Have you heard? Nothing to be trusted

Rashmika Mandanna

Joining a league of celebrities aptly criticising the misuse of artificial intelligence, Rashmika Mandanna has called her viral deepfake video "extremely scary", and said she was "really hurt" by the development. The video that many would term inappropriate was originally posted by a social media user. Mandanna's face has been superimposed on it to suitably misguide a layman, with the use of AI tools. "Something like this is honestly extremely scary, not only for me but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused. Today as a woman and as an actor, I am thankful for my family, friends and well-wishers who are my protection and support system. But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can't imagine how could I ever tackle this. We need to address this with urgency before more of us are affected (sic)." She found support in her former co-star Amitabh Bachchan who called it a "strong case for legal action"

Meeting the dancing queen

Bunty Aur Babli 2 actor Sharvari is a fan of Madhuri Dixit-Nene, and found her seated next to the dancing diva at a fundraising event recently. "Having grown up in a Maharashtrian household, for me, Madhuri Dixit was always the ultimate standard of the perfect Bollywood heroine. I've watched all her movies, and tried to learn every hook step of her songs. When I was seated next to her, it felt like I was dreaming. The humility, grace and warmth that she exudes are things to [admire]."

Case closed, but tareekh again

Director Darshan Ashwin Trivedi is set to remake veteran filmmaker Basu Chatterjee's acclaimed 1986 legal drama, Ek Ruka Hua Faisla, the makers have announced. According to a press release, the ensemble cast of the upcoming film includes Atul Kulkarni, Suvinder Vicky, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Neeraj Kabi, Divya Dutta, and Vineet Kumar, among others. The biggest challenge for him, Trivedi said, was to look at the film with a fresh perspective. Chatterjee's Hindi film was a remake of the 1957 American movie, 12 Angry Men, which was adapted from a 1954 teleplay of the same name.

An invisible killer

The makers of R Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyenndu, and Babil Khan-starrer The Railway Men unveiled a three-minute trailer for the thrilling tale of heroism, hope, and humanity during the darkest hours of the gas leak tragedy in Bhopal. The Railway Men is a story of heroism demonstrated by the employees of the Indian Railways in Bhopal. They rose against all odds to save people on the night of December 2, 1984, battling an invisible enemy - the poisoned air. Director Shiv Rawail said of his offering: "Directing this series has been a deeply emotional and rewarding journey. It's a story of the human
spirit that needed to be told, to remind people of the power of resilience in the face of adversity." It releases on Netflix on November 18.

First birthday for baby Raha

Alia Bhatt celebrated the first birthday of her daughter Raha along with her husband, actor Ranbir Kapoor. Bhatt took to her Instagram and shared glimpses of her daughter in a set of pictures and a video. Posting on behalf of herself and Kapoor, who does not have an official account on the platform, she wrote: "Our joy, our life, our light! It feels like just yesterday we were playing this song for you while you were in my tummy kicking away. There's nothing to say, only that we're blessed to have you in our lives. You make every day feel like a full creamy yummy delicious piece of cake. Happy birthday baby tiger. We love you more than love itself." Earlier in the day, Raha's grandmothers Neetu Kapoor, and Soni Razdan, also wished her. Bhatt and Kapoor tied the knot, and became parents in 2022.

What's the point?

A professional rift that developed after the release of 2016's Kala chashma, a song that both Indeep Bakshi and Badshah share credit for, appears to have never been mended. Bakshi, who had established his contribution as a lyricist to the hit song, claims the rapper makes "other singers look small with his big mouth".

"I know the real side of this so-called king. He had made a music video, Jawani, but it wasn't released. After our song Saturday Saturday got picked up by Dharma Productions, and became a global hit, he went incognito," said Bakshi. The events that led Bakshi to speak up against Badshah several years after their relationship went kaput are unknown.

Feels like Fashion again

Sunny Leone, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Esha Gupta are set to serve as judges for a mentor-based modelling reality show, Glam Fame, which will serve as a push for aspiring models across India. The journey will be showcased over 12 episodes. Aspiring candidates from all corners of India will apparently be meticulously selected through a rigorous digital screening process. They will undergo transformations with sessions on grooming, fitness, portfolio development, and choreography. It is suggested that viewers will be witness to this journey of the models leading to them eventually becoming capable of handling the professional challenges of the job. "An understanding of the industry's dynamics is crucial. For a model to set trends, they must first comprehend the existing ones," Mukesh said.