Actress Ankita Lokhande, who celebrated her birthday on the 19th of December, was wished by late star Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister, Shweta Singh Kirti. Sharing a picture with Ankita on her Instagram Stories, Shweta extended her warm wishes to the actress, writing, “Happy Birthday, Ankita. Hope you always stay happy and healthy. All my love, lokhandeankita.” This heartfelt post shows that the two still share a warm and cordial bond years after Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise. Ankita Lokhande has a star-studded birthday bash The actress, who celebrated her 41st birthday in style this year, invited all her friends from the entertainment industry. A few videos that have gone viral over social media from the party show the birthday girl attending to every guest personally and also dancing her heart out. She held a glamorous party attended by numerous celebrities, including Mannara Chopra, Khanzaadi, Divya Agarwal, Aparna Dixit and Mansha Bahl. Elated by the presence of her close ones, Ankita penned a gratitude note and shared unseen glimpses from her bash, cherishing her bond. Ankita stunned in a strapless sage-green satin gown paired with a necklace. While her husband, Vicky Jain, complemented her look in a classic black blazer teamed with a beige shirt and relaxed ivory trousers. The Laughter Chefs star exuded boss lady vibes as she posed with Vicky Jain and friends, Samarth Jurel, Elvish Yadav and Zaid Darbar. She also posed with her girl gang, which included her co-stars from Pavitra Rishta days. Arti Singh, Minal Mogam, Aparna and Mishthi Tyagi surrounded her as she laughed. Ankita shared a post expressing gratitude for spending her birthday with her "chosen people." Ankita wrote on her social media, "Friendships and bonds are two very different blessings in life. Friendship is something God gifts us, something pure and effortless. Bonds, on the other hand, are created by us—built with time, love, effort, and intention." Ankita also expressed her gratitude for finding her chosen family in Mumbai. "I feel incredibly grateful that in a city like Mumbai, I found my chosen people—people with whom I can share my happiness and my silences, my laughter and my tears. Each one of you who came to celebrate me and my day so beautifully reminded me how rich life truly is," wrote the Manikarnika actress. About Ankita and Sushant Singh Rajput's relationship Ankita and Sushant first met in 2009 on the sets of Ekta Kapoor's show Pavitra Rishta, in which they essayed the lead roles as Archana and Manav. The show became a superhit, and the lead pair dated each other for nearly six years, and even lived together for a while. However, they broke up in 2017, shocking their fans. Ever since rumours of Sushant and Ankita calling it quits started doing the rounds, there were reports speculating the reason behind the couple ending their six-year relationship; right from Ankita being an alcoholic to Sushant's growing closeness to his co-stars. Sushant had taken to X to clear the air. He confirmed the split and revealed the reason behind ending the relationship. He wrote: "Neither she was an alcoholic nor I am a womanizer. People do Grow apart & its unfortunate. Period!!" A few years post-breakup, Ankita started dating businessman Vicky Jain. The two got married to each other in December 2021. Sushant passed away on June 14, 2020. He was found dead in his Bandra residence. He was 34.
20 December,2025 05:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentNew mommy Parineeti Chopra has expressed her thoughts on dealing with postpartum symptoms. The actress took to her social media account to share a video of herself, all set to organise the clutter. Dressed in her smart casual wear, the actress elaborated on how she planned to organize her storage amidst new mommy responsibilities but ended up getting distracted. She wrote, “Took out time to organize my storage today, got distracted, and did absolutely nothing.” Confirmed symptoms of a postpartum gal,” with sad and laughing emoticons. Ever since the actress welcomed her bundle of joy in October, she has been receiving a lot of love and gifts from family members and loved ones. Chopra was ecstatic when her sister and global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas and brother-in-law Nick Jonas sent gifts for her newborn baby boy. An excited Parineeti had taken to her social media to share a glimpse of the gifts and also thanked Priyanka, Nick, and also their daughter Malti Marie. Priyanka and Nick gifted Parineeti’s baby boy a pair of baby shoes, a baby hairbrush, and newborn baby fur clothes. Sharing the picture on her social media, Parineeti wrote, “Neer getting spoilt already!” with a baby milk bottle emoticon. Further thanking them for her son, Parineeti wrote, “Thank you Mimi maasi, Nick masa, and Malti didi, priyankachopra nickjonas,” adding a heart emoticon. Her cute reference to Malti as ‘didi’ (elder sister) seemed extremely adorable. For the uninitiated, Parineeti Chopra and her husband, politician Raghav Chadha, welcomed their first child on October 19. On his first month’s birthday, on November 19, the new parents revealed his name, Neer, through a social media post. Sharing a picture of themselves lovingly kissing their baby boy’s tiny toes, she captioned it as, “Jalasya rupam, premasya swarupam—tatra eva Neer. Our hearts found peace in an eternal drop of life. We named him “Neer”—pure, divine, limitless.” On October 19, the couple had announced the arrival of their baby boy. 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
20 December,2025 04:46 PM IST | Mumbai | IANSActor Varun Dhawan will be seen in a completely fresh avatar in his next, Border 2. However, in order to do justice to playing the role inspired by the real-life war hero, Colonel Hoshiar Singh Dahiya, he had to undergo some intense training that included strength training, endurance work, and mobility. Talking about his role, Varun revealed that even playing a soldier on screen required a certain level of physical and mental discipline. He added that things got even more interesting as they were shooting in real locations, something that helped him put himself in the mindset of a soldier. "Border 2 demanded a different level of physical and mental discipline, especially since we were shooting at real locations like Babina, and such situations really put you in the mindset of a soldier. You’re out there all day, often in tough conditions, so fitness becomes less about looking a certain way and more about stamina and recovery," explained Varun. Along with physical training, Varun also tried his best to keep his diet clean and simple, packed with high protein, healthy carbs, and of course, a lot of fluids to keep himself hydrated during the outdoor shoot. He added, "My routine had to be very functional, lots of strength training, endurance work, and mobility because the terrain and weather can not be kind. Diet-wise, I kept it very clean and simple: high protein, good carbs, and lots of hydration to sustain long outdoor shoots." Varun will be accompanied by Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty as the core cast of Border 2 Backed by Bhushan Kumar, Nidhi Dutta, and co-produced by Shiv Chanana, and Binoy Gandhi, Border 2 is being directed by Anurag Singh. With the teaser of the forthcoming war drama already creating massive buzz, Border 2 is slated to get a theatrical release on 23 January 2026. 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
20 December,2025 02:00 PM IST | Mumbai | IANSBollywood actor Randeep Hooda and his wife, actor-entrepreneur Lin Laishram, are set to embark on a beautiful new chapter in their lives. The couple announced the pregnancy on their second anniversary in November. As they gear up to welcome their little one, Lin opened up about suffering a miscarriage this year and how it evolved new layers in her relationship with Randeep. Lin Laishram on suffering miscarriage In an interview with Times of India, the actress shared how pregnancy is a great feeling. “It's so different from anything I've experienced, and I'm in awe of how the body creates life. It's surreal to go through it all—emotionally, mentally, and physically the most. I've started appreciating mothers so much more." Talking about how Randeep reacted to the news, Lin shared, “Oh, he's loving every moment! It took a bit for it to sink in for both of us, but he's been amazing, prepping himself, supporting me, and being there for everything I need.” She further recalled how the year has been emotionally tough as she suffered a miscarriage. "To accept things as they are. After a miscarriage earlier this year, it was a tough space for us both. However, we're just deeply grateful and keeping our fingers crossed—and this is nothing short of a beautiful gift!" About Randeep and Lin On November 29, Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram announced that they are expecting their first child. The couple shared the happy news on their second wedding anniversary. In a joint Instagram post, they shared a photo of themselves sitting by a campfire, captioning it, “Two years of love, adventure, and now… a little wild one on the way.” Randeep and Lin got married on November 29, 2023, in a traditional Meitei ceremony in Manipur. The couple first met at Naseeruddin Shah’s theatre group, Motley, and developed a friendship that eventually blossomed into love. After dating for a period, they exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony in Imphal, Manipur. On the professional front, Randeep was last seen playing a negative role in Sunny Deol’s action film Jaat. He is set to appear next in the American action-adventure comedy Matchbox, directed by Sam Hargrave. The action thriller also stars John Cena, Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, and Arturo Castro in key roles.
20 December,2025 01:56 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAnupam Kher met the superstar Kamal Haasan at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Friday. On Instagram, Anupam Kher expressed his happiness at meeting Kamal Haasan, calling the artist one of the "Finest actors" of Indian cinema. "Was delighted to meet one of the FINEST actors of Indian Cinema, Kamal Hassan ji at the Delhi Airport! Have been an admirer of his craft and varied performances for years. Have learnt so much from him as an actor. His list of great performances is countless!" wrote Anupam Kher. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anupam Kher (@anupampkher) The Tanvi The Great director shared that they conversed for almost an hour at the Delhi airport, talking about cinema, favourite books, K Balachander, Rajinikanth and others. "We sat in the airport lounge for almost an hour. In that one hour it seemed we spoke about a lifetime! So many topics- world cinema, K. Balachander sir, life lessons, favourite books and of course the great RajniKanth sir! It was a RICH conversation! Thank you sir for your wisdom, warmth and appreciation! Love, respect and prayers always!" concluded Anupam Kher. Director Anupam Kher recently extended his best wishes to the makers of Homebound after they were shortlisted for a nomination in the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards. While talking to ANI, Anupam Kher referred to Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound and said, "I hope it reaches the final stage as well." The actor also gave a shoutout to Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar, which has been receiving an overwhelming response from audiences in theatres. The actor called it his "favourite film of the year." "Dhurandhar is my favourite film of the year. I would like more and more people to go and watch it in large numbers," said Anupam Kher. In 2025, Anupam Kher directed the film Tanvi The Great, which starred debutant Shubhangi Dutt in the lead role. The film was screened at the International Film Festival of India 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
20 December,2025 01:35 PM IST | Mumbai | ANIBollywood debutant director Aryan Khan, also known for being megastar Shah Rukh Khan’s son, is currently riding high on the humongous success of his debut show, The Ba***ds of Bollywood. The series, released in September, continues to be the talk of the town. Aryan was honoured with the Best Debutant Director of the Year award at the NDTV Indian of the Year event held in New Delhi on Friday. In his winning speech, he dedicated the win to his mom while sharing how he loves accolades like his dad. Aryan Khan on winning the award In his speech, he thanked the cast, crew and the streaming platform for their belief in his capability as a first-time director. His gratitude extended to everyone who contributed to the series. Expressing joy about his win, Aryan said, “First, I would like to thank the cast, crew and Netflix for believing in a first-time director. Congratulations to all the winners tonight—this is my first award. I hope to win more. Mere dad ke tarah, mujhe bhi awards bohot pasand hai, but yeh award unke liye nahi, meri mom ke liye hai (Like my dad, I also love awards a lot, but this award isn’t for him, it’s for my mum).” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Red Chillies Entertainment (@redchilliesent) About The Ba***ds of Bollywood For the uninitiated, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, which was released in September this year, became one of the most loved OTT shows of 2025 because of its gripping story. The show gave a glimpse into the chaos and drama that go on behind the world of Bollywood and won over viewers instantly. Talking about its storyline, The Ba***ds of Bollywood followed the journey of Aasmaan Singh (played by Lakshya), an ambitious outsider navigating the ruthless maze of glamour and power struggles in Bollywood. Blending sharp satire with gripping drama, the show peeled back the curtain on the lesser-known truths of the film industry. Aryan Khan successfully managed to rope in surprising cameos by icons like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Karan Johar and many more, adding an extra dose of star appeal to the series. The series, along with Lakshya, also featured Bobby Deol, Mona Singh, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, Manish Chaudhari, Sahher Bambba, Gautami Kapoor, Rajat Bedi and others.
20 December,2025 12:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBollywood actress Pooja Ruparel has shared an inside video of the birthday celebration of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha and son-in-law Zaheer Iqbal. In the video shared by Pooja, Sonakshi Sinha is seen seated in the middle of both the birthday boys and cutting the cake with them. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pooja Ruparel (@poojaruparel) With her father Shatrughan on one side and husband Zaheer on the other, Sonakshi looked extremely happy. In another glimpse, you can see legendary director Ramesh Sippy also in the video enjoying the birthday party of his good friend Shatrughan. Sonakshi's mother, Poonam, is also seen smiling from ear to ear, looking at her family having a good time. Shatrughan Sinha's and Zaheer Iqbal's birthdays fall a day apart from one another. While Shatrughan celebrates his birthday on the 9th of December, Zaheer celebrates on the 10th. On account of her father's and husband's birthdays, Sonakshi had taken to her social media to share heartfelt birthday wishes for the two most important men in her life. She had shared a picture of the three of them together, smiling ear to ear, “The only men that matter. Ilysm. Happy birthday! So lucky you were born,” with three heart emoticons. Her caption had reflected the deep love she has for her father and husband. 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
20 December,2025 12:17 PM IST | Mumbai | IANSRadhika Apte recently featured in the Zee5 series Saali Mohabbat. The actress has been vocal about her journey and struggles during her career. From the work hour debate to being ill-treated on sets, she has revealed it all. In a recent interview, she reflected on her experience of working in the South and shared that she was traumatized by sexist behaviour there. Radhika Apte on sexist behaviour down south In a recent conversation on Creator X Creator by SCREEN, Radhika revealed some of her most disturbing incidents. “I didn’t do many big Hindi films where this happened, but there were some offers that came my way. When I met them and realised who they were, I decided I would never work with them," she said. She then recalled moving down south as she was not getting exciting work in Hindi cinema. She shared, “Then I did some South films because I really needed money. Some of the films that I did, I had a really difficult time on those sets. I remember there was this one time where I was the only woman on set. We were shooting in a small town. They wanted to add more padding on my bum and breasts. They were like, ‘Amma, more padding!’ I said, ‘How much more padding?’ (laughs). How much rounder would you make somebody?” “I was the only woman! I had no manager. I had no agent. My team was all men because they’d given me the role. They said, ‘No, you’re not allowed to get your own team,’” recalled Radhika. “I never, ever want to be put in that situation again because I’ll cry. It was actually traumatic. I wouldn’t want any woman to be in that position,” she added. Radhika Apte upcoming movies Radhika Apte was most recently seen in Saali Mohabbat, directed by Tisca Chopra, alongside Divyenndu. She also has Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders in her kitty. The crime thriller has been directed by Honey Trehan and written by Smita Singh. The movie, along with Chitrangda Singh, also stars a stellar ensemble featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Deepti Naval, Ila Arun Bajpai, Revathy Asha Kelluni, Rajat Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor, Priyanka Setia, Shridhar Dubey, and Akhilendra Mishra.
20 December,2025 10:17 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent2025 has been a life-changing year for actor Vicky Kaushal. He not only delivered the highest-grossing film with Chhaava, but also embraced parenthood for the first time. The actor is currently enjoying this new phase of his life, as he shared that he is now better at changing diapers than acting. He also calls fatherhood a magical feeling. Vicky Kaushal on embracing fatherhood Vicky was honoured with the Actor of the Year award for his stint in Chhaava at the NDTV Indian of the Year 2025, held in Delhi on Friday. “Thank you, this is for my family and my little one, who has come in as a blessing… Yeh pehli baar hai jo main shehar chhodhke aaya hoon after becoming a father, and it was very tough (This is the first time I’ve left the city after becoming a father, and it was very tough). But I'm sure when he grows up and watches this, he'll be proud of his dad.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) Talking about whether the role of being a father came as a challenge, Vicky shared, “It is too new to feel any challenges. It's all magical right now. It's all very blissful right now… I don’t know, main shabdon mein nahi baiyan kar sakta ke kya feeling hai (I can’t describe the feeling in words). There are all sorts of objectives that I can mention, but it's just a very special feeling, and truly God has been very kind. The family is very happy, and this one is for my entire family and especially for him.” Vicky even admitted that he is now “better at changing diapers than acting.” About Vicky Kaushal For the uninitiated, Vicky Kaushal and superstar wife Katrina Kaif embraced parenthood on the 7th of November. Sharing the good news with their fans, the couple posted an announcement on social media. They wrote, “Our bundle of joy has arrived. With immense love and gratitude, we welcome our baby boy. 7th November, 2025. Katrina and Vicky.” The couple had tied the knot in 2021 in a private ceremony in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. On the work front, Vicky Kaushal is keeping busy with multiple film projects, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love and War, which also stars Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. He also has Maddock Films’ Mahavatar in his kitty. As per reports, Deepika Padukone is roped in alongside him for the film.
20 December,2025 09:16 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAkshay Oberoi can hardly wait for 2026, as he will be seen in two big-budget movies — Shah Rukh Khan’s King and Yash’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups. The actor points out that his third offering, a yet-untitled thriller led by Manoj Bajpayee, has him equally excited. After all, it gave him the opportunity to work with Neeraj Pandey, who has produced it. “Neeraj sir’s understanding of this [genre] is incredible. I’ve come away from this project feeling like I’ve grown, not just as an actor, but as someone who understands storytelling better,” he said of the thriller that marks screenwriter Ritesh Shah’s directorial debut. Sharing screen space with Bajpayee was the cherry on top. “Manoj sir is an institution in himself. Just watching the way he prepares and the intensity with which he approaches his work is inspiring. Being around that kind of focus pushes you to be better,” said Oberoi.
20 December,2025 07:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuWhen Ikkis opens on January 1, it will, among other things, remind us of what Hindi cinema lost in 2025. Sriram Raghavan’s directorial venture, led by Agastya Nanda, will mark the final on-screen appearance of Dharmendra, who passed away on November 24. In the swansong, we’ll also see the superstar’s last dance, in a qawwali track. (Left) Dharmendra with Vijay Ganguly (extreme right) during the shoot Featuring Dharmendra and Jaideep Ahlawat, the song was shot in Pune in May 2024. It apparently sees the veteran actor’s character going to his college reunion. A source from the unit said, “Initially, it plays in the background as Dharmendra’s character catches up with his friends. Then it moves to the foreground as his friends get him to the dance floor and he shakes a leg. It’s a fantastic moment! While the college is shown to be in Lahore in the narrative, producer Dinesh Vijan and Sriram filmed it in a Pune college.” Agastya Nanda leads the January 1 release In Ikkis, Dharmendra portrayed the father of Nanda’s character, Param Vir Chakra awardee Arun Khetarpal. Working with him on the number was a moment of pride for choreographer Vijay Ganguly. Remembering the 89-year-old actor as being “full of life”, Ganguly told mid-day, “Shooting with Dharmendra was amazing as he was vibrant and full of life. He was awake till we completed the song at 4 am.” What made the collaboration sweeter was the fact that their association went way back. The choreographer, who has designed two songs in the biopic, added, “It was a moment of nostalgia for both of us. Dharamji had done a film earlier with my father [filmmaker Anil Ganguly] called Dushman Devta [1991]. During the shoot, he remembered my father fondly. He told me he was a kind man and that he enjoyed working with him.” Sriram Raghavan. Pic/Yogen Shah ‘Ikkis’ was Dharmendra’s second collaboration with Sriram Raghavan. The superstar had also featured in the director’s ‘Johnny Gaddaar’ (2007)
20 December,2025 07:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRADVERTISEMENT
