Rumours about actor-dancer Nora Fatehi's alleged relationship with T-Series head Bhushan Kumar have once again made headlines online. The rumours claimed Bhushan was allegedly involved in an affair with Nora despite being married to filmmaker Divya Khosla Kumar back in 2022. The actres has now reacted to the rumours. Nora Fatehi reacts to dating rumours with Bhushan Kumar Back in 2022, film critic Umair Sandhu claimed that the alleged relationship had been ongoing for nearly two years and that Bhushan's wife, Divya, was aware of it. Similarly, rumours also emerged about an alleged separation between Bhushan and Divya, back in the day, which was later dismissed by the couple. The controversy was recently reignited after a TikTok influencer shared a three-year-old Reddit thread discussing their alleged affair. The thread soon went viral once again after users noticed a comment from Nora on the post. The actress reacted to the post by commenting “Wow" followed by a laughing emoji. A screenshot of the comment was shared on Reddit with the caption linking Nora’s reaction to a TikTok discussing the alleged relationship. The post quickly received a wide range of reactions. While some users found the response funny, others questioned why the actor would react to an old rumour. One user even wrote, “Why even comment? Now it’ll just bring more attention." Nora Fatehi reportedly dating Achraf Hakimi This comes amid the speculation that Nora has been dating Moroccan football star Achraf Hakimi. Dating rumours surfaced after Hakimi liked one of Nora’s social media posts. Later, she was spotted in Morocco. Speculations intensified when Nora shared pictures from the country during the Africa Cup of Nations, wherein she can be seen posing in a red jacket, white crop top, and jeans during a football match. Neither of them have officially confirmed the relationship. Nevertheless, online chatter has continued to grow. Achraf Hakimi is a professional footballer who plays for Paris Saint-Germain as well as the Moroccan national team. He is known for his explosive pace and attacking strength as a right-back. Hakimi previously represented clubs like Real Madrid and Inter Milan, while winning several domestic and international titles.
18 January,2026 12:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMusic composer AR Rahman recently made headlines and faced backlash for his recent comments made during an interview. The music maestro has now broken his silence on the criticism, reiterating his love for India. The musician also clarified that it was never his aim to cause pain with his statements. AR Rahman clarifies his remarks Rahman took to Instagram to share a video statement. He began by calling India his teacher and home, saying, “Music has always been my way of connecting, celebrating and honouring our culture. India is my inspiration, my teacher and my home. I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood. But my purpose has always been to uplift, honour and serve through music. I have never wished to cause pain, and I hope my sincerity is felt.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by AR Rahman: Official Updates (@arrofficialupdates) He further cited examples of how he has strived to use music to uplift India, saying, “I feel blessed to be Indian, which enables me to create a space which always allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices. From nurturing Jhalaa, presented at the WAVES summit in front of the honourable Prime Minister and Rooh-e-Noor, to collaborating with the young Naga musicians, to creating a string orchestra, to mentoring the Sunshine orchestra, also building Secret Mountain, India’s first multicultural virtual band and the honour of scoring Ramayana, alongside Hans Zimmer. Each journey has strengthened my purpose.” He concluded his statement saying, “I remain grateful to this nation and committed to music that honours the past,” and ended the video with footage of his song Maa Tujhe Salaam/Vande Mataram being played during a cricket match with a stadium full of people singing along AR Rahman's controversial remarks During an interview with BBC Asian Network, Rahman was asked whether he ever felt prejudice in Bollywood as a Tamil composer. He said, “Maybe I never got to know of this, maybe it was concealed by God, but I didn’t feel any of this. The past eight years, maybe, because a power shift has happened, and people who are not creative have the power now. It might be a communal thing also… but it is not in my face.” He also criticised Chhaava for cashing in on ‘divisiveness’. He added, "It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I said, 'Oh, that's great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family."
18 January,2026 12:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSearch for Don over? After Ranveer Singh’s exit from Don 3, whispers have started doing the rounds that Shah Rukh Khan might just slide back into the franchise like he never left. Online chatter claims the superstar is “willing” to reprise Don — but only with a little filmi condition attached. Word is SRK wants Jawan (2023) director Atlee to join the Farhan Akhtar directorial, purely to scale it up and “heighten audience excitement”. Of course, nothing is locked yet, and the final call is still pending. As for Ranveer? Reports say he reassessed his career priorities post Dhurandhar (2025) and opted out because he didn’t want “back-to-back gangster films”. Fair enough — not everyone wants to live in leather jackets and smoke-filled frames.
18 January,2026 11:41 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamAlmost two months after welcoming their baby girl and embracing parenthood, Bollywood couple Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa have finally unveiled the name of their daughter. They revealed the name by sharing a first glimpse of their daughter on social media. Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa share their daughter's name The new parents have decided to call their little baby girl Parvati Paul Rao. Sharing the exciting announcement on social media, Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa wrote in a joint post, "With folded hands and full hearts, we introduce our greatest blessing...PARVATI PAUL RAO (sic)." View this post on Instagram A post shared by RajKummar Rao (@rajkummar_rao) The post also included a close-up photo of Rajkummar and Patralekhaa adorably holding their little one's hands. Several celebrities reacted to the name announcement by commenting on the post. Actress Aahana Kumra commented, "Congratulations Patralekhaa and rajkummar_rao and welcome little Parvati." Similarly, others from the entertainment industry, such as Bhumi Pednekar and Ayushmann Khurrana, also commented with red heart emojis on the post Rajkummar and Patralekhaa welcome baby girl Rajkummar and Patralekhaa embraced parenthood for the first time on November 15 last year. They shared the news of the arrival of their baby girl on the internet with a sweet post. "We are over the moon God has blessed us with a Baby girl... Blessed parents Patralekhaa and Rajkumaar", they penned. The caption on the post read, "(red heart and folded hands emoji) The greatest blessing God has given us on our 4th wedding anniversary." Rajkummar and Patralekhaa announced their first pregnancy back in July 2025. "Baby on the way - Patralekhaa & Rajkummar", the excited couple mentioned. Rajkummar first laid eyes on Patralekhaa in an advertisement. At first glance, he found her to be really cute and wished to meet her someday. Finally, the two met as they shot for Hansal Mehta's 2014 drama CityLights. During the filming, Rajkummar and Patralekhaa ended up falling for one another. After being in a relationship for some time, the Maalik actor proposed to his ladylove in October 2021 and finally tied the knot in November 2021 in a beautiful ceremony in the presence of their family and close friends.
18 January,2026 11:38 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWith Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, actor-director Vir Das has done everything that goes against mainstream Bollywood culture. At a time when Hindi cinema is dominated by heightened spy actioners led by angry alpha men, Das arrives with a spy comedy — one where the protagonist is the punchline. It’s not just the film’s screenplay that is counter-culture; its making also goes against the grain of the Hindi film industry, Das tells mid-day. Producers have lately raised concerns over soaring entourage costs. So, the rules on the Happy Patel set — no mobile phones, no entourage, and one common hair and make-up crew for all — come as a surprise. For Das, the maths was simple. To finish the film on a tight budget and within a short schedule, he needed to do the opposite of what the industry considers normal. “It is a tiny film, shot in 31 days. So, it was crucial to do this. We had six action sequences and 14 original pieces of music. We also had cameos from Aamir [Khan] and Imran [Khan]. We had to keep our costs down,” Das explains, adding that he is thrilled to have set a new culture on a movie set. “The no-cell phone policy benefited us. We sped up shooting by one and a half times.” On the crew Vir Das believes the expert crew helped complete the film in 31 days. Colourist Sidharth Meer also worked on ‘Homebound’ (2025). Costume designer Parakriti Rajpurohit designed outfits for ‘Sacred Games’ (2018,19). Parth Pandya has previously composed music for ‘Jigra’ (2024). Himman Dhamija, of ‘Mangal Pandey: The Rising’ (2005) fame, served as the DoP on ‘Happy Patel’
18 January,2026 07:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaKuch Toh Log Kahenge, Logon Ka Kaam Hai Kehna… More than 50 years later, the iconic song from legendary filmmaker Shakti Samanta’s Amar Prem (1972) continues to resonate. January 13 marked the beginning of a month-long celebration for his 100th birth anniversary. The subscription-based platform Ultra Play OTT will stream 32 of his digitally restored Hindi films to honour the yesteryear filmmaker who gave us gems like Howrah Bridge (1958), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), Kati Patang (1971), among others. Shakti Samanta “I consider Amar Prem to be my best Hindi performance,” begins Sharmila Tagore. She laughs that she “looked very good” in it. “His movies have a repeat value, and his [film’s] songs have lived on forever. Music was his forte, but his films also had social relevance and his women were strong with a lot to say. Shakti da was a man of few words. He was always well-prepared and very efficient with his time. He shot the entire song Roop Tera Mastana [from Aradhana, 1969] as a background song, without rehearsals and lip syncing, in one shot, because we were pressed for time.” Sharmila Tagore and Asha Parekh Asha Parekh, his leading lady in Kati Patang and other films, says Samanta’s movies cracked the code for perfectly packaged entertainers. “He was one of the leading producer-directors of our film industry. It was a delight working with him because he was a fine person and an intense director,” shares Parekh, adding that Samanta often coaxed his actors to deliver multiple takes until he felt visually satisfied. His sincerity, she says, “impacted and influenced me”. “Shakti da handed me Gulshan Nanda’s book Kati Patang and asked me if I’ll work with him. The film was a big hit.” Rajat Agarwal of Ultra Media says Samanta’s films remain relevant even today. “They represent a perfect blend of emotion, music, and human connection. [The themes in his movies are] universal and ageless.” Did you know? For the song ‘Mere Sapno Ki Rani’ from ‘Aradhana’, Sharmila Tagore was not in Darjeeling during the shoot. She was busy filming another project. Shakti Samanta shot all of Rajesh Khanna’s portions on location in the hills, and later filmed Tagore’s train-window reactions in a Mumbai studio Shakti Samanta’s hits 1958: ‘Howrah Bridge’1962: ‘China Town’1964: ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’1967: ‘An Evening in Paris’1969: ‘Aradhana’1971: ‘Kati Patang’1972: ‘Amar Prem’1973: ‘Anuraag’1975: ‘Amanush’1977: ‘Anand Ashram’
18 January,2026 07:37 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBR“Akkha Bollywood ek taraf, aur Emraan Hashmi ek taraf,” is an epic one-liner by Raghav Juyal (The Ba***ds of Bollywood) that’s going to be etched into cinematic history. The versatile star who closed 2025 with Haq has kick-started the New Year with Netflix’s Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, which portrays him as a customs officer. In an exclusive interaction with mid-day, Emraan shares what’s on his checklist when it comes to signing on the dotted line, his take on the “serial kisser” tag despite a career trajectory of over two decades, and more. Emraan Hashmi on serial kisser tag Emraan, who can’t seem to shake off his “serial kisser” tag, had to encounter something similar during the show’s trailer launch in Mumbai. The actor, who has been in showbiz for over two decades, states that it’s been ages since he’s been christened with the same. “Some journos want clickbait, and things get a little unethical. You just have to tackle it with a certain amount of humour and not let it affect you. You're living in a country that gets stirred up with these things. I guess they're also catering to an audience that reacts strongly to these things, and they get their views.” Emraan observes that while journalists have their own narratives to craft, in a relatively conservative culture, provocative statements quickly become sensationalised. “When I was doing these 'bold scenes', the first talking point, the headline, was about the kiss. And apparently, it's still there. Not as much, but it's still there. It's very pervasive in our culture. But you’ve got to take it in your stride,” he adds. Emraan Hashmi on choosing projects Over the years, Emraan has dabbled in projects that have a layer of quirk. He doesn’t rack his brain to dissect what the audience may or may not like. Once the script connects to him at a deeper level, he’s in for the ride. However, a big no for him would be a lack of conviction. Emraan, who dons the customs uniform in the show, is a treat to watch. When questioned hypothetically about what he would stop from being smuggled into India, he answers, “Drugs. That's a no-brainer. Huge credit to, of course, the customs officers, because the consequences and the price you pay are huge.”
18 January,2026 07:29 AM IST | Mumbai | Oshin FernandesAR Rahman is making headlines for his recent statement hinting at communal bias in the film industry. The composer said that work for him has slowed down in the past eight years, attributing it to changing power dynamics over the past few years and hinting at a possible “communal thing”. Amid this, we take a look at the Oscar-winning composer's upcoming lineup. AR Rahman's lineup The composer starts the year with the film Gandhi Talks. The film which has no spoken dialogue, stars Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swamy, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Siddharth Jadhav. The film will be released in theatres on January 30, 2026. With no dialogues, the film will rely heavily on music directed by Rahman. Apart from Gandhi Talks, Rahman has an impressive lineup of movies to look forward to. In Hindi, he has Nitesh Tiwari's directorial Ramayana, Gandhi series directed by Hansal Mehta, Rajkumar Santoshi's Lahore 1947, and Untitled Diljit Dosanjh and Imtiaz Ali project. Down south, Rahman has been roped in for the music of Ram Charan's Peddi, Moonwalk, Untitled Lijo Jose Pellissery film, Kamal Aur Meena, Killer, and Genie. What did AR Rahman say about communal bias? The music composer AR Rahman in an interview to BBC Asian Network, had said the reasons often reach him indirectly and tagged it as “Chinese whispers". He went on to say in the interview: "People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face.” “It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I said, 'Oh, that's great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family." Talking about working on Ramayana, he said, "I studied in a Brahmin school, and every year we had Ramayana and Mahabharata, so I know the story. The story is about how virtuous a person is, higher ideals, and all that stuff. People may argue, but I value all those good things - any good things that you can learn from. The prophet has said that knowledge is something invaluable, no matter where you get it from - a king, a beggar, a good act or a bad one. You can't shy away from things." Rahman added, "I think we need to elevate from small-mindedness and selfishness. Because when we elevate and we become radiant - we become a radiant of that, and that's very important. I am proud of the whole project, because it's from India to the whole world, with such love. Hanz Zimmer is Jewish, I am Muslim, and the Ramayana is Hindu (text)."
17 January,2026 10:35 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPunjabi singer Karan Aujla has been making headlines after a US-based artist accused him of cheating. Amid the controversy, actress and entrepreneur Parul Gulati has come out in support of the singer, sharing details about her first interaction with him and their social media exchanges. Parul Gulati defends Karan Aujla Parul, who was recently seen in the film Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, shared a video in which she called the allegations against Aujla “baseless.” She captioned the video, “Maine aaj badla le liya…. Unfollow ni karna si, but at the same time, if my man did that for me, I would be so f***ing proud of him. @palakkaujla heera mileya eh tainu heera (sic).” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Parul Gulati 🤍 (@gulati06) In the video, Parul said, “Okay, sit down, I have some tea on Karan Aujla. I don’t know him personally, but I have been an Aujla paglu. Thanks to my boyfriend, I know all his songs and lyrics. I got a chance to attend one of his events where he was performing. He saw me, I saw him, and then he waved at me. I was like, ‘What? He knows me? Karan Aujla knows me?’ I took the opportunity to go up and say hi, took my friend along, and asked her to record it secretly. I had a great meeting, went home, and immediately followed him.” She also shared a video from her first meeting with Aujla and screenshots of their initial interaction on social media. In the messages, Parul was seen fangirling as Karan praised her hair brand. Parul then revealed that Karan followed her back a month or two later, leaving her elated. However, she later noticed that the singer had unfollowed her on Instagram and even removed her from his followers list. She claimed that his wife was the reason behind the move. “This man, to keep his wife happy and make her feel secure, will do anything,” she said. Parul slams Ms Gori Towards the end of her video, Parul slammed Ms Gori, calling her allegations baseless. “So listen, Ms Gori, you didn’t know he was married? You don’t have Google? I’m going to call your post absolute BS. She clearly knew that taking his name and talking badly about him would get her views,” she said. While admitting she was disappointed by what happened with her, Parul said she still admires the singer. “Whatever happened with me was wrong, and I still hate him for unfollowing me,” she said, before underscoring her continued support for Aujla due to her appreciation of his music. Gulati added, “He is the greenest flag.”
17 January,2026 09:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentActress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has called out music composer AR Rahman for ignoring her when she approached him for the music of her film Emergency. The actress made the revelation as Rahman made headlines for his statement on communal bias in the Hindi film industry. The Oscar-winning composer said that work for him has slowed down in the past eight years, attributing it to changing power dynamics over the past few years and hinting at a possible “communal thing”. Kangana Ranuat calls AR Rahman hateful On Saturday, Kangana took to her Instagram stories to share a video of Rahman speaking about communal bias in the industry. Along with it, she penned a long note where she addressed the composer as the most prejudiced and hateful person she knows. The actress wrote, "Dear arrahman ji, I face so much prejudice and partiality in the film industry because I support a saffron party yet I must say I have not come across a man more prejudiced and hateful than you, I desperately wanted to narrate my directorial Emergency to you, forget narration, you even refused to meet me. I was told you don’t want to be a part of a propaganda film. Ironically Emergency was called a masterpiece by all critics even opposition party leaders sent me fan letters appreciating the film for it's balanced and compassionate approach but you are blinded by your hate. I feel sorry for you". Kangana on her changing equation with Masaba Gupta In her following post, she spoke about how she was sidelined by designer Masaba Gupta for her politics. "arrahman ji everyone has their own battles, forget films the big designers who begged me to launch their jewellery and clothes in free fund ka campaigns because they claimed to be my best friends later refused to send my stylist clothes, they stopped talking to me or posting about me but one instance I will never forget is when I was wearing masabagupta sari for Ram Janmbhoomi and she told the stylist that I can’t go to Ram janmbhoomi in her sari. I had already left from Lucknow for Ayodhya and it was not possible to change I felt so humiliated and degraded that I quietly cried in my car , later like other designers she told the stylist not to mention her or her brands name, today @arrahman ji shedding crocodile tears what about their own hate and prejudices?" she revealed. In another post, Kangana shared an old picture of her performing on stage. Along with it, she wrote, "I never performed at my own sister's wedding but 2016 was also the year when I performed at masabagupta wedding". She then shared a picture with designer Masaba from 2016 and wrote, "Leftists are blinded by their hate and prejudice and young generation must be very cautious of them". What did AR Rahman say? The music composer AR Rahman in an interview to BBC Asian Network, had said the reasons often reach him indirectly and tagged it as “Chinese whispers". He went on to say in the interview: "People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face.” “It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I said, 'Oh, that's great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family."
17 January,2026 07:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentOscar-winning music composer A.R. Rahman has elicited different responses after he spoke about his recent experiences in the Hindi film industry. He said that work for him has slowed down in the past eight years, attributing it to changing power dynamics over the past few years and hinting at a possible “communal thing”. However, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar has firmly ruled out any such angle. Javed Akhtar on Rahman's communal bias comment Sharing his perspective, Akhtar said he has never experienced this sentiment in Mumbai and stressed that Rahman continues to command immense respect across the industry. “I have never felt this way. I meet people here in Mumbai. They have great respect for him,” Akhtar told IANS. He added that many may assume the composer is largely unavailable due to his packed international schedule and large-scale shows, which demand significant time and commitment. “People may think that he has become very busy in the West. They may think that his shows are very big. He spends a lot of time in those shows. So, he may not be available for us.” Akhtar also pointed out that Rahman’s stature is so towering that even small producers often hesitate to approach him. He said, “Rahman is such a big man. Even a small producer is afraid to go to him.” Dismissing the idea of any communal element, Akhtar said that Rahman remains approachable and assured that if reached out to, the composer would certainly respond. “But I don't think there is any communal element in this. Why don't you see him? He will definitely come,” he said. What did AR Rahman say? The music composer AR Rahman in an interview to BBC Asian Network, had said the reasons often reach him indirectly and tagged it as “Chinese whispers". He went on to say in the interview: "People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face.” “It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I said, 'Oh, that's great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family."
17 January,2026 07:26 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
