Chhaava director Laxman Utekar’s start to 2025 was what most filmmakers dream of. With the blockbuster behind him, the director is setting the stage for his next. This time, he is said to have gone back to the leads of his maiden Hindi directorial venture, Luka Chuppi (2019). We’ve heard that Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon and Utekar may reunite for a hard-hitting love story, which will be backed by Dinesh Vijan. A source shares, “The story is currently being developed. It has the flavour of hinterland India that Laxman does so well, but this time he is exploring an intense subject, unlike Luka Chuppi that offered a light-hearted take on live-in relationships.” Kriti Sanon and Laxman Utekar Exciting as the prospect of their reunion may be, Aaryan and Sanon’s busy calendars could pose a challenge. Aaryan, who is currently shooting Anurag Basu’s next, will dedicate the remaining year to Naagzilla and Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri. Meanwhile, Sanon has Tere Ishk Mein, a film with Shahid Kapoor, and reportedly Don 3 in her kitty. “Dates will be the real problem. If all goes well, the project could roll early next year. A decision will be taken after August when the final draft is ready,” adds the source. Kriti Sanon’s last collaboration with director Laxman Utekar was Mimi (2021), which earned her the National Award.
26 April,2025 06:10 PM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuActor Kunal Kapoor might largely remind you of his performances in films like Rang De Basanti, Dear Zindagi, and Don. A calm and composed face is what one might picture. But with the Netflix film Jewel Thief, he got the chance to break the mould as he took on the role of a cop. "You can say I’ve traded poetic lines for punch lines in this one. There’s a directness to him that I find refreshing. When he wants something, he won’t philosophise — he'll simply find the most efficient path to get it. It's been an interesting shift, exploring this kind of contained intensity," says Kunal Kapoor, talking to Mid-day. Kunal on working with Saif and Jaideep Directed by Robbie Grewal and Kookie Gulati, the film is a stylish heist thriller that brings together an interesting mix of actors including Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Nikita Dutta. Talking about sharing screen space with his male counterparts, Kunal says, “Saif brings a wonderful lightness to the set. His humour and wit create an environment where everyone feels very relaxed. He can be laughing about something a few moments before the camera rolls, and then be completely focused the next moment. It’s like a switch gets turned on. I don’t have much work with Jaideep, unfortunately. But he has this wonderful quality — both professionally and personally — of just being. Not trying, just simply existing.” Jewel Thief's surprise element When asked what sets the Siddharth Anand-backed film apart from others in the genre, Kapoor says, “The best heist films stay a few moves ahead of the audience, and that's what we've aimed for. Hopefully, we’ve managed to do that well enough to surprise them.” Another element that most heist films include is a fight or chase sequence — and this film leans into that. “There's a considerable amount of running in this film. Tom Cruise might have some competition in the sprint department,” he jokes, adding that the most challenging sequence was an extended fight scene with Saif. “We wanted something that felt visceral rather than choreographed. That was fun — but also exhausting.” The road forward Kunal is now eager to explore more as an actor. When asked what kind of roles he looks forward to, the Dear Zindagi actor says, “All kinds, honestly. I think as an actor I’m ready and very hungry for all kinds of parts. I want to take risks and really push the boundaries of what people expect from me. When I started off, you had to fit in — which I never did. Thankfully, now there is a lot of space for the misfits.”
26 April,2025 02:22 PM IST | Mumbai | Athulya NambiarActress Mouni Roy, who is awaiting the release of her upcoming movie ‘The Bhootnii’, has spoken highly of her co-actor Sanjay Dutt, and shared how he was always there as guiding light for the younger crop of talents on the film’s set. The film also stars Sunny Singh, Palak Tiwari, Beyounick, Aasif Khan in pivotal roles, and has been grabbing eyeballs for its punchlines and those spooky chills and the fresh pairing that it boasts. Mouni Roy, who is portraying the character of Bhootnii named Mohabbat in the movie, is seen being chased by Sanjay Dutt's character, the ghosthunter Baba. It is the first time these two talented actors will be sharing the screen space together and talking about her working experience with legendary Sanjay Dutt. Talking about her experience of working with Sanjay, Mouni said, “I am a huge fan of Sanjay Sir. I mean, who isn't? He's a very experienced actor, but not once did he show it off on the sets. He was always there to guide us, teach us, offer us his experience, share his learnings. I was naturally very intimidated by a man with his stature, but he made sure to make me feel comfortable and was approachable to all of us”. The countdown to the release of the movie has already begun piquing people’s interest. Presented by Zee Studios, Soham Rockstar Entertainment and Three Dimension Motion Pictures, ‘The Bhootnii’ is a Soham Rockstar Entertainment production, produced by Deepak Mukut and Sanjay Dutt, with co-producers Hunar Mukut and Maanayata Dutt and a Zee Studio Worldwide release hitting theatres on May 1, 2025. 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
26 April,2025 02:10 PM IST | Mumbai | IANSSejal Shah was searching for the right story to kickstart her directorial career, when she, in 2019, stumbled upon the story of Customs officer Costao Fernandes, who displayed courage in the face of corruption. Six years on, it has taken the shape of Costao, the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer that releases next week. “We spent almost a year on the research. I’ve been a journalist, so research is very important to me. We went to Goa where Costao showed me his house; I also met other Custom officers. The scripting took another two years,” she recalls. Costao Fernandes Right when she came across the story, the debutant director knew that she wanted Siddiqui to play the titular role. Having produced the actor’s film, Serious Men (2020), convincing him for the Zee5 offering took no effort. Instead, it was Fernandes who took a lot of convincing. Sejal Shah She shares, “He was not ready to [part with the story] initially. He is very friendly, full of life, but also a maverick. So, he had to be comfortable with me and believe that I wanted to tell the story. Once [he believed in my intent], he was wonderful.” In Memory of the victims At the press interviews of Costao on Friday, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was sporting a black band on his left arm. “It’s to show my solidarity with the Pahalgam attack victims. Bohot dukh hai aur bohot gussa bhi hai. The entire country is feeling this way,” he said.
26 April,2025 11:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaAfter Arijit Singh, popular singer Shreya Ghoshal has also cancelled her upcoming concert, days after the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. The singer and the organisers have shared the update via a joint statement. The note also said that all the people who booked tickets will automatically get a refund. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tarish entertainment (@tarish_entertainment) Shreya Ghoshal cancels her Surat concert Shreya Ghoshal cancelled her Surat concert, which was a part of her All Hearts Tour and was scheduled to take place on April 26 (Saturday) at the Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium. In an official note, the popular singer informed, "In light of the recent and tragic events, the organisers, along with the artist, have collectively made the decision to cancel the upcoming show scheduled to happen in Surat this Saturday, April 26th. All ticket holders will receive full refunds, and the amount will be automatically refunded back to your original mode of payment. Thank you for your understanding." The caption of the post reads, "@shreyaghoshal’s Surat show on April 26th stands cancelled. We stand in silence and solidarity—with heartfelt condolences to those affected by the tragedy. #ShreyaGhoshalLive #ShreyaGhoshal #TarishLive #DistrictUpdates #tarishentertainment." Shreya Ghoshal on the Pahalgam terror attack Earlier, after the tragic incident took place, Shreya had taken to her Instagram to write, "I can't stop thinking about Pahalgam. About the silence that must've followed the chaos. About the families whose worlds will never be the same again. It breaks my heart to know that lives were lost in such a beautiful, peaceful place, lives that had nothing to do with violence, yet became its victim. This is a wound to the soul of our nation. My heart goes out to every family shattered by this senseless violence. We grieve with you. And we will remember." The caption read, "(Heartbreak emoji) #PahalgamAttack." View this post on Instagram A post shared by shreyaghoshal (@shreyaghoshal) About the Pahalgam terror attack The deadly terror attack on the tourists claimed at least 26 lives, including a local who fought the terrorists and tried to snatch their gun, when he was shot. The terrorists segregated the tourists based on their faith and shot them after finding out their religion. Five terrorists — including three Pakistani nationals and two residents of Jammu and Kashmir — have been identified as the perpetrators of the horrific attack, which is being described as the worst terror strike to hit the region in nearly two decades.
26 April,2025 09:24 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPakistan actor Fawad Khan's Bollywood comeback, Abir Gulaal, is under fire following the Pahalgam terror attack that took place earlier this week. Amid the reports of the film being banned from its Indian release, it has now been reported that Fawad has charged a hefty amount to be a part of the romantic drama, co-starring Vaani Kapoor. If a report by Siasat is to be believed, the actor, who usually charges about 15-20 lakh INR per TV episode in Pakistan, has signed the film and received a big check. The actor is said to have charged about 5 to 10 crore INR for doing Abir Gulaal, though there has been no confirmation from the actor or the producers of the film on the same. About Abir Gulaal Abir Gulaal will mark the first on-screen pairing of Vaani and Fawad Khan. The film is touted to be Fawad's return to Bollywood. Made under the direction of Aarti S. Bagdi, the project has been produced by Vivek B. Agrawal, Avantika Hari, and Rakesh Sippy. Ace composer Amit Trivedi has scored the beautiful melodies for the much-awaited drama. Fawad Khan's Abir Gulaal Under Fire Since the horrific Pahalgam attack, the cry to ban Fawad Khan’s Abir Gulaal’s release in India has been growing louder, and now reports have come in that the movie will actually not be released in the country. Government sources have claimed that they will not let the movie release in the country. As per Hindustan Times, sources said, "The movie Abir Gulaal, starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, will not be allowed to release in India." This action has come in hours after the demand for a ban grew following the terror attack in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday. About the Pahalgam Terror Attack A terror attack broke out at the Pahalgam hill station in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday. Over 25 tourists, including Indians and two foreigners, were shot dead by terrorists in the valley. According to reports, two to three terrorists wearing army fatigues opened fire on horse-riding tourists in the Baisaran area around 2:30 p.m. Baisaran is a small meadow located 3 to 4 km from the Pahalgam market.
26 April,2025 08:57 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentJewel ThiefOn: NetflixDir: Kookie Gulati, Robbie GrewalCast: Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Nikita DuttaRating: 2/5 When I first watched Dhoom 2 (2006), I knew I am a sucker for a good movie that’s packaged with rizzy leads, witty banter, suave villains, and a dollop of pizzazz! Since then, I have called this genre of movies Sexy Action. In the past few years, the one man who has cracked the formula is Siddharth Anand. His visuals are so sumptuous that one almost forgets to check the plot. Think of Hrithik Roshan’s entry sequence in War (2019). There is hardly anything else you would remember from that film. I wish the same could be said about Jewel Thief—The Heist Begins. Since smarts are hardly expected of the film, it should at least have been one of those breezy date-night viewings. Instead, Anand’s team—directors Robbie Grewal and Kookie Gulati—serve us a snooze fest. The faces are still gorgeous, but the story simply never soars! At one point in the film, I caught myself thinking, perhaps Anand shouldn’t have left the reins of the film. He might have made this mediocre story work! Since he didn’t, we were stuck with a screenplay desperate for impact. Early on in the film, a perfectly loveable dog is shot dead. How else do we know that our villain is cruel? Then there’s poor Kulbhushan Kharbanda, 80, almost catching a stray bullet on his evening walk because someone thought trauma-to-the-elderly will raise the stakes! In another sequence, the villain’s lackey gets his throat slit, not because it made sense but because the writers mistook shock value for storytelling. To quote Kunal Kapoor’s dialogues from the film, “F***!” Because that’s all he said. Fortunately, Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat light up the screen every time they are on it. Rehaan Roy (Khan) is effortlessly smug as the charming burglar. The film, on his part, feels like a practice session before his Race 4. If this is how he shows up for the next Race, count me seated! He is pitted against an art curator and closeted don Rajan Aulakh (Ahlawat), who decides to ditch the runway to kill people just for the thrills. Rehaan is roped into pulling off a high-stakes heist by Rajan. He’s doing it to save his father, who once cut him off for being a thief. The plot kicks into gear as Rehaan sets out to steal the sought-after diamond Red Sun while baarah-mulkon-ki-police is hot on his trail. Along the way, our charming chor falls in love with Rajan’s wife, played forgettably by Nikita Dutta. She is the doe-eyed damsel in distress, physically abused by her husband every night, but the writers don’t try to give the character any meat. So, Rehaan has to save his estranged father and his lover just for the convenience of the plot. He is to wipe off the sadistic villain, before getting to his dream of settling by a quiet stream, with two kids, a wife, happily ever after. That’s a whole lot of heavy lifting for one man! The plot is designed in such a way that the six-packs of the male leads do all the talking. This was working out perfectly until the climax, when the stupidity became a bit too apparent. The thief directs the pilot through GPS where to land the airplane—in the middle of Istanbul, instead of the airport runway. Of course, he is also a master of disguise. Though the cops search for him on the flight with a photo and don’t recognise him, they later approach him for a medical emergency, assuming he’s a doctor—even though his appearance hasn’t changed much. The film tosses logic out the window just to ensure that the protagonist comes out on top. I expected the film to be unoriginal and predictable—even its title is borrowed from the 1967 Vijay Anand classic. But what’s truly unexpected is the audacity of wasting two of the industry’s brightest talents on this abomination of a story. It’s a lazy film. Even worse, the final slide teases us with the message: ‘The heist continues’. Some self-awareness is much needed. *YUCK **WHATEVER ***GOOD ****SUPER *****AWESOME
26 April,2025 07:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuPhuleU: Biography, dramaDir: Ananth MahadevanCast: Pratik Gandhi, PatralekhaaRating: 2/5 The film Phule, as in the biopic of social activist Mahatma Jyotirao Phule (1827-1890), is naturally set between mid to late 19th Century, when India was under British rule. Therefore, an upper-caste character in the film points to their common oppression, under the colonial empire. To which Phule, fighting for caste rights, rightly points out—that particular slavery is only 100 years old, while the lower castes have suffered for ages. The exact words, “for 3,000 years”, I realise, has been knocked from that sentence, as per Censor Board’s suggestions. Likewise, you notice the near, if not absolute absence of the word caste/“jaati” itself from this film—replaced by the supposedly more palatable four-tiered varna system, instead. As Phule’s wife Savitribai puts it in this film—henceforth, the Shudras shall be referred to as Dalits. While some of these insertions/deletions, supposedly under the pressure of sundry brahmin groups, might baffle any lay viewer, even vaguely attuned to India’s caste issues—the fact is, if it wasn’t for the Censor Board, you may not have heard of the low-budget, art-house type film, Phule. For whatever that’s worth. And the story is worth a lot. Simply consider that only 177 years ago, the act of ultimate rebellion, performed by Phule—walking alone, battling raids, altogether banished from his village—was admitting little girls into an underground school he set up, so children could get basic education! It was the first such revolt in Maharashtra. Which is such an irony given, as a line here puts it best, “Saraswati is the goddess of learning, after all.” Sadly, we don’t savour films for the stories. We watch them for the storytelling. And that’s where this uniformly dull, dry biopic suffers—sorely lacking in any kinda absorbing energy/drama—with a trustable narrator, pretty much linearly taking us on a guided tour of events, in the life of Mahatma Phule, in master/wide shots. Offering us, therefore, no further/deeper insights than a Wikipedia page, that I’ve just read, to feel equally enlightened! Hence, as you read, or you hear (in the film), Phule was influenced by the French Revolution, Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man, and the abolition of slavery in the US, under Abraham Lincoln, while the upper-castes feared even his shadow polluting their path. That he was once thrown out of a brahmin wedding. He home-schooled his wife, Savitribai, also in English, which he learnt, attending a missionary school, where he also befriended one, Usman Sheikh, and his sister Fatima, who provided him shelter, when he was ostracised. What do you see? First off, the lead actors Pratik Gandhi as Mahatma Phule, and Patralekhaa as Savitribai, of course. Both fine, understated actors, no doubt. But sometimes so understated that they feel laidback; subsequently, their audiences as well. Pratik has popularly performed Mahatma Gandhi in the Gujarati play Mohan Na Masalo, apart from currently shooting for Hansal Mehta’s India Before Gandhi as an OTT series. What did I wish to see? Anything that truly helps me gauge what makes mortals like Phule ‘mahatma’ in their own lifetime—going so severely against the grain, given the society of their times, that was so unwilling to see their point of view, let alone engage with it. What was that impetus that stood them apart; making the charismatic Phule one of BR Ambedkar’s spiritual mentors later? These require dramatic debates, internal and external monologues, scenes that illuminate a human onscreen. Consequently, shedding light on someone, who never stopped from seeking help from the British government and Christian missionaries, since he saw a larger picture for the lower-caste, and the women. Both of whom, in a system totally rigged against them, were being denied basic rights, including education. It’s a dramatic life, like Gandhi’s, as full of perceivable contradictions too. This is the character who says, in the film, “It’s easy to make emotional Indians fight over caste and religion even in the future.” And that you must keep the revolution alive. Also, a man who sits down to chat with his own would-be assassins. Why does a film about him feel so weak/flat, besides lazy filmmaking, perhaps? My sense is the writer, director (Ananth Mahadevan, Muazzam Beg) aren’t sure to what extent that can delve into subjects when, progressively, along with religion and politics, even caste is appearing a no-go zone in the movie-mainstream. What with the anger of the privileged that could evidently strike upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger. And what’s caste, if not religion and politics too! You thank the filmmakers, still; make do with what you got; and move on then. I know it doesn’t sound encouraging for a film audience, but treat this as entry-level education on Phule, rather than entertainment or deep engagement, if you like. You’ll be much better off, that way. *YUCK **WHATEVER ***GOOD ****SUPER *****AWESOME
26 April,2025 07:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Mayank ShekharLike mother, like daughter Kajol has been awarded the Late Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award, a prestigious state award of Maharashtra. Other recipients include Mahesh Manjrekar, Anupam Kher, and Mukta Barve. On the big win, Kajol said, “Receiving this award is truly humbling. Mr Raj Kapoor was a pioneer whose work shaped Indian cinema. And, till today his characters and music are taken as examples for most scripts that are written. To be associated with this legacy is indeed a privilege and what makes it even more special is the fact that my mother [Tanuja] also has received this award!” On the work front, Kajol has a mythological horror film Maa, slated for release on June 27, and a thriller film, Sarzameen, featuring her alongside Prithviraj Sukumaran and Ibrahim Ali Khan. Additionally, Kajol is reportedly involved in the action-thriller Maharagni—Queen of Queens.
26 April,2025 07:37 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamThe chatter in the Bengali film industry is that the Bengal Tigress has roared again. When we mention this to Sharmila Tagore, she laughs, before saying, “The media sometimes called me ‘La Tagore’, and at other times, Bengal Tigress. Since I was married to Tiger Pataudi, the [latter] came easily to them.” One can understand the Bengali film industry and the audience’s exhilaration to see Tagore returning to Tollywood after 16 years. And with a brilliant film like Puratawn at that. Suman Ghosh’s directorial venture, also starring Rituparna Sengupta, explores a mother-daughter relationship as Tagore’s character slowly loses her grip on reality and shows first signs of memory loss. It is being hailed as among the senior actor’s best performances. “We were aiming for critical acclaim, and never thought that theatres would run house-full over weeks. It was surprising to know that it’s a success. When we make a film, we never think if it will be a success or not. We thought Puratawn is different from the usual movies as it doesn’t have the ingredients for a hit film.” A still from Puratawn, which hit the theatres on April 11. Pics/PTI, Instagram Since debuting with Apur Sansar (1959) over six decades ago, Tagore has prominently featured in Bengali films, cutting down on them only in the aughts. Did it take her a while to go back to speaking Bengali in front of the camera? “I’ve never lost touch with Bengali. I was so happy to speak entirely in my language after so many years in a movie,” she smiles. In the past two years, it has been a pleasure to see the veteran actor back in the thick of things. With Gulmohar (2023), she returned to Hindi cinema after a 13-year hiatus, and followed it up with The Outhouse last year. It’s evident that she is enjoying cherry-picking her roles at this stage. “I’ve done all kinds of roles, including frivolous ones in the past. At this stage, I want to do roles that are real, like in Gulmohar and Puratawn. I’d love to play a comic role someday. If there is a role that speaks to me, has depth and makes me feel I can do it, I’ll say yes.” Recently, she expressed that Puratawn may be her final Bengali movie. Is she bowing out of Bengali cinema? She reflects, “If the role is worth it, I may do it. [But] physically one gets exhausted on sets. In Puratawn, we had to climb three storeys as there were no lifts in the building; that was tiring. Ritu’s production house and Suman’s presence made it easier.”
26 April,2025 07:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRFilmmaker Imtiaz Ali and music maestro AR Rahman came together and created magic with Rockstar. Now, in an interview, the ace filmmaker opened up about some interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the time they collaborated and revealed a hilarious yet innocent incident from their visit to Pahalgam, where Rahman decided to record a song for the film — and a group of girls mistook him for an electrician. Imtiaz Ali recalls recording song with AR Rahman in Pahalgam While talking about their trip to Pahalgam for Rockstar, in an interview with O2India, Imtiaz said, “Rahman sir set up this recording console in the reception of the hotel. He was wearing a black T-shirt paired with grey trousers. These girls came in to sing chorus and suddenly asked who the music director was. Now, these people were not really exposed to cinema or its people, so they didn’t know me or Rahman sir. When they asked, ‘Who was the music director?’, I gestured at them to be quiet and showed them where they had to be for the recording. Rahman sir came out from under the table, and one of these girls was bold and she asked again, ‘Who is the music director?’ I finally pointed towards Rahman and told them, ‘Here he is, AR Rahman.’” “One of the girls then refused to believe it and said, ‘Yeh AR Rahman thodi hai, I have met him, he looks different.’ Rahman played along and said, ‘Yeah, yeah, forget about it.’ And then he sat behind the console and started recording. Until the end of it, these girls didn’t realise that they were actually singing for AR Rahman,” he further added. About Rockstar’s star-cast and story The iconic romantic drama Rockstar is written and directed by Imtiaz Ali. It starred Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri in the lead roles. Meanwhile, Aditi Rao Hydari, Piyush Mishra, Shernaz Patel, Kumud Mishra, Sanjana Sanghi, Aakash Dahiya, and Shammi Kapoor played pivotal roles in the romantic drama. Rockstar revolves around Janardhan Jakhar, played by Ranbir, a young man from Delhi who dreams of becoming a rockstar like his idol, Jim Morrison. He transforms and adopts the persona of Jordan when he meets Heer Kaul, played by Nargis Fakhri, a free-spirited girl with whom he falls in love. The movie portrays Janardhan’s journey as he navigates through love, heartbreak, and fame in pursuit of his musical ambitions. It explores themes of passion, self-discovery, and the sacrifices one makes for their art. Rockstar is renowned for its soulful music composed by AR Rahman, which includes chart-topping songs like “Sadda Haq” and “Nadaan Parindey.” The film received critical acclaim for its performances, direction, and music, earning several awards and nominations.
25 April,2025 09:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
