, the positive atmosphere on set and the enthusiasm of the cast and crew put his fears to rest.

“Everybody will have that fear for every movie you do. But then the percentage of the fear varies. For Mirai, the percentage was very less compared to any of my movies in the past. We were rooting and manifesting it to the universe,” admitted the actor.

The film’s production was not without hurdles. From visa delays to weather changes, Manchu recalled why it took three years to complete.

“Because we touched so many countries, visas were a major [reason for]  delays. It happened with Turkey and then in the UK. So again, we had to wait another three months for the visa. By that time, the summer was gone. In the rainy season, the sets we built had to be recreated, so we got delayed again.”

Manoj Manchu has a pan-Indian period film ‘David Reddy’ set between 1897 and 1922. After that, he will shoot for the action-horror film ‘Abraham Lincoln’, where he plays a priest. His third film ‘Rakshak’, directed by Naveen Kolli, will see him as a police officer. He also has an untitled fourth project in the works.

Why did I change the spelling of my name? It’s about reinventing myself with a fresh energy & vibe. It’s a new role for me, after all

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Singer Arijit Singh created history on Friday becoming the first Indian artist to headline a stadium concert in the UK. Performing at the iconic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, the singer drew in thousands of fans, who sang along as he delivered a two-hour-long set featuring some of his most popular tracks, including Saiyaara, Jhoome Jo Pathaan, Rasiya, Ami Je Tomar and Sapphire.

Fans flooded social media with videos and pictures from the night, hailing Arijit as “The King of Asia.” But the historic night ended on a dramatic note. Just as Arijit was singing Deva Deva from Brahmastra, the power was cut at exactly 10.30pm, as stadium authorities enforced the strict local curfew.

Videos showed a darkened stage, fireworks going off, and the crowd shouting in disbelief as the singer was unable to bid goodbye. Some also pointed out that Arijit’s late arrival may have contributed to the shortened set.

“Noise pollution is taken seriously in the UK... Rules are rules. I wish this had happened in India, too,” a fan posted.

On the morning of April 28, Salman Khan announced on Instagram that The Bollywood Big One, his upcoming shows in the UK, was postponed in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. 

The superstar’s post read, “In light of the recent tragic events in Kashmir, and with profound sadness, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone The Bollywood Big One shows... We feel it is only right to pause during this time of grief.”

Scheduled to take place at Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on May 4 and OVO Arena in Wembley on May 5, the shows were to include performances by Salman, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, and Tiger Shroff, among others. 

mid-day has learnt that the decision was taken by Salman after a long meeting with brother Sohail Khan, organisers Jordy Patel and Farhath Hussain, on Sunday.

An insider shares, “Rehearsals had begun and the shows were a sell-out. But on Sunday, Salman called for a meeting at his Panvel farmhouse, where Sohail and Jordy were in attendance while London-based organiser Farhath joined over a video call. The superstar was clear that given the tragedy the country is going through, the timing was not conducive to host such a show. The organizers understood that the move would incur losses as both the venues were sold out, and there was high anticipation among the fans as Salman was to perform in the UK after a long time. But they unanimously agreed that rescheduling the tour was the respectful and right thing to do.”

We’ve heard that the two shows may happen in August, but the final decision will be taken only later. For now, the ticket holders will be issued refunds.

When mid-day reached out to Patel, one of the organizers, he said, “It was a big event, and we had got an excellent response from the audience, but that is fine. The shows will happen only when the time is right. It may be sometime in August, but only after everything settles down. It was a decision taken by all of us as we felt it wasn’t correct to go there and perform when such a big tragedy had taken place in our country. The current sentiment doesn’t allow us to perform. The money will be refunded to the ticket holders.”

The much-anticipated Indian release of Santosh, a film celebrated at Cannes, feted globally and submitted as the UK’s official Oscar entry, has hit a wall. After the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) demanded extensive cuts in the film, director Sandhya Suri was left with an impossible choice. The British-Indian filmmaker, who wrote and directed the movie, told The Guardian, “In the end, it was just too difficult to make those cuts and have a film that still made sense, let alone stayed true to its vision.”

Set in a fictional northern Indian town, Santosh follows a young widow (Shahana Goswami) who steps into her late husband’s role in the police force, only to be thrust into a harrowing investigation under an authoritarian inspector. Suri told The Guardian that the list of cuts from the CBFC would be “impossible” to implement and included “concerns about themes relating to police conduct and wider societal problems, which are deeply baked into the film.”

“It was very important to me that the film is released in India so I did try to figure out if there was a way to make it work. But in the end it was just too difficult to make those cuts and have a film that still made sense, let alone stayed true to its vision... I don’t feel my film glorifies violence in a way that many other films focusing on the police have done. There’s nothing sensationalist about it,”

Suri said, “Maybe there’s something about this film which is troubling in that everybody is morally compromised and there is no single hero. I think that’s what might set it apart from other stories in Indian cinema, which often show a maverick cop in a rotten system.”

The film’s lead star Shahana Goswami expressed her frustration: “It’s really sad and disheartening that a film about an aspect of our world, our reality, cannot be seen by the large cross-section of our people... It’s a film that could have done well in theatres, but given the circumstances, it is not possible now.”

While the CBFC did not comment on the issue till the time of going to press, a source familiar with the certification developments revealed that after months of back-and-forth, and discussions with the examining committee and then the revising committee, “the producers and the director felt that if these suggested cuts were implemented, the film would be released in a destroyed manner.”

The source adds, “The film deals with themes such as caste, Islamophobia and police corruption. Legally, it is incorrect to say that the CBFC has blocked the release of the film. The issue lies in the disagreement between the director, producer, and the CBFC regarding the proposed modifications, and due to this disagreement, the film has not yet been certified.”

The CBFC hurdle comes at a time when global media has been effusive about the film’s subject, performances and the storytelling. Acclaimed film critic Peter Bradshaw in his review for The Guardian describes Santosh as a “terrifically tense cop movie” that explores sexism, caste prejudice and Islamophobia in India. Jonathan Romney lauded Suri’s film for its blend of gritty storytelling and social commentary on police corruption, sexism and caste prejudice among other things. The New York Times praised the film for its “searing social critique.”

Oscar-winning Anora and The Substance and Oscar nominated The Apprentice could not secure a release due to suggested cuts. This year, Anora, which won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, was acquired for release in India but could not get certified. The Substance and The Apprentice, which were also set for release in India, faced similar issues with the CBFC and were ultimately not released.

A source involved in the release process says, "Hollywood and foreign producers and distributors want their films to be released in India. However, many foreign films face roadblocks with the CBFC. Its unfortunate that the CBFC insists on cuts, and after these modifications are suggested, the producer or director often refuses to release the film with those cuts because it compromises the film's narrative."

Last year, Dev Patel’s Monkey Man was scheduled for a theatrical release in India, but the CBFC did not schedule a screening for its members.

Santosh, the UK’s official entry in the Oscars’ international feature category and a Bafta nominee for best debut feature, has been blocked by Indian film censors, according to a report in UK daily Guardian.

Written and directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, the film was made in India and is in Hindi. According to the Guardian report, Central Board of Film Certification refused to clear the film over concerns about its negative portrayal of police — “depicting deep-rooted misogyny, discrimination against Dalits and the normalization of mistreatment and torture by police officers.”

Several CBFC board members TOI spoke to said they were unaware of reasons behind uncertainty over the release in India. “The film also grapples with the issue of sexual violence in India, particularly against lower caste women, and the rising tide of anti-Muslim prejudice in the country,” adds the report.

Author and CBFC board member Ramesh Patange said, “I attend movie reviews once a month, and my role is limited to that. Only the chairman is privy to the board’s day-to-day functioning.” Other board members declined to comment, saying only CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi would speak on the issue. Efforts to contact Joshi were unsuccessful at the time of going to press.

CBFC board member and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri told TOI from Puducherry that he was unaware of any issues with the film.

“In my personal capacity, not as a representative of any organization, I feel deeply distressed that a society which considers itself the spiritual leader of the world is so insecure that it resorts to censorship. Only an insecure society censors art in any form Art, creativity, and literature form the soup that nourishes society. Without it, a society cannot grow,” said Agnihotri.

The Guardian report says Sandhya Suri described the censors’ decision as “disappointing and heartbreaking”.

It also quotes her as saying the censors had demanded a list of radical cuts so lengthy and wide-ranging that they would be impossible to implement, adding that the list of cuts demanded went on for several pages, and included concerns about themes relating to police conduct and wider societal problems “which are deeply baked into the film”.

“It was very important to me that the film is released in India so I did try to figure out if there was a way to make it work. But in the end it was just too difficult to make those cuts and have a film that still made sense, let alone stayed true to its vision,” the Guardian report quoted Suri as saying.

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