Actor Alia Bhatt's girl gang just got an adorable addition, who is her daughter, Raha Kapoor! Alia's best friend Akansha Ranjan Kapoor shared a bunch of pictures on Instagram and wrote, "bone chuha". In one of the pictures, Raha can be seen enjoying her mother's girl gang. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Akansha Ranjan (@akansharanjankapoor) Fans go crazy whenever they get to see the pictures of the little one on social media and now, they bombarded the comment section on new picture with love and blessings. A user wrote, "Raha" with heart emoticons. Another fan commented, "Simply luvable" with heart and fire emojis. Recently, another picture went viral of Raha where Ranbir can be seen holding her in his arms as he poses with one of the staff members. Raha looked super cute in a pink swimsuit and white headband. Alia and Ranbir tied the knot in April 2022, after several years of dating. Their daughter, Raha was born in November 2022. On Christmas 2023, Ranbir and Alia surprised their fans by making their first public appearance with Raha. Meanwhile, on the work front, Alia is busy filming her upcoming movie 'Alpha'. Directed by Shiv Rawail, 'Alpha' is set to be a notable addition to Yash Raj Films' acclaimed spy universe and is scheduled for release on December 25. Alia's recent film, 'Jigra', hit theatres on October 11. 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
23 November,2024 08:46 AM IST | Mumbai | ANI’Qala’ actor Babil Khan is all set to return to the screens with Amit Golani's film, ‘Log Out’. The film is set to have its world premiere at ‘Mar del Plata International Film Festival’ in Argentina. Speaking about the experience, Babil shared, “I’m thrilled to see people finally witness Log Out. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this project, and I can't wait for the world to see it. I’m incredibly grateful that the film will premiere at such a prestigious festival. Working with Amit Golani Sir has been an incredible experience. His vision and direction pushed me to explore new depths in my performance, and I’m proud of what we’ve created together.” In ‘Log Out’, Babil takes on a completely different role, portraying a modern-day influencer navigating the complexities of digital fame. As his character rises to success in the virtual world, he soon becomes trapped by its darker consequences. With its modern-day relevance, the film promises to strike a chord with today’s digitally-driven audiences. Babil Khan is son of late Irafan Khan. He made his debut with ‘Qala’ and later went on to feature in ‘Friday Night Plan’ and ‘The Railway Men’. His roles in ‘Qala’ and ‘The Railway Men’ have been quite appreciated. Prior to this Babil worked as a camera assistant. Babil is also working with director Shoojit Sarkar for his next project titled ‘The Umesh Chronicles’. Babil Khan recently shared an old interview of his father, Irrfan Khan, and captioned it: "When Baba did this interview, I was very lost in life. I still laugh with joy at the honesty with which he said, 'My son is not figuring it out.' This was his response when asked if his children were figuring out their paths in life. 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
23 November,2024 08:34 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSAs they complete 15 years of marital bliss, Raj Kundra penned a heartwarming note for his wife Shilpa Shetty and said that she makes every moment feel like a celebration to him. Raj took to Instagram, where he shared a video of the two dancing together. He captioned: “Happy 15th Anniversary to the love of my life. Through every beat, twist, and turn, we’ve danced through life’s challenges and joys hand in hand.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Raj Kundra (@onlyrajkundra) He added: “You make every moment feel like a celebration, and I’m grateful for your love, faith, strength, and support. Here’s to many more years of love, laughter and dancing through life. Love you to eternity. Shilpa too shared a video on her Instagram, where the two are seen enjoying a carriage ride. She captioned it: “15 years and not counting… Happy Anniversary cookie. You make every ride worth it, even the scary ones. Here’s to many more adventures, rides and years.” It was in 2009, Shilpa got engaged to Raj Kundra, with whom she was co-owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Rajasthan Royals. The two married in November 2009. The actress gave birth to their son Viaan in 2012. The couple had a second child, a girl, on 15 February 2020 via surrogacy. On the work front, Shilpa began her acting career with the thriller “Baazigar” and is celebrated for her roles in films like “Dhadkan”, “Dus”, “Life in a... Metro”, and “Dostana.” She returned to the screen in 2021 with the comedy “Hungama 2”. Most recently, Shilpa appeared alongside Sidharth Malhotra and Vivek Oberoi in Rohit Shetty's series “Indian Police Force.” The actress will next be seen in the Kannada action film “KD – The Devil” directed by Prem. The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Dhruva Sarja, Reeshma Nanaiah, V. Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, Jisshu Sengupta and Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt. 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
23 November,2024 08:20 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSBhumi Pednekar went down memory lane as she talked about her debut film “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” and said that she became an actor in a time where the way she looked was secondary. “Dum Laga Ke Haisha”, which released in 2015, was directed by Sharat Katariya. The film also stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanjay Mishra and Seema Pahwa. The film told the story of a school dropout named Prem, who hesitantly marries an educated but overweight girl, Sandhya. However, the two come closer when they take part in a race, which involves Prem carrying Sandhya on his back “‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ is a very special film not just to me, but also the film connected so deeply with people that it’s still the first thing they come and tell me—that we loved you in Dum Laga Ke Haisha. That’s truly very special.” The film broke stereotypes with its authentic storytelling and questioned beauty standards. Bhumi added, “I think the film is special for all the reasons that have truly questioned the status quo. I think through my work I’m constantly trying to do that.” The 35-year-old actress said that she was taken by surprise when she did the film. “Even when Dum Laga Ke Haisha happened, I was so pleasantly surprised because I was like, here is a Hindi film heroine in a Yash Raj movie who is not going to look like any of the girls that they have cast in their films before,” she said. For Bhumi, the film’s success proved that talent is more important than appearance. “I fortunately became an actor in a time where the way I looked was secondary and what I gave on screen was primary. And I’m so, so fortunate to have had all these opportunities and just the platform.” 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
23 November,2024 08:16 AM IST | Mumbai | IANSActor Manoj Bajpayee, known for starring in critically-acclaimed indies such as "Gali Guleiyan", "Bhosle", and "Joram", on Friday said awards at international film festivals don't necessarily ensure that an independent film will be received warmly at home. The actor, said the glory of such award is short-lived unless it is Oscars. "No matter how big an award the independent cinema from our country wins outside, some film that brought recognition for the country, it has nothing to do with the corporates or the business of the film. This is the problem I have with the awards. Awards don't create value in an actor or director's life," Bajpayee told PTI on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here. "We receive an award, we party in the evening and forget the next day. But is that award getting me more films or are my films getting a good release? Is it helping me get a pay raise? No, it does nothing. An award's value lasts only for one night," he added. On Monday, Hansal Mehta shared a review of Payal Kapadia's Cannes Grand Prix-winning "All We Imagine As Light" by American news outlet The New Yorker and said that he has heard that no OTT platform has bought the film as of yet. Asked about Mehta's post on X, the actor, who has worked with the director on "Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar" and "Aligarh", said, "This is the truth. Hansal hasn't said anything that's not true." Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine..." is the first film from India in 30 years to be chosen in the official competition at Cannes and also to win the Grand Prix award. The Malayalam-Hindi film, an official Indo-French co-production, released in theatres across India on Friday. It is distributed by Rana Daggubati's Spirit Media. On the other hand, Bajpayee said if someone is an Oscar nominee, a whole new value is added to their name. "They are suddenly flooded with offers. Their pay becomes better. People start developing more interest in that talent. A lot of our independent films return to the country after receiving a lot of recognition at international film festivals. "But the moment they take the flight back and land here, there is no 'karta-dharta' (guardian) of that film. No one talks about the film, how it will be released or distributed. All this still remains in the dark. I've seen this. This is still happening," the multiple National Award winner said. 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
23 November,2024 08:12 AM IST | Mumbai | PTIIt has been over 21 years to Ajay Devgn-starrer Gangaajal (2003) and eight to Jai Gangaajal (2016), the second instalment in Prakash Jha’s cop franchise. Now, the filmmaker believes it’s time to bring another fiery cop’s story to the big screen. Jha reveals that he has penned the third instalment of Gangaajal. “There is a script ready for Gangaajal. It’s tentatively called Dharamkshetra. It’s based on several stories about the police force, society and the dilemma they face with each other. It’s not an extension of Gangaajal. Instead, it’s about a head constable,” starts the filmmaker. Interestingly, the cop fare is not the only franchise that has captured Jha’s attention at the moment. The director is also working towards turning his successful political drama, Raajneeti (2010), into a franchise. He believes the ensemble drama, which starred Devgn and Ranbir Kapoor, among others, has a story left untold. “The second part is intended to be an extension of the first movie. Though Samar Pratap [Kapoor’s character] has gone abroad, he is there [in this story]. The story’s structure has been worked out.” Prakash Jha So, will the director approach Kapoor to reprise his role in the sequel? Or Devgn for Dharamkshetra, for that matter? “I cannot say anything about repeating the cast,” Jha admits candidly. “There are few [compelling] actors, and they are managed by talent agencies. The actors cannot take the decisions themselves. A decade ago, we could just meet the actor, narrate the story, and convince them to make a decision. Today, you cannot. Actors don’t read the scripts; their assistants and managers do. You have to go through three levels of management to reach the stars.” Is he not in touch with Devgn or Kapoor? “They are shooting for many projects. I’m not in touch with them, but if there is a project, they will be contacted,” he says.
23 November,2024 07:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRStanding out in an all-star cast of Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Tiger Shroff, Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh can’t be easy. But Arjun Kapoor was confident that Danger Lanka, the “unhinged” antagonist in Singham Again, would leave an impression. Evidently, the actor’s gamble has paid off—his performance in director Rohit Shetty’s film is being talked about, even weeks after the release. “I have played shades of grey since the beginning of my career. But this was an unhinged bad guy. There is no logic. This was a villain who thinks he is doing everything right. I loved depicting that mindset,” begins Kapoor. Singham Again came to the actor at a time when he was going through a slump after back-to-back underperformers in Ek Villain Returns (2022), Kuttey (2023) and The Lady Killer (2023). Was he surprised that Shetty didn’t care about his box-office performance? “Credit goes to Rohit sir; he took a chance on me when my films were not doing as well. Also, Singham Again was such a big franchise film on its own that my valuation didn’t matter,” he says. (Left) Ranveer Singh with (right) Arjun Kapoor in the film If Shetty’s world of alpha cops promises larger-than-life heroes, it also carries expectations of villains that are equally mighty. Before the film’s release, many were skeptical whether Kapoor would be able to do justice to the role of Devgn’s nemesis. Did he harbour doubts? “No, those questions didn’t occur to me because I back myself completely as an artiste. I know what I am capable of. The audience is right in having those questions, but there were hints in my [previous] work, like Ek Villain Returns. Rohit sir is intelligent enough to catch on those hints. The physicality I carry is an advantage. Plus, I’ve been a lead actor; so, you get a [known] face to stand opposite these faces. If it lands, it lands really well. And that’s what happened,” he smiles. Throughout our conversation, the actor’s belief in his craft is unmistakable. It’s this belief that was his constant companion when he hit a low period. That’s not to say he didn’t have moments of self-doubt. “When you’re down, you’re alone because it’s the nature of this profession. You have to back yourself.” The success then must be feeling sweeter today, with a touch of vindication. “Of course! But I did the film not to prove anyone wrong. I did it to prove myself right,” he asserts.Now, it’s time for Kapoor to reap its benefits. He says there is already a shift in the industry’s outlook towards him. “I sense an excitement where filmmakers are feeling they can see me in different types of roles. Next month, I’ll begin to think about what I want to do next.”
23 November,2024 07:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaAll We Imagine as LightA: DramaDir: Payal KapadiaCast: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu HaroonRating: 4/5 It’s coincidental that I started writing this review of All We Imagine as Light while on the coastal road, which now offers us a clear glimpse of Haji Ali. Almost 12 years ago, on my first day in the city, this was the first picture I clicked, with the sun setting behind the dargah. Then it is almost befitting that I am staring at the same view, so many years later as I am writing the review of the most honest portrayal of Mumbai in a film. All We Imagine as Light (AWIAL) might be a story of women finding their own in a space that feels free, but before that, director Payal Kapadia weaves this as a love letter to Mumbai. The film captures the cruel and compassionate side of the city, with all the chaos of what it entails to live here. Moving between the depiction of loneliness, desire, alienation, and cultural identity, AWIAL makes you come alive in a way cinema must. Kapadia’s story follows three women and celebrates how female friendships are designed to save us from the relentless blows of patriarchy. Prabha (played perfectly by Kani Kusruti) is a reflection of silence and loneliness. She yearns for a life that she had to forgo and seeks refuge in the breathlessness of Mumbai. Her marriage is a memory that is growing fainter with time after her husband left her to go to Germany in pursuit of bigger dreams. But Prabha doesn’t allow herself to seek something new. Sharing her physical space is Anu (a feisty Divya Prabha) brimming with the recklessness of youth. She’s in a clandestine relationship with Shiaz, a Muslim boy, lavishing time and her modest earnings on their fleeting moments together. In their equation lies the juxtaposition of our past and present—Prabha is shackled by her history, while Anu lives for the now. It’s enchanting how Kapadia captures Anu’s defiance against tradition from the gaze of Prabha’s envy. Thrown into this mix is Parvaty (a robust Chhaya Kadam), the eldest among the trio, who faces displacement as slum clearances threaten her out of her home. I couldn’t help wonder—can we ever make a Mumbai story without reflecting housing troubles and urban inequity? What you love about Kapadia’s storytelling is that she refuses to define the relationships of her characters. Two contrasting emotions walk hand-in-hand. There is so much happening in the film; the canvas is vast, and Kapadia’s insightful storytelling had to be played with nuance. Her actors step up and show us the most wholesome depiction of womanhood. I particularly enjoyed how Kapadia makes one story flow into the other, telling audiences that experiences of women are universal, regardless of where they come from. When Parvaty decides to return to her coastal village, Prabha and Anu help her leave. And that’s where Kapadia’s story changes tone with hints of magic realism. The story moves from being an incisive commentary to a meditative study on memory, loss, and transcendence, reminiscent of the works of Satyajit Ray. The filmmaker handles these different tonal shifts seamlessly. Visually, the film is a masterpiece of art direction—from the melancholic blues of Mumbai to the earthy tones of rural settings—she craftily uses light and shadow. The sound too has a dreamlike quality. It’s a sumptuous film tackling heavy subjects. But Kapadia makes it a personal telling of the subtleties of human experience. The film’s strength lies in its ability to juxtapose the tangible with the transcendent and personal with the universal. I often ask filmmakers—what is that one core reason you decided to make this film? Kapadia’s answer is in her title—to find some light despite the darkness.
23 November,2024 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuFilm: I Want To TalkU/A: Family dramaDir: Shoojit SircarCast: Abhishek Bachchan, Ahilya BamrooRating: 3/5 I Want To Talk (IWTT) is an American film. For the setting, first, of course. That is, an idyllic smallish town (perhaps City of Hemet, in California). Wherein the middle-aged lead, Arjun Sen, resides. Living the so-called great American professional, consumerist, expatriate, suburban dream. Sen, of course, is Bengali by origin. He’s the typical IIT-IIM high-potential, go-getter, who would’ve moved to the US, I’m guessing, around mid-to-late ’90s, or early 2000s—during the high-noon of high-income group, Y2K, young desi migration into America, as it were. They collectively assimilated so seamlessly into upper echelons of society a generation later, that a film about them can be easily viewed as an out-and-out American movie, in 2024. Rather than a niche flick on the Indian diaspora. Which was more the case in the ’90s, if you recall those ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) pictures. That said, IWTT is a Shoojit Sircar film. Sircar, 57, being the rare auteur who, upon success, hasn’t lost his voice to the mundaneness of the bloated, screechy mainstream, where he unabashedly operates in; but on his own terms. Whether working with leading film stars, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone (Piku), Varun Dhawan (October), or even achieving/aiming for theatrical gold, say, Madras Café (2013), Vicky Donor (2012). That voice is chiefly simple, unpretentious, gentle, genteel; borderline ‘bhadralok’, in this case. Given the Bong protagonist who, on the face of it, possesses qualities most opposite to the obviously heroic. The hero is perennially sick, hence frail. He’s single, from a marriage that’s failed. And while he was once a clever go-getter, professionally, one can’t imagine him going too far on that front either, when he’s been through countless surgeries, over multiple years, after being first diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, supposedly left with 100 days to go. In super-hero movie terms, this guy is kinda far-off equivalent of Samuel Jackson from M Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable (2000)—tearing into parts, but resilient; fragile, but holding up; battered, beaten, bruised, but functional. What adds to the subversion is the film, written by Ritesh Shah (Pink, Sardar Udham), is based on a true story. Making the lead even less likely for a Bollywood biopic, that usually chronicles larger-than-life heavy hitters. The greatest thing about Arjun Sen is he’s a fine father. That should be good enough. Not instantly so in the movies, though. Actor Abhishek Bachchan plays this Bong Arjun. Abhishek is half-Bong himself (mother: Jaya Bhaduri). But that’s not a card he overplays for the part. In fact, and you could credit him for this, throughout, as a performer (in general)—he doesn’t overplay. Period. He shows up, instead of insecurely showing off. Keeping it quiet and simple. Like the film itself, that sails on the music of Arunachali composer Taba Chake for an emotional tug or two. This also helps Abhishek jam with co-actors with relative ease. He’s got that going here with on-screen daughter—teen debutant, Ahilya Bamroo, who I recognised straightaway, from Instagram. I’ve been a fan of her reels/posts, mimicking global accents, for long. I don’t know if that’s where she got cast from. This is the best crossover between popular cinema and social media since, well, I don’t know—mostly trash get picked from among YouTube/Insta influenza. Is IWTT about this father-daughter relationship? Somewhat, yes, although you wish it hit deeper—like those fully realised melancholic scenes between the Bengali father, Irrfan, and his boy, in The Namesake (2006). Hard to tell why. Maybe because this is ‘Piku’ Sircar’s film. Can’t help but think Irrfan. The movie isn’t so much about suffering as survival, really—for a man who’s tricked his brain into believing that he can physically overcome. How else do you explain someone moving from surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, heart attack… Medicine is not an exact science. Most champions beat diseases, by their sheer zeal to live. Although surgeries, as per a beautiful line here, is like sudden death in football: the doctor scores, you win. All said, IWTT is a film then about life itself. Its randomness, to start with. As you observe a perfectly fine gent—maybe the hyper-ambitious Abhishek from that movie, Om Jai Jagadish (2002), who moved to the US, found all that he wanted—but got hit by an accident called health, that nobody can anticipate. He punts, on himself, still—all along going through a physical transformation; staying mentally stable. The only person who takes surgeries as lightly is usually a surgeon (charming Jayant Kripalani). This can’t be easy. But shouldn’t it be? For, what’s life if not a terminal illness in itself. We’re all gonna die, anyway. Guess we live, until then; no? Maybe that’s the only point/purpose there is. Is there a deeply spiritual side to this pic’s protagonist—does he pray, meditate; is he agnostic, existentialist, atheist…? Does he feel lonely? I couldn’t glean, right away. He’s certainly not much of a self-help quote-meister, which is a relief. I watched IWTT at a preview screening, almost a week before its release. Which tells you how confident the filmmakers are of what they’ve made. And, no, they’re anything but delulu. It’s just a movie, initially low on energy, that gently grows on you, post-interval, when the penny drops. Felt like watching it again while writing this. Surely, there’s another layer to peel. Will wait for it to drop on OTT (Prime Video). Until then, may I generously guide you to a theatre, where it’s playing near you.
23 November,2024 07:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Mayank ShekharRussell seeks Aamir, SRK? Hollywood filmmaker Chuck Russell, best known for hits like The Mask (1994) and The Scorpion King (2002), has already tried his hand at directing a Hindi film, and now aspires to collaborate with Bollywood superstars Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Russell ventured into Indian cinema with the 2019 movie, Junglee, starring Vidyut Jammwal and Akshay Oberoi. “I’ve been wanting to work with Aamir Khan before. He knows it; I’ve visited him. And Shah Rukh Khan [too]. I like to work with different cultures and talent that is new to me. All of India is new to me,” Russell told PTI in an interview. Speaking on the sidelines of a masterclass at Film Bazaar 2024, Russell said he “liked RRR” and found it “really cool”.
23 November,2024 07:15 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamTouted as one of the highest-paid actors in Marathi cinema, Amruta Khanvilkar celebrates her birthday on November 23. After garnering a colossal amount of recognition for her stint in the iconic dance numbers ‘Aye Hip Hopper’ and ‘Wajale Ki Bara’, Amruta took over the screen space with her performances in movies like ‘Raazi’, ‘Malang’, and web series such as ‘Lootere’ and ‘36 Days’. On her special day, she speaks exclusively to mid-day.com about her recent health scare, career challenges, plans for the upcoming year, and more. The past year was difficult for Amruta Khanvilkar Amruta reveals that she and her mother both underwent surgeries which was extremely taxing yet humbling. “We came out of it like warriors and to see my mother in the ICU, stitches on her chest, it made me feel very vulnerable. It made me feel helpless, but at the same time, I was extremely grateful to God,” she says. The actor believes the health scare also made her realise that she needs to slow down. “No matter how much I work, how much I’m busy, how much money anybody makes, I think it all is worthless if you’re near and dear ones have to go through something like this,” she adds. Amruta Khanvilkar shares her birthday plans The actor is currently working on a project, she can’t reveal and will celebrate her birthday on set. She also wants to gift herself a farmhouse with a pool. She’s also thankful about being able to buy a new house and will be moving in by the end of this year. Going forward, she also intends to be calmer and peaceful mentally. “Sometimes old patterns bounce back and they are very dangerous, so I want to change that and I am working towards it.” Amruta Khanvilkar manifests working with Bhansali, KJo Despite her fame, Amruta maintains that the biggest challenge in her career has been about waiting for the right opportunity. She doesn’t believe in dream projects but in dream directors. “I would really want to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Karan Johar. I would like to do an international film. There are a lot of these dreams that I feel will be fulfilled in the coming years,” she states.
23 November,2024 07:04 AM IST | Mumbai | Oshin FernandesADVERTISEMENT
