Athiya Shetty and Anushka Sharma, who are currently stationed in Australia amid the ongoing Test series were spotted together at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Athiya, who had been avoiding the Indian paparazzi ever since her pregnancy announcement with cricketer KL Rahul was spotted with her baby bump on display overseas. Mom-to-be Athiya Shetty flaunts her baby bump In the video surfaced on social media, Athiya Shetty can be seen walking behind Anushka Sharma. She opted for a black and white striped full-sleeved top with a denim skirt. Her baby bump was quite evident in the clip. Anushka on the other hand kept it casual in grey trousers paired with a crisp white shirt. Watch the video below. Anushka and Athiya spotted at MCGbyu/anonymous_1721 inBollyBlindsNGossip Last month, Athiya and Rahul took to their respective Instagram handles and announced the pregnancy news. They dropped a note which read, "Our beautiful blessing is coming soon. 2025 (baby feet emojis)." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Athiya Shetty (@athiyashetty) Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul’s relationship KL Rahul and Athiya made their relationship official on Instagram in 2020, and since then, their social media accounts have been filled with lovey-dovey posts for each other. They tied the knot on January 23, 2023, at Suniel Shetty's farmhouse in Khandala. The duo was in a relationship for three years before they got married. After tying the knot, in a joint post, the couple wrote, "'In your light, I learn how to love...' Today, with our most loved ones, we got married in the home that's given us immense joy and serenity. With a heart full of gratitude and love, we seek your blessings on this journey of togetherness." The wedding was an intimate affair attended by close friends, relatives, and family members. Athiya Shetty’s acting career On the acting front, Athiya was last seen in ‘Motichoor Chaknachoor’ opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The film is about a young NRI husband-obsessed bride and a desperate groom. Athiya played the role of Anita, an educated girl who is looking for a green card holder groom. Pushpinder, the eager-to-get-married boy, is settled in Dubai and follows his mother's instructions. The story is about how their life changes when the two get married. Directed by Debamitra Biswal, and produced by Viacom18 Studios and Woodpecker Movies, the film was released in 2019. The film, shot extensively in Bhopal, also stars Navni Parihar and Abhishek Rawat.
29 December,2024 01:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFormer Bollywood actress Sangeeta Bijlani will be seen as the guest on Indian Idol 15. A promo from the show has been unveiled on social media which touches upon her relationship with superstar Salman Khan. In the clip, a contestant is seen asking Sangeeta about the rumours of hers and Salman’s wedding cards being printed. Judge Vishal Dadlani who seemed shocked by the question further asks Sangeeta to reveal the story. She says, “Jhoot toh nahi tha (It wasn’t a lie).” The clip ends there. Watch the video below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sony Entertainment Television (@sonytvofficial) Sangeeta Bijlani and Salman Khan’s relationship Sangeeta and Salman reportedly began dating in 1986, sharing a serious relationship that lasted eight years. Their bond was so strong that they even made plans to marry, with wedding invitations reportedly printed. However, their love story took an unexpected turn when the wedding was called off just a month before the big day. In an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Salman’s ex-girlfriend Somy Ali revealed: “The wedding cards were printed, but Sangeeta caught Salman red-handed in my apartment. What Salman did to Sangeeta, the same happened to me. This is called karma; when I grew up a little, I understood it.” In November 1996, Bijlani married cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin in Mumbai. The marriage ended in a divorce in 2010. Sangeeta Bijlani’s work front Sangeeta Bijlani, crowned Miss India in 1980, rose to fame as a model and actress in the 1980s and 1990s, earning recognition for her roles in films like Tridev and Yodha. Her last Bollywood film was Jagannath, released in 1996. It stars Shatrughan Sinha, Mukesh Khanna, and Ronit Roy. The film was directed by Shibu Mitra and told the story of a poor village blacksmith who kills a rich villager after he is left free for killing his son. Last year, Sangeeta launched her YouTube channel, Sangeeta's Secrets. Speaking about it, she said, “Through this beautiful journey of life, I have learned how to be happy, healthy, and stress-free. I want to share all that I’ve learned with my followers and take them through my experiences, whether it’s fitness, beauty—which I call inner beauty—spirituality, or general health and wellness.”
29 December,2024 12:27 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentGuneet Monga Kapoor couldn’t have asked for a better end to 2024. Last week, Anuja, a short film on which she serves as the executive producer, made it to the Oscars 2025 shortlist for Best Live Action Short Film. Adam J Graves’ directorial venture explores the harsh reality of child labour in New Delhi. Recalling their association with the project, Achin Jain, Monga’s business partner, starts, “Anuja is not something we greenlit. Adam and Suchitra [Mattai] are first-time filmmakers, and they reached out to us ki ab kahan jayein.” That is where Monga and Jain stepped in. As executive producers, they raised money and drove the publicity campaign. Monga says, “There was a lot of fundraising, much more than the budget of the film.” But she understands that the bigger journey starts now. How does Monga, who has two Academy wins to her name, plan to ensure the short film earns a place in the nominations? “Now that it’s shortlisted, we’re working on its future. From 9 pm to 12.30 am, and in the mornings, from 5 am to 9 am, I am making calls, talking to people, pushing Anuja, writing to people, [figuring] the next layer of funding and how we can take it forward, figuring out distribution and which platform to take it to. All our years of experience comes handy on the journey of a short film. We’re really pushing forward to get to the next round. [We’re keeping our] fingers crossed that we get to the nomination.” Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain The year 2024 was unbelievable for her. We tell her she has a surplus problem between the Oscar shortlist, Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous, her latest documentary on Honey Singh and the love she garnered earlier in the year for Kill. “Both Kill and Gyaarah Gyaarah have been so rewarding. They were our big projects this year. With Kill, we just wanted to make an extreme action film. You get these comments along the way: ‘Kaun dekhega? Kaise karenge?’ But we stuck to making it in its purest form. Be it The Lunchbox [2013], Masaan [2015], or The Elephant Whisperers [2022], the idea is just to tell the best story.” Now, they are looking ahead with confidence and hope. Their next is a film with Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan. Monga says, “We will make a big announcement in January too. India is back with single producers, the producers who have stood the test of time. It’s the time [for] producers to take the call and have faith in their vision. I genuinely feel producers’ work is underestimated here. But now is the time for producers to resurface.”
29 December,2024 11:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuFormer actress and celebrated author Twinkle Khanna, who celebrates her birthday on December 29, received an adorable yet hilarious wish from her husband and Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. Interestingly, Twinkle shares her birthday with her father and late actor Rajesh Khanna. Akshay took to Instagram and posted a meme-style video on his wife’s special day. Akshay Kumar’s hilarious birthday wish for Twinkle Khanna Akshay Kumar posted a video with the text “What everyone thinks my wife is life Vs what she’s really like”. It shows Twinkle reading a book in the golden hour surrounded by serenity and later dancing like nobody’s watching with the song ‘O Tina O Tina’ by Johal Premi. For those unversed, Twinkle’s real name is Tina. Akshay wrote in the caption, “Happy Birthday, Tina. You’re not just a sport; you’re the whole game. I’ve learned so much from you—how to laugh until my stomach hurts (and you’re almost always the reason for it), how to sing my heart out when a favorite song plays on the radio, and how to dance just because I feel like. Tere varga sach mein hor koi na.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) Akshay and Twinkle have been married for 24 years. They have a son Aarav, and daughter Nitara. Twinkle is the late superstar Rajesh Khanna and veteran actor Dimple Kapadia's elder daughter. Twinkle quit acting in 2001 after starring in a string of films. She ventured into writing in 2015, releasing her first book 'Mrs Funnybones'. She wrote another book comprising an anthology of stories titled 'The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad' in 2017 and followed it with another book titled 'Pyjamas Are Forgiving', which came out the following year. Akshay Kumar’s acting front Akshay Kumar has the fifth installment of his hit comedy franchise 'Housefull' in the pipeline. Helmed by Tarun Mansukhani, Housefull 5 will be released in theatres on June 6, 2025. The film is backed by Sajid Nadiadwala. Housefull 5 marks the first-ever franchise film in Indian Cinema to have five installments. The cast also includes Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueliene Fernandez, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Riteish Deshmukh, Fardeen Khan, Sonam Bajwa, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangda Singh, Nana Patekar, Chunky Panday, Dino Morea, and Johnny Lever. Besides that, he has 'Welcome to the Jungle' and ‘Skyforce’. Akshay will also make his Telugu debut with Vishnu Manchu-starrer ‘Kannappa'. He will be seen sharing screen space with Prabhas, and Mohanlal.
29 December,2024 10:56 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentActor Ahan Shetty is celebrating his 29th birthday. The actor, known for his debut role in 'Tadap', was showered with love and wishes from his family, particularly his father, actor Suniel Shetty, who shared a heartfelt message on social media. Taking to Instagram, Suniel posted a stunning portrait of Ahan, accompanied by an emotional note. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Suniel Shetty (@suniel.shetty) "Happy birthday, my phantom. With a heart as pure and extraordinary as yours, you deserve nothing less than the world. Know that I love you, support you, and believe in you--always and forever," he wrote, reflecting the close bond between the father and son. Ahan's sister, actress Athiya Shetty, also joined in the celebrations by sharing a mix of nostalgic childhood pictures alongside a recent one of the siblings. In her post, she wrote, "Happy birthday to the one I love and tolerate the most!" Born in 1996, Ahan Shetty made his Bollywood debut in 2021 with the romantic thriller 'Tadap', directed by Milan Luthria. The film, a Hindi remake of the Telugu hit 'RX 100', starred Ahan alongside Tara Sutaria. Recently, Ahan has also been in the spotlight for joining the highly anticipated sequel 'Border 2'. His father, Suniel Shetty, who starred in the original 'Border' (1997), played a pivotal role as a Border Security Force officer. Ahan's casting in 'Border 2' has sparked excitement, with veteran actor Sunny Deol welcoming him aboard on social media. "Welcoming Fauji @ahan.shetty to the Battalion of #Border2," Deol posted, sharing a teaser that has further fueled the enthusiasm of fans. The 'Border' franchise, directed by JP Dutta, is known for its portrayal of the India-Pakistan war, and Ahan's entry into the sequel marks a significant moment in the legacy of the film. The announcement video captures a powerful transition, showing a montage of Suniel Shetty's iconic moments from Border, followed by Ahan's voiceover, symbolizing the passing of the baton from father to son. In addition to 'Border 2', Ahan Shetty is set to appear in the action-packed film 'Sanki', produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The movie, which will also star Pooja Hegde, promises to be a high-octane thriller with international action sequences choreographed by renowned designer Kecha Khamphakdee. 'Sanki' is written by Rajat Aroraa and directed by debut filmmakers Adnan A. Shaikh and Yasir Jah. The film is scheduled for release on February 14, 2025, coinciding with Valentine's Day. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
29 December,2024 08:14 AM IST | Mumbai | ANIPunjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh has landed in Guwahati for his show in the city on Sunday. The actor-singer was clicked as fans swarmed to see a glimpse of their favourite artist. In the pictures and videos surfaced on social media, he was seen donning the athleisure clothing as he made his way amid a crowd of fans. Diljit's concerts in India have been a massive rage, making him one of the richest Indian musicians. Earlier, Diljit addressed the "conspiracy" that has been alleged against him over the spelling of the Indian state of Punjab. The actor-singer took to his X account and spoke about it. He penned a long note in which he also spoke about how English is a very tricky language, and can particularly cause trouble to those whose first language is not English. He wrote, "Punjabi. If I mistakenly didn't put up India's flag after writing 'Panjab' in a tweet then it becomes a conspiracy. In a tweet from Bengaluru, I forgot to mention the Indian flag after writing 'Panjab', it became a conspiracy." He further mentioned, "If you write 'Panjab' instead of 'Punjab', it will remain 'Punjab'. Panj Aab -- 5 Rivers. Bravo, those who create conspiracy around the usage in the language of the Englishmen. You know what, I will write 'Panjab'. How many times do we prove that we LOVE INDIA? Bring something new, or is creating conspiracy what you get paid for? #Vehley." The superstar has seen a meteoric rise in the last couple of years with the box-office success of his films in Hindi and Punjabi cinema. The singer-actor also performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023 making him the first Indian performer to achieve the feat. He was followed by fellow Punjabi artiste A. P. Dhillon at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2024. Meanwhile, Diljit is set to conclude the India leg of the Dil-Luminati tour in Ludhiana on December 31. The singer announced the show through his Facebook account. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
29 December,2024 07:44 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSWith her body of work and years of experience, legendary actor Sharmila Tagore has many stories to tell. While her daughter, Soha Ali Khan, has penned The Perils of Being Moderately Famous and co-written a series of children’s books with actor-husband Kunal Kemmu, Tagore has never had a biography to her name. Interestingly, Soha has often expressed a desire to write her mother’s biography. When asked, Tagore reveals that she has often thought about writing it, but lacks the discipline. “It is not just about thinking; it is putting pen to paper and writing it,” she says, adding that she needs to find time to focus on it. “I am doing so many things besides shooting [the few] films. So, I have to find the discipline to sit at my desk and write every day. Right now, it’s all in my head, not on paper. Next year, I have 100 per cent intention to write.” Her extensive filmography of about 100 films, two National Awards, her connection to poet Rabindranath Tagore’s family, her marriage to the late Nawab of Pataudi Mansoor Ali Khan, her children—Saif Ali Khan, Soha, Saba Ali Khan—and grandchildren are bound to make for an engrossing book. When asked if she has any regrets in life, Tagore admits she always wanted to do more comedy films. “I was not happy with my performance in Chupke Chupke [1975]. It had too many mannerisms, but now I feel at ease. Dharmendra should have won the Best Actor award for Chupke Chupke, but [at that time] they didn’t consider comedy as ‘good acting’ or worth receiving an award. I was amazed that [he didn’t win]. Dharmendra was good, but I didn’t have his comic timing. Not that my role demanded it, but I would have loved to have done a nice comedy,” says Tagore.
29 December,2024 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRDon’t angry me! Since the film, Game Changer’s announcement in 2021, it has seen several delays. The Ram Charan-starrer, where he plays an honest IAS officer, recently released its first teaser. The S Shankar-directed movie piqued the curiosity of the fans, but the constant delays have disappointed them. In a recent turn of events, a fan wrote a letter to the makers demanding the release of the full trailer by New Year’s or else he would take his own life. In the letter, he wrote, “If you do not release a teaser or update by the end of this month or fail to share the trailer by New Year’s occasion, I regret to inform you that I will be forced to take drastic measures, including ending my life.” Will his threat work? Time will tell. Never again Musician Mika Singh has slammed Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover as he opened up about his experience collaborating with the actor-couple on his 2020 maiden production, Dangerous. On a podcast, Mika recalled making the miniseries and called his experience with Bipasha and Karan “horrible.” He said he wanted to cast Karan opposite a newcomer so that it remains within the budget. However, Bipasha insisted on being part of the project. While they fit in the budget, the experience he claims was horrible. He further alleged that the couple demanded separate rooms while filming in London and created a “lot of drama.” Mika also claimed that even though a kissing scene was a part of their contract, the actors refused to perform it. According to him, the couple created issues, so much so that the post-production became challenging. Mika has sworn off film production after the experience. It’s a wrap! Manoj Bajpayee has wrapped up the shooting for the third season of the hit streaming show, The Family Man. On Saturday, Manoj took to the Instagram Stories section and shared a BTS picture from the shoot. The Family Man features Manoj as Srikant Tiwari, a middle-class man secretly working as an intelligence officer for the Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell (TASC), a fictitious branch of the National Investigation Agency. The preview of the third season indicates a link between COVID-19 and how China attacks the northeastern states of India using the pandemic as a guise. We are also eagerly waiting for the new edition as much as the audience.
29 December,2024 07:14 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamShahid Kapoor and Sujoy Ghosh planned to collaborate on a movie in 2021, but scheduling conflicts prevented them from proceeding. Now, the actor-director duo is reportedly resuming discussions about the film, which is set to commence production in 2025. Ghosh, known for masterpieces like Kahaani (2012) and Badla (2019), has had the Kapoor-starrer script ready for some time. Although details about the plot remain undisclosed, industry insiders believe the project will feature the director’s signature suspense and drama. Kapoor, who has been preparing for Vishal Bhardwaj’s film about gangster Hussain Ustara, is excited about working with Ghosh after years of discussions. Sujoy Ghosh A trade insider said, “Shahid was interested in the script earlier, but the timing wasn’t right. Now, both Sujoy and he are making it a priority to align their schedules and bring it to life.” If finalised, this film will mark Kapoor and Ghosh’s first collaboration. The filmmaker was initially set to direct Shah Rukh Khan and Suhana Khan-starrer King, but with Siddharth Anand taking over the baton gives Ghosh ample time to focus on the next with Kapoor.
29 December,2024 07:02 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamVarun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, and Wamiqa Gabbi-starrer Baby John hit the theatres on Christmas, but now, just three days after its release, the movie is already struggling to stay afloat. Reports have shown that Baby John is being replaced by the Malayalam Unni Mukundan-starrer Marco's Hindi version in North India. While Baby John hit the theatres on December 25, Marco hit the big screen on December 20. The latter received good reviews despite its violent content. Baby John shows being replaced by Marco Marco was released in theatres on December 20, and now, Bollywood Hungama's report stated that Baby John shows are being replaced by Marco’s Hindi version. Superstar Unni Mukundan, who is super happy with the film's performance, took to X and shared that about 140 extra shows were being added for Marco's Hindi version. Unni took to his X and wrote, "140+ extra shows added in Hindi for M🅰️RCO." 140+ extra shows added in Hindi for M🅰️RCO#Marco #running #successfully #blockbuster #incinemasnow @iamunnimukundan pic.twitter.com/BgaQEqtG4f — Unni Mukundan (@Iamunnimukundan) December 27, 2024 Hungama, while talking about the Baby John shows, quoted a source saying, "There’s a curiosity to see it (Marco) as many are claiming that Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ultra-violent film Animal (2023) looks like a kiddie movie in front of Marco because of its excessive violent scenes. Hence, there’s a demand for it, and Baby John’s shows are being replaced with that of Marco and also films like Pushpa 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King." Baby John also had Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule to contend with during its release, despite the film entering its fourth week now. About Baby John and Marco Marco is performing well at the box office. The movie has collected about Rs 29.9 crore net in India, meanwhile, as per Sacnilk, the worldwide collection of the film stands at Rs 57 crore. The film will be released in a Telugu version on January 1. The film is touted to be one of India’s most violent films. The movie, which stars Unni in the lead role, is directed by Haneef Adeni. Meanwhile, Baby John is directed by Khalees and is backed by Atlee. It is a remake of the famous Tamil movie Theri. According to the report, the movie has collected about Rs 19.65 crore net in India so far and Rs 27.60 crore worldwide. Interestingly, Pushpa 2: The Rule, which now enters its fourth week, is earning better than Baby John. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared on his social media handle that Allu Arjun’s actioner “remains the top choice for moviegoers, even with a sharp reduction in shows to accommodate Baby John.”
28 December,2024 11:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSalman Khan celebrated his 59th birthday at his sister Arpita Khan's residence on 26th December midnight. Later, the Khan parivaar jetted off to Jamnagar, Gujarat, for a grand celebration. The Khan parivaar, along with Bollywood's bhaijaan Salman, reached Jamnagar to celebrate his birthday, hosted by the Ambani family at Vantara. Now, a video of Salman Khan cutting a huge cake with his niece Ayat, while the superstar’s mother Salma Khan, Helen, Arpita Khan Sharma, Aayush Sharma, and other loved ones sang the birthday song, has gone viral. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Atul Agnihotri (@atulreellife) In the video that is going viral on Instagram, Salman is seen holding his niece Ayat in his arms while they together cut the giant multi-tiered birthday cake. To note, little Ayat shares her birthday with her ‘mamu’ Salman Khan. In the video, Salman Khan was seen looking dapper in a black shirt with jeans, while Ayat looked like a baby doll in a golden frock with a black jacket. The video features the entire Khan family, including mom Salma Khan, Helen, sister Arpita Khan Sharma, Aayush Sharma, Alvira Khan Agnihotri, nephews Arhaan Khan and Nirvan Khan. After the cake cutting, the entire family enjoyed the spectacular fireworks arranged for Bhaijaan's birthday celebration. Anant Ambani, Nita Ambani, Mukesh Ambani & others also joined the family for the special celebration. Sohail Khan and Deanne Pandey share glimpses from the grand celebration Bollywood actress Ananya Panday's aunt Deanne Pandey posted pictures from the venue on her Instagram. In the pictures, she is posing with Salman’s sister Alvira Agnihotri and Sajid Nadiadwala’s wife Warda Nadiadwala in front of a swimming pool. Another picture features a big sign reading "Love (red emoji) you Bhaijaan." Sohail Khan is also spotted enjoying a buggy ride in one of the pictures. The beautiful fireworks at Vantara are also shown. Deanne also posted an old picture of the four siblings—Salman, Arbaaz, Sohail, and Alvira—in the photo dump. She captioned the post, "Happy Birthday Salman Khan." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sohail Khan (@sohailkhanofficial) Salman Khan's work front Meanwhile, the teaser of Salman Khan's new film Sikandar was supposed to be released yesterday, but due to the unfortunate demise of our ex-PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, the teaser reveal was postponed. The reveal happened today at around 4:05 PM. It showcased Bhaijaan in a never-before-seen avatar.
28 December,2024 09:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
