JAILER 2 continues to do well in South India as it collects 77 crore nett in five days of its second week though now collections are coming down to lower levels after a huge run for the first 11 days. The film has a total collection so far of 386 crore nett and it will be the second Tamil film to hit the 400 crore nett mark after 2.0. Its unlikely to reach this mark by the end of the second week but will do in the third weekend. It will eventually emerge as the highest grossing Tamil film in history.

The collections in Tamil Nadu in week one were 115 crore nett and its added another 30 crore nett so far in the second week for a total of 145 crore nett. Here the film is chasing the 170 crore nett plus totals of PONNIYIN SELVAN - PART 1 and LEO. It could fall short as business is generally limited for big Tamil films post week three. This will be the only disappointment for the film if it falls short of the top two. JAILER's first part did 150 crore nett and that will be crossed comfortably.

The Hindi version stands at around 35 crore nett after thirteen days which is decent though it has dropped in the second week. The makers kept to the four week window due to the digital price and it was the correct decision as there is no break out for the film. Its mainly a Mumbai circuit film and the makers would have probably lost 15-20 crore by going for a eight week window.

Below are the collections of JAILER 2 till date.

Friday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 22,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 24,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 9,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 7,25,00,000 apprx

In an unusual instance of Instagram flagging a video for removal, filmmaker Yasmin Kidwai has alleged that Meta took down a clip featuring Shah Rukh Khan from her 30-minute documentary, Filmisthaan – The Euphoric State Of Bollywood (2017). The independent documentary filmmaker said the excerpt featured Khan speaking about the beauty of India’s diversity. She shared the clip on November 2, the actor’s 61st birthday.

Kidwai questioned the platform’s decision, saying, “Why am I getting censored? [It is imperative] to ask Instagram why they removed the clip of Shah Rukh Khan from my documentary?”

The irony is that the excerpt comes from a documentary commissioned by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “The unedited version of the documentary continues to stream freely on YouTube,” she said, adding that she had shared the clip several times.

“It is one of the largest documentaries MEA ever made. This clip had 1.5 million [views]. It is still on X but Meta removed it. Internet censorship is going out of hand. I sent it for review, and it says it doesn’t meet industry standards,” Kidwai told mid-day.

‘Filmisthaan’ examines Bollywood’s cultural influence and its ability to unite audiences across geographical, linguistic, and religious boundaries.

After much deliberation, Salman Khan’s Maatrubhumi has locked December 4 as its theatrical release date. The announcement sets the stage for an interesting box-office clash, with films starring Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan arriving in cinemas in the same month. Salman initially planned to release Maatrubhumi on November 20, but “that left too little time for promotions”.

“It would have also cut short the box-office run of Ramayana: Rise Of A Legend. Salman wanted the film to have a month-long run window,” informs a trade source.

While one hurdle is out of the way, the new release date is expected to throw up distribution challenges. Trade analysts believe screen allocation could become tricky, particularly as Maatrubhumi will now compete with Shraddha Kapoor’s Eetha.

Interestingly, Jio distributes both films, making the screen-sharing dynamics more complicated. “It is a tightrope. Eetha has buzz, but Maatrubhumi is a Salman Khan film which will be a massy release,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Screen allocation aside, December is already packed with big-ticket releases. “It’s a problem of surplus,” Adarsh says. “World over big films release in the Christmas month. There’s a 19-day gap between Shah Rukh Khan’s King [December 24] and Maatrubhumi which is a big enough gap. Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are both releasing [on December 18], but the target audience of the two films are different. Salman’s film will have a stronger presence in single screens and the rest depends on the movie itself. The film has a timely anti-war message which will echo with everyone given the ramifications of war the world is facing,” he explains.

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has responded to the controversy over the shoot of Ranveer Singh-starrer Pralay at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, saying the team had secured the required permissions. The controversy began after the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) raised objections to the six-hour shoot, claiming it forced the postponement of inter-school cricket matches. The association has questioned why a ground used by young cricketers was made available for a commercial film shoot.

Speaking to us Mehta says, “Our shoot at Azad Maidan was fully permitted. We have requisite permission letters from police departments, sports departments including an acknowledgement of the same from MCA. The larger problem is this. Mumbai is the home of Indian cinema. It has also become a most unfriendly city to shoot in. A single location needs clearances from multiple departments, each with its own process, its own delays and its own power to stop a shoot. Even when you have every permission, you are treated as if you are trespassing.”

He adds that so many other states welcome film crews. He says, “They understand that a shoot brings jobs, business and visibility. Here, we are met with obstruction. I say this with much sadness as a proud Mumbaikar and Maharashtrian - This is why so many of us now prefer to shoot outside Mumbai.”

However he continues saying he wants to shoot in Mumbai. “I have worked in this city for over three decades. I love it and I want to keep telling its stories here. But filmmakers will go where they are allowed to work. If Mumbai wants to remain the centre of this industry, it has to stop treating its own filmmakers as a nuisance. We followed every rule no matter how complicated or difficult it may be. We will continue to do so. We simply seek the cooperation of the authorities and a much needed lack of mistrust in doing so.”

We are at Scarlett House, Bandra West, on a Friday afternoon, sipping mocktails. Amrita Arora, who we all have known for years from the big screen and from being a VJ, looks happy and excited. It’s the festive season and, as she says, she has stepped out after a while. The actress, and now restaurateur, says she mostly prefers hanging with her husband on their terrace these days. She looks good — back in shape just in time for Diwali.

It’s been a challenging three-four years for Arora, who one day found herself in an unhealthy space —  mentally and physically.  “So for me, I think the journey was pretty tough. I used to eat healthy, and I used to gym, but then I think I just fell off the wagon around 2022. We were going through COVID and everybody was in a different mind state. After COVID, Shakeel [Ladak, her husband] went off to work, the kids started school, and that was my tipping point. Because, I almost became like an empty-nester. But there came a point when I was like I have to do it, I have to get healthy. My son said, ‘Mama, come on, let’s all do it’. Almost a year ago, he set up a challenge. He said, ‘In December, we’re all going to do a photo shoot. And let’s be the fittest versions of ourselves’. I said, come on.”

Well, she started and has been on the fitness bandwagon for a while now. Her diet is a tough one! “So I completely went on a steamed food diet. Then you up the protein, and cut the carbs. I had very misleading thoughts about intermittent fasting, but it works for me. My last meal is at 7.30 pm and then I don’t eat breakfast. I don’t do sugar, alcohol. It’s just mind over matter. And I eat the same food every day. I don’t need a fancy menu, you know.”

Arora laughs remembering a recent evening when she went out with her husband to her favourite restaurant, and “ordered Schezwan Chicken, which I used to love. I had two pieces, and I was back to steamed fish. I just love it now. And I also think that a bit of that fear factor is good.”

For Arora to be strict about her diet is especially tough, because her family is known to be a foodie family. Her and sister Malaika Arora often talk of their love of food coming from their mom Joyce, who is known for her legendary meals. “I actually took my own food for her Onam lunch,” she laughs.

For her fitness journey, Arora feels that its fortunate that now people are talking about women’s issues like perimenopause and menopause. She had been feeling the cravings, bloating, the brain fog, and she decided to go to a doctor.

“She told me I may be in peri, but I didn’t want to do HRT [hormone replacement therapy], I was like, I will just take the traditional route. And like I said, it came to a point where I think getting into the gym was what worked. My doctor had told me ‘drop the weight, and the symptoms will reduce’.”

But going to the gym came with its own challenges. Arora remembers a time she was even embarrassed to go out where people could see her. “It was literally my lifestyle that was holding me back. The late night binging, the eating, the sedentary life —  and then the more you get into that rut, it gets worse. I’m not ashamed to say it. I got into self-loathing. And then I’d see a picture of mine if I stepped out. And I’d be like, hmm, what’s happened? And then you go down that rabbit hole, and dig a deeper one.”

But she started with baby steps. She found a smaller gym where she knew everyone. “And my trainer told me, ‘the only way you’re going to do it is by being consistent. If there are days where you think you don’t want to do it, just come and sit around, look out the window, have a coffee, and talk to people’. I did that, and I would eventually end up working out.”

But it was never just about the physical healing that Arora wanted to put herself through. She also worked on her mental health. “So I’m someone who suffers anxiety, you know, and I got on medicines for anxiety. I wanted to help myself. And now, I am almost off them. I will be medicine-free soon. I used to be a pill-popper, but now, I don’t take anything.”

She also reduced going out —  “My husband and I enjoy each other’s company. We love hanging together. And it helped that he met me halfway, and joined me in my journey. At 10.30 pm, it’s lights out. And my friends helped me. They used to say, ‘You don’t need to drink and get your own food, but just come’.”

Once the mirror started showing results, Arora says she got even more motivated. To keep up her wellness journey, she sets intentions every day, and journals and meditates. “I was a very jumpy morning person, kids out of the door and all that. Now, I take my time. I manifest. I meditate. I stretch. I jump. I put on some music.”

This mental health work is also what’s helped her deal with trolls online. “I am an emotional person and of course, it bothered me. They’d say like things like, ‘Oh, this is the face of Ozempic, baby’. But, it’s been a struggle for me. And I’m very open about it. It’s been going on for years. And there were options all this time. But, I took on that challenge. Be healthy. Get your a** in the gym. Watch your food. Walk a lot. Practise good mental health stuff if you suffer from it. And things get way better.”

If she had to talk to women who are above 40 now who are struggling, what would she say? “I think start small. Baby steps. No pressure. Even if it’s at home. Whatever makes you happy. Do home workouts and walk in your building.”

Well, she has done all that, and she finds herself at a good place right now — almost ready for that family portrait. But first, there is Diwali. Like her mom, Arora loves to do a small puja at home. But home get-togethers is where her heart is. “I love hosting like my mother! Tablescapes are my thing.” Her Diwali wish for everyone is that don’t burst crackers, love your animals, and protect them from the noise. “And be healthy!”

As we step out, the paparazzi say “Amrita” to get her attention, and she poses. It’s her time now.

After ‘Lalkaara’, Aamir Khan could be heading towards an interesting reunion. Trade insiders have told us that the superstar, who is backing the adaptation of Mansoor Khan’s novel, ‘One: The Story Of The Ultimate Myth’, will team up with producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Aamir and Akhtar gave us the iconic ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ (2001), which marked the latter’s directorial debut. The duo then worked on two films in different capacities.

A trade insider told mid-day that conversations about their reunion have been ongoing. “There is a strong interest in taking ‘One’ forward with Aamir and Farhan coming together as producers. The idea is to begin pre-production in early 2027. With the success of the ‘Mirzapur’ franchise, Farhan and Ritesh’s Excel Entertainment wants to build its original IP slate. It’s still too early to know if this collaboration will work out.”

‘One’ revolves around Abhay, a genetic engineer who is on the run after challenging an establishment’s scientific beliefs. When he meets Sonal, it sets off a conversation around science, society, and the truths that people are conditioned to accept.

Abhay Verma believes grooming is not just about looking good or putting together the perfect appearance. It is also about the energy one radiates and how one makes people around them feel. The actor, who shot to fame with the horror-comedy Munjya (2024), says his understanding of grooming has been shaped by the Bollywood stars he grew up admiring — Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Aamir Khan.

“I think my understanding of the word grooming came from watching my heroes, like Shah Rukh Khan Sir, Shahid Kapoor Sir and Aamir Khan Sir and the way they have carried themselves throughout their journeys. One can only imagine what it takes to reach where they are today,” he says.

Having had the opportunity to work with SRK in King, Abhay says “I recently got the opportunity to work with Shah Sir, and I realized that it takes a lot more to make others feel comfortable around you. For me, growing up in Panipat, I was introduced to this world through these actors, the way they behaved and portrayed themselves in films. When a person is groomed and well put together within themselves, they radiate a certain energy. That energy travels across even through television screens and mobile phones.”

Chandrachur Singh, who made a lasting impression with Gulzar’s Maachis, recently marked 30 years of the film, which released before his debut project Tere Mere Sapne. The actor, who was shooting for both films simultaneously, recalls how he landed the role in the 1996 film. “I went to meet Gulzar saab in his office because he was looking for the lead character. I had not shaved my beard, and it was an unkempt sort of look. But that was the kind of character he was looking for,” says Chandrachur.

“I was recommended for the role by common acquaintances. Gulzar saab subsequently watched my audition tapes for Tere Mere Sapne, after speaking with Jaya ji (Bachchan), and decided to cast me. I have always believed that if things are meant to happen right, they do happen and fall into place at the right time.”

The actor says working with a filmmaker of Gulzar’s stature early in his career was a valuable learning experience. Maachis, shot across Himachal Pradesh, Kota and Mumbai, went on to earn critical acclaim and commercial success.

“We never assumed that it would become such a hit. We knew it would be critically appreciated, but commercially doing so well was something none of us had imagined,” he says, adding, “The film’s success grew through word of mouth in those days.”

Recalling the challenges of filming against the backdrop of political turmoil in Punjab, he says, “At that time, though the film was centred around the political turmoil in Punjab, we could not shoot it in Punjab, nor did we shoot in Kashmir due to security issues. We shot in Manali, Kota and then in Mumbai.”

Asked about a possible sequel to Maachis, Chandrachur says, “I would rather see Maachis re-released. I always believed that the original had said everything it needed and so there was nothing much left to carry it forward.”

Chandrachur is now focussing on both OTT and movies. He says, “There are good films and there is good work. OTT platforms have opened up opportunities for talented performers.”

Genelia Deshmukh, who grew up in Mumbai and is married to actor Riteish Deshmukh, looks forward to the festive season for a reason that has now become a cherished family tradition — their annual trip to Latur, Riteish’s hometown in Maharashtra. The couple, who have two sons, Riaan and Rahyl, make the journey with their extended family, turning the celebrations into an occasion for the children to reconnect with their roots.

Talking about what Diwali looks like every year, Genelia says, “The most exciting part is all of us going to Latur. We’re going to spend one week there. Every year we take the train, so all the cousins can travel together.”

The festivities begin with rituals that are deeply rooted in tradition. “We land there and have the first bath, which we call the pehli anghol. That is the most fascinating part because all the boys sit there in their shorts sitting and the girls apply the utna. It’s made at home, so the whole night goes into preparation. Honestly, for us, Diwali is very homely affair. It’s also the time when I break my diet. We have all the faral, junk and chatpata food. I don’t enjoy sweets as much,” she says.

For Genelia, the trip is also a reminder of how different childhood experiences can shape a family. While she grew up in the city, Riteish would often tell her about the freedom and joys of his childhood in Latur. Today, she sees those same experiences unfolding for their children. “The openness of a field — something as simple as being able to run on a field, climb trees — is pure joy for them. As parents, we are so much more relaxed. You don’t need to tell them to eat more because they are hungry after running so much,” she says.

Embracing tradition also extends to what she wears during the festive season. The actress has a special fondness for the traditional Maharashtrian paithani sari, which she sees as a cherished part of her festive wardrobe. “I remember talking to my mother-in-law about it because she has such a wide variety of saris. When I asked her about them, I learnt so much. I love wearing a paithani and I think my children will learn about it by seeing me wear it. I think it will help them carry it forward to the next generation,” she says.

Genelia admits that she initially struggled to understand what Riteish meant when he spoke about having the best of both worlds. “I always said that I was a city girl. Riteish used to keep telling me, ‘I’ve had the best childhood.’ I would ask him…what do you mean? I’ve also had the best childhood! He would say, ‘I would get the mix of both — city life and village life (in Latur)’. Today, I understand what he meant because my children are getting a chance to experience that.”

Netflix Entertainment Services India’s net profit grew 6% year-on-year to Rs 90 crore in FY26, while total income rose 17% to Rs 4,477 crore, reflecting pressure on margins amid rising costs, according to filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC).

The local operating entity of US-based Netflix saw a profit growth that moderated from FY25, when earnings rose 63% year-on-year. Turnover growth was driven by subscriber additions, as the streaming platform continued to expand its India business.

Profit growth, however, lagged income expansion as total expenditure rose 17% to Rs 4,339 crore from Rs 3,711 crore in FY25. Other expenses, the company’s largest cost head, increased 17% to Rs 4,230 crore, while personnel expenses rose 13% to Rs 99 crore.

Netflix India’s paid subscriber base is estimated at 20-25 million. Email queries to the company did not elicit a response till press time.

Meanwhile, Los Gatos Production Services India LLP, Netflix’s India-based content production entity, reported a 42% decline in net profit to Rs 105 crore in FY26. Total income fell 2% to Rs 4,177 crore, while expenditure increased 1% to Rs 4,015 crore.

The decline in profitability comes amid significant content costs associated with a growing production business. Financial performance is influenced by multiple factors, primarily the slate of titles launched in a particular year and their production costs. The entity’s financials are not indicative of Netflix’s overall performance in India since it is a buy-sell entity for Netflix’s local titles.

The two entities reported contrasting balance-sheet trends. Netflix India’s cash and cash equivalents declined 21% to Rs 630 crore, while Los Gatos’ cash balance rose 31% to Rs 1,068 crore. Los Gatos’ trade receivables fell to Rs 432 crore from Rs 696 crore, while inventory declined to Rs 2,950 crore from Rs 3,080 crore.

Both entities also disclosed potential income tax liabilities relating to FY21 to FY23, which are not reasonably ascertainable due to pending High Court CIT(A) and Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreement proceedings.

In an interview with ET in August, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos described India as one of the company’s most strategic markets, citing its appetite for entertainment, thriving creative ecosystem, rising smartphone and connected TV penetration, and affordable internet.

“There is a big appetite for entertainment in India and a large consumer base. I think those people have generally been underserved since there aren’t enough screens for as many people who want to watch a movie. We are trying to solve it through different screens like TV and mobile. That’s why I think the market is so attractive; and the principles of entertainment are exactly the same,” he said.

Separately, Netflix’s India revenue grew 18% year-on-year on a foreign-exchange-neutral basis in the July-September quarter, while viewing hours rose 24% and paid net additions hit a quarterly record, according to its Q3 2026 shareholder letter. Netflix does not disclose India-specific financials or subscriber numbers. Its parent, Netflix Inc, is listed on Nasdaq.

The Q3 growth was driven by a content slate led by Lock Upp, Netflix’s first daily reality series, alongside scripted titles Musafir Cafe and Operation Safed Sagar. Lock Upp recorded the highest viewing hours of any Netflix title in India in its first 91 days.

Viewing hours per member rose by low-to-mid single digits. The content slate, along with Netflix’s first transaction-based loyalty bundle with Flipkart, helped the company achieve its largest-ever quarterly paid net additions in India.