Entertainment

A Pune civil court has issued summons to actors Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, and director Subhash Kapoor over allegations that their upcoming film Jolly LLB 3 disrespects the judiciary. The trio has been directed to appear in person on October 28 at 11 a.m.

The teaser for Jolly LLB 3, unveiled on August 12, sparked anticipation among fans but has also drawn scrutiny from sections of the legal community.

The summons follows a petition filed by lawyer Wajed Rahim Khan, who argued that the film portrays the legal profession in a derogatory manner. He raised objections to scenes allegedly mocking advocates and judges, including one in which the word “mama,” a slang expression, is used to refer to members of the bench.

“There should be respect for the lawyers. That is why I filed a petition in the court, that whatever they have shown about the advocates and the judges is wrong,” Khan told ANI, confirming that the Pune court had called upon Kumar, Warsi, and Kapoor to be present.

The complaint was initially submitted in 2024 after the release of the film’s first teaser. The matter has since resurfaced as Jolly LLB 3 nears its theatrical release.

The Jolly LLB franchise began in 2013 with Warsi in the lead role, followed by the 2017 sequel Jolly LLB 2 starring Kumar, which proved to be a major box-office success. The third installment brings both actors together, with Subhash Kapoor once again directing. The film is produced by Alok Jain and Ajit Andhare under Star Studio 18 and is slated to release on September 19, 2025.

Netflix released the preview of The Ba***ds of Bollywood, Aryan Khan’s highly anticipated directorial debut that launches on September 18. Produced by Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt. Ltd, the series is created by Aryan Khan, and co-created by Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan, all of whom have also written the series.

The preview of Netflix’s The Ba***ds of Bollywood reveals a stylised yet chaotic world, laced with self-aware humour, and a tongue-in-cheek tone. “It’s the ultimate underdog story that asks: how far will you go for your dream, what are you willing to lose, and can you survive a few Bollywood baddies along the way (pun totally intended!),” said the makers in a release.

During the launch, Shah Rukh Khan introduced the cast of the show in his inimitable style and playful humour, including Bobby Deol, Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Manoj Pahwa, Mona Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, and Vijayant Kohli with Rajat Bedi and Gautami Kapoor—all of whom shared insights into their characters and experience shooting this cheeky, no-filter series.

In a moment that had the crowd buzzing, Shah Rukh Khan and Aryan Khan took the stage to introduce the world of The Ba***ds of Bollywood. Aryan spoke about creating a story inspired by real emotions and human ambition, saying, “With The Ba***ds of Bollywood, I wanted to build a world that feels alive, a mix of glitz and grit, where ambition shines, egos clash, and nothing is ever as it seems. In Netflix, we found a partner who shared our creative vision—helping us tell the story exactly how it needed to be told, raw, stylised, and something the world has never experienced before.”

After Bard of Blood, Darlings, Bhakshak, Betaal, and Class of ‘83, this marks the sixth collaboration between Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment, and easily their boldest, most unfiltered one yet.

Shah Rukh Khan said, “It’s a proud moment to see Aryan carve out his vision with such clarity and edge. This is storytelling that’s sharp, self-aware, and unapologetically bold, and I think audiences on Netflix will connect to the heart of it as much as its style.”

The music of the series from label T-Series. It was composed by Shashwat Sachdev, with guest composers Anirudh Ravichander and Ujwal Gupta.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has called out producer Vijay Subramaniam for his AI-generated movie Chiranjeevi Hanuman- The Eternal, saying it represents a dangerous future for Hindi cinema.

The 52-year-old shared the film’s poster on Instagram with a note to Subramaniam, who is the founder and group CEO of talent management agency Collective Artists Network.

Subramaniam has produced the project in collaboration with Vikram Malhotra of Abundantia Entertainment.

“Any actor or anyone who calls themselves artists and has a spine will be and should be either questioning him or leaving the agency since he has proved that he thinks you’re no match for his AI performance.

“This right here is the future for the spineless and cowardly so called artists in the Hindi Film industry. Well done Vijay Subramaniam. Shame is not enough on you. You should be in the gutter,” Kashyap posted.

The director further said that companies are always looking out for themselves rather than the talent.

“So much for looking after and representing the interests of creators. End of the day, all these agencies are only interested in making money off you and since they choose turkeys after turkeys for you and you’re not making enough for them, they are going all AI,” Kashyap added.

In a follow-up comment on his post, Kashyap said he has no issues with artificial intelligence as nobody “can stop AI from taking over every field and the world”.

“My genuine grouse is with my friend Vijay Subramaniam, because he is the CEO of KWAN Collective. He represents the artists, the voice of artists and he is producing an AI FILM, when the industry needs corrections, especially from the agencies, who are very responsible for costs going up, actors career paths and writers, musician , filmmakers.”

ALSO READ: Anurag Kashyap calls out Tamil composers for anglicising film music

Earlier, Kashyap’s close friend, filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane, had reacted over the film announcement in a post on his Instagram Stories.

“And so it begins… Who TF needs writers and directors when it’s ‘Made in AI’? (sic)” the Black Warrant director wrote.

Subramaniam had earlier told PTI in an interview that his aims to create films that merge modern technology with ancient stories that will cater to a younger audience with shorter attention spans.

Federico García Lorca was a Spanish poet, playwright and theatre director in the early 1900’s. He wrote The House of Bernarda Alba in 1936, just two months before he was assassinated by Nationalist forces at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

The play, which will be presented by Jagriti Theatre for the first time ever, revolves around control, power, freedom as well as the lack of them.

In the play, Bernarda Alba declares an eight-year mourning period, following the death of her husband. However, with five unmarried daughters still at home, this decision becomes the reason for unhealthy and negative emotions to fester among family.

“I have always enjoyed Lorca’s work and this is one of only three plays he wrote in his lifetime,” says Arundhati Raja, founder-trustee of Jagriti Theatre, adding, “I was quite keen on it as I would have loved to have played the role of Bernarda. I’ve been wanting to do an all-woman play and this was the first one I thought of.”

Arundhati says *hile the play may seem to be about women in a patriarchal society, “there’s so much more to it — power and freedom, as well as the loss of it, and what that does to individuals.”

She adds that though The House of Bernarda Alba was written in 1936, Lorca’s brilliance shines through. “It reads like a modern script. Contrary to other works of the time, there are no long monologues and the plot unfolds through seemingly simple dialogues. That stood out to me as a script.”

Scenes from The House of Bernarda Alba by Jagriti Theatre
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Another aspect of the play that appealed to Arundhati was Lorca’s description of it. “On the title page of the play, he referred to this work as ‘a photographic documentation of the life of women in rural Spain’. I found it interesting that he spoke of a medium that was fairly new at the time, and especially since he was known more as a poet than a playwright.”

“It piqued my interest in thinking how we could represent this aspect in our work. I have done the set design in black and white. Also, black-and-white photographs will be projected at the beginning and between each act; in our own way of presenting a live photographic documentary.”

Though the idea of a monochromatic set and presentation of the play is hers, Arundhati says she has not adapted or revised the script. “I’m from a generation that has worked only with scripts and we had a lot of fabulous ones to choose from. For me, it has always been about looking at the lines of through the eyes of the playwright; they had a vision, and they wrote the dialogue. It is not for me to change it.”

According to Arundhati, there is a tendency to say many plays, though written long ago are still relevant, but with its themes of class inequality, gender divide, repression and sexuality, The House of Bernarda Alba remains pertinent today.

Scenes from The House of Bernarda Alba by Jagriti Theatre
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Artistes performing in the play include Munira Sen, Padmavati Rao, Mayura Baweja, Priyanka Chandrasekhar, Kalyani Kumar, Yamuna Kali, Samragni Dasgupta, Urvashi HV and Garima Mishra.

The House of Bernarda Alba will be staged at Jagriti Theatre on August 22 at 7.30pm, and on August 23 and 24 at 3.30 and 7.30 pm. The play is suitable for audiences aged 12 and above. Tickets, priced at ₹400, are available on BookMyShow.

If the curated playlist on your phone has become a tad predictable, make a beeline for Chowdiah Memorial Hall for something live and do not be surprised if your feet begin tapping a tattoo. The Kiara Academy of Performing Arts will be celebrating their 20th anniversary with a musical showcase over there this weekend.

Wendy Dickson, director of Kiara, says In the Mood is a series the Academy has been following for the past few years. “This is our fifth concert and that is why we’ve called it Take 5. It is a nod to Dave Brubeck’s ‘Take Five’ and we’ll be presenting a choral rendition of that jazz composition.”

The Academy kickstarts their 20th year with this concert and will conclude celebrations in 2026, says Wendy, adding, “As we always do, we will bring different genres of music to the stage. Our solo and group presentations will cover classical music, jazz, classic rock, choral music and much more, which will cater to the musical sensibilities of youngsters as well as seniors.”

Kiara Academy of Performing Arts’ dance ensemble
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

She adds that the first half of the show will have melodies from Bobby Darin, Eddie Rabbit, the Creedence Clearwater Revival, “and a rain medley in keeping with the weather”. This will be followed by Broadway and Disney musicals in the second half, apart from a special presentation that the troupe is keeping tightly under wraps.

As this is a landmark celebration for the Academy, Wendy says they are pulling out all stops. “Our choreographers Anahieta Mohandesi, 21, and Rachel Ann Franco, 18, who have been with us since junior choir, have come up with amazing routines. With around six concerts under their belt, they have excelled in putting this show together. Similarly, our six-member group of costumers have outdone themselves in their use of colours, fabrics and designs.”

“In the Mood: Take 5 is going to be spectacular display of sound, movement and theatricals, as it is substantial in terms of range and repertoire,” says Wendy.

To celebrate their anniversary, the Academy will be presenting smaller concerts and musical events throughout the year. As always, part of the proceeds from their show will benefit the Bosco Rainbow Home for Girls in Chamrajpet.

In the Mood: Take 5 will be presented at Chowdiah Memorial Hall on August 23 and 24, from 6pm. Tickets starting from ₹350 available on District

Less than a month ago, Thalaivan Thalaivi clashed at the Tamil cinema box office with Maareesan.

Later this week, the same two films – one featuring Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen, and the other featuring Fahadh Faasil and Vadivelu – are clashing yet again, at the OTT space. The two films are being releasing on Amazon Prime and Netflix respectively.

For many, who might have missed these films on the big screen, this is an opportunity to catch up with them. But what does a scenario such as this mean to theatre owners? Or, in simpler words, why watch a film on the big screen when you can watch it at home in a few weeks?

This was the hot topic of discussion at Big Cine Expo, held at Chennai Trade Centre on August 19 and 20. “In 2016, when OTT started off, it was not threatening. But post the pandemic, when films started releasing directly on OTT platforms, this whole window of theatrical-OTT release schedule collapsed. For many people, it became a concern whether a certain film will hit the big screen or not,” said Thomas D’Souza, Senior Vice President (Programming), PVR-INOX.

Is the onus on the cinema hall stakeholders or the makers to pull in audiences? It is the latter, felt Rahul Puri of Mukta A2 Cinemas. “Cinema halls can see footfall only if there’s content… content that has intrigue value. A great theatrical trailer, for instance, sucks people in. It’s like a build-up to a phone launch,” said Rahul.

Yusuf Galabhaiwala of GTC Industries, Sandeep Mittal of TheatreWorld, R Panneerselvam of TN Exhibitors Association and Raghavendra T of Big Cine Expo at the inaugural ceremony
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

While the situation in theatres in metropolitan cities might not be rosy, the story is a little different in tier-2 and tier-3 centres. Like in Mysore, for instance, where a nondescript Kannada film sans big names titled Su from So is turning out to be a hit. “We have had 16 days with packed houses,” said Vaishali Hanumanth of DRC Cinemas, “People are coming in as early as 7am to watch the film. A lot of people from the new generation are coming in to watch Kannada films as well. It proves that content is king.”

Billed as a conglomeration for all stakeholders in the cinema business, Big Cine Expo also showcased stalls that dealt with ticketing, acoustics, interior design, popcorn and other aspects related to theatres.

There comes a point in A Somasundaram’s act when he ceases to be a 52-year-old father of two. Dressed in figure-hugging bellbottoms and a crisp white shirt, he marches out of his rented house in Dindigul’s RM Colony. Neatly-polished shoes gleam as he casually flicks his hair to strike a pose for the camera. The resemblance is uncanny; so much so that passers-by pause to stare. Could it really be him?

Somasundaram is now Rajinikanth, and the transformation is complete. Not just the looks; it is as though the personality of the actor — the swag he is known for, his cool confidence and star aura — has seeped into Somu as well. Only moments before seated in his living room in a lungi, he was just Somu; an actor from a small town. All it took was a little make-up, a wig, and a costume change to get him to shed his real self.

T Ragupathi
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Somu, known as ‘Rajini’ Somu professionally, is among the most popular stage impersonators of Rajinikanth. Tamil Nadu is known to have over 200 such actors — many of them from smaller towns. While not all of them get the make-up and acting spot on, they manage to make a living out of imitating the Superstar.

“Every morsel of rice I eat has his name written on it,” says Somu. “He has given me an identity; everything in my life — from the house I live in, to the two-wheeler I ride — has come from him,” he adds. The son of a Carnatic music teacher, Somu first went up the stage as a group dancer during a small cultural event associated with a temple festival in Dindigul in 1986. From then on, he started performing on stage regularly, dancing to Rajini songs with fervour and even imitating his moves.

“It was after a photo shoot in the costume from the film Arunachalam that I started feeling I was able to pull this off well,” says Somu. He has done the Rajini act on hundreds of stages across Tamil Nadu as well as other parts of the country over the years. Among his best makeovers is that of 80s Rajini; a look that Somu nails. He is also known for his Kabali look, and has recently perfected the Coolie look in denims, white shoes, and red scarf thrown over his shoulder from the ‘Chikitu’ song.

Somu and Ragupathi have performed on hundreds of stages across Tamil Nadu as well as other parts of the country over the years.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Somu has watched Rajini’s films over and over again to get his body language right. “There was no YouTube when I started out, and I would watch his films in the theatre several times,” he says. He knows Rajini’s hairstyle from every movie like the back of his hand, and has also kept a close watch on his beard and moustache styles. “It was after Rajadhi Raja that his hairstyle changed,” he notes.

Somu spent a few years in Chennai as a junior artiste, acting in around 15 films. He is travelling through the year, changing his on-stage style from one Rajini look to the other. He has inspired several stage actors, among them being T Ragupathi from P N Kallupatti in Oddanchatram block in Dindigul district.

The 38-year-old carries an old plastic box that contains face powder and brushes, wherever he goes for stage performances. The box, a little frayed at the edges, is among his most precious posessions. Ragupathi, unlike Somu, uses simple make-up; he doesn’t wear a wig, instead, has styled his hair like Rajini’s untamed locks. His outfit — black shirt over black pants and a fanny pack has been carefully picked to go with the actor’s costumes from the 90s and early 2000s.

Ragupathi too has performed on stages across the country, and is a diehard Rajini fan. “I got the opportunity to see Thalaivar in front of his Poes Garden residence in Chennai in 2010,” he says. Ragupathi was among the many fans who waited in hope and excitement for a glimpse of the Superstar. Somu though, is yet to meet him. “I’m waiting for the day,” he says.

There is one question he often encounters: ‘Don’t you have an identity of your own?’ Somu says, “I’m just an actor. The real Somu is always inside me.” His phone rings just then and he steps aside to answer it, laughing at something over the call. For a minute, it sounds just like Rajinikanth.

Many artistes are now experimenting with the idea of performing for small intimate gatherings. They are opting for cosy rooms instead of regular auditoriums. Kathak dancer Sangeeta Majumder has been hosting mehfil-style gatherings in ‘Strings n Steps’, her academy located in Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park area. She will be formally launching this initiative at the upcoming festival season in the national capital.

“Not everybody understands and appreciates Indian classical art. It has always been considered niche,” says Sangeeta, adding that this platform will encourage new artistes and rasiks. She recently hosted Haridarshan Tiwari on the Hawaiian guitar and Shyam on the sitar.

Sangeeta plans to have ghazal, classical and semi-classical music and dance performances regularly at her academy, private residences and small halls. The audience will be seated on the carpet and in close proximity to the artiste. “The shows won’t be ticketed but people can pay as per their wish,” says Sangeeta, who has learnt Kathak from Pt Birju Maharaj, Deepak Maharaj and Ram Mohan Maharaj. “The idea is to make art accessible, especially to the younger generation,” she adds.

Singer Anup Jalota, who is one of the patrons, will identify talent for these baithiks.

As re-releases gain steam, riding on the collective urge to watch an old film again on the big screen, Vijayakant’s Captain Prabhakaran is the latest to join the bandwagon. Hitting the screens again this Friday (August 22, 2025), the late star’s iconic hit was originally released in 1991. Pencilled in as his 100^th film, then, the movie became a blockbuster and the moniker ‘Captain’ stuck with Vijayakant forever.

Helmed by R.K. Selvamani, whose earlier Pulan Visaranai with Vijayakant was another bona fide hit, Captain Prabhakaran was released to massive expectations from audiences on April 14, Tamil New Year’s Day. True to the director’s trait of using current affairs as a crux in developing a plot, the film dealt with an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer on the hunt for a smuggler in a jungle.

Forest brigand Veerappan was the obvious inspiration, and the character Veerabhadran found lustre through the performance of Mansur Ali Khan. At that point in time, Vijayakant was part of the leading quartet that dominated Tamil cinema, with Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and Sathyaraj, being the other top heroes.

Carving a niche for himself through his action filmography, Vijayakant found his mark. The star, clad in battle fatigues, lit up posters that were plastered all over South India. Theatres in Madras brimmed with people, as Selvamani’s tight screenplay, action blocks, and Ilaiyaraaja’s music offered terrific embellishment.

The song ‘Aattama Therottama’ became viral, even if that word did not exist in this sense, in the 1990s. Often, this single was belted out at high volume as minivans carrying college students groaned up the Ghats in Kodaikanal and Ooty. The song and Mansur’s performance that had shades of Amjad Khan from Sholay, lent a wild western air to an otherwise quintessential Tamil film.

Until that point in Kerala, Arjun was deemed the ‘Action-King’ and his Tamil films did solid business. Through Captain Prabhakaran, Vijayakant too endeared himself to the audience beyond the Western Ghats. The movie, hinting at Sathyamangalam as its base, was actually shot in Chalakudy, Kerala, with the Athirappilly waterfalls serving as a looming backdrop. It was no surprise that the dense tropical foliage in that area soon witnessed increased tourist footfalls.

Besides thespian M.N. Nambiar, the movie also featured Sarath Kumar, Ramya Krishnan, and Rupini. Years later, there was another film, Adharmam, starring Murali and Nasser, which also dealt with the Veerappan angle. It was a taut celluloid enterprise, and yet in public memory, it is Captain Prabhakaran that still lingers.

That Vijayakant’s name in the film was inspired by LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran is another vital element in pop culture references. Often, the 100^th film was seen as a jinx as many celebrated stars landed duds. However, Vijayakant changed that perception with a movie that ticked all the commercial boxes and became a celebrated theatre experience.

On the second day of the festival, K.P. Rakesh, Girish Madhu and Vidya Girish Madhu gave a presentation on the life and teachings of Ramanujacharya.

The performance began with Ramanuja Chatushloki, a set of verses which highlight Ramanuja’s role in dispelling ignorance and his mastery over the scriptures; this is recited to seek his grace and blessings. A nritta piece, it stood out for the dancers’ clear and firm footwork.

As the production unfolded,. in each of the scenes, the dancers took up different roles to effectively convey the essence of the philosophy.

Once Yumanacharya, a Vishishtadvaita philosopher saw Ramanuja in Kanchipuram and was impressed by his appearance. He was certain that he this was the disciple he was looking for. He asked his disciple Mahapoorna to bring Ramanuja to Srirangam. When Ramanuja reached the banks of Kaveri, they got to know that Yumanacharya had passed. They hurriedly went to his house and found that three of his fingers were closed. Just before his death Yumanacharya had expressed his three unfulfilled wishes. When Ramanuja vowed to fulfill his wishes, the fingers automatically opened.

The performance highligted Ramanuja’s teachings and philosophy through well-choreographed pieces
| Photo Credit:
M. Srinath

CHENNAI: 16/08/2025: FOR FRIDAY PAGE: K.R. Rakesh, Girish Madhu, Vidya Girish Madhu, performing Ramanujacharya dance at the Natyarangam 27 th Annual Thematic Bharathanatyam festival Narada Gana Sabha Trust in Chennai on Friday….Photo: SRINATH M/ THE HINDU
| Photo Credit:
SRINATH M

Rakesh as Ramanuja brought out the character’s emotional turmoil with amazing restraint.

Ramanuja was determined to learn the maha mantra from Yumanacharya’s disciple, Ghoshtipoorna, who possessed the essence of Vishishtsdvaitham. He travelled to meet him 17 times, in vain. He finally managed to meet him on his 18th visit, when Ghoshtipoorna extracted the promise of secrecy from Ramanuja and gave the upadesha . However, Ramanuja climbed the gopuram of Soumyanarayana temple and taught the maha mantra to the gathering.

Once in Srirangam, Ramanuja noticed a young man walking with a beautiful woman. Unmindful of the public gaze, he held an ornate umbrella for her in one hand and fanned her with the other. Girish Madhu and Vidya Girish Madhu as the couple aptly brought out the sringara rasa in the scene.

Ramanuja sends for him and asks what had made him so brazen. The man, Dhanurdasa, replies that he was completely captivated by the woman’s eyes. Ramanuja tells him that he will show him a pair of eyes more captivating, and takes him to the temple of Ranganatha. As the lamp illuminates the Lord’s lotus-like eyes, the young man becomes ecstatic, and all worldly attractions fade into insignificance. He pledges lifelong service, renouncing material entanglements. This scene could have been portrayed more engagingly .

The profound impact of Andal on Ramanuja was shown in the incident where Ramanuja sees his acharya’s daughter and takes her to be Andal and goes into a trance. It is believed that he liked to be called Thiruppavai Jeer.

Ramanuja retrieves the idol of Ramapriya, whom he considers his chella pillai, from the sultan and reinstalls it as Sampathkumar. Ramanuja’s staunch devotion to Narayana was portrayed with realism by Rakesh. Girish Madhu exhibited well the royal demeanour of the sultan while Vidya Girish was impressive as the sultan’s daughter.

Ramanuja ensured continuity of his mission by appointing acharyas, creating a spiritual network that safeguarded the sampradaya.

The production concluded with the Charamashloka from Bhagvad Gita to convey the concept of sharanangati. This was a fitting finale to a well-researched production.

Dushyant Sridhar was the resource person and choreography was done by the dancers themselves.

The music ensemble was led by Sudarshini Devnath, who not only did the nattuvangam but also explained each scene. Parur M. S. Ananthashree, who had composed the music for the presentation, lent vocal support. Guru Bharadwaaj on the mridangam, N. Ananthannarayan on the veena, Shreeya on the violin and Adhvaith Bhanu on the flute enhanced the appeal of the presentation.