Entertainment

Jwala Gutta and Vishnu Vishal; pictures shared by the couple to announce the birth of their baby
| Photo Credit: @thevishnuvishal/Instagram

Tamil actor Vishnu Vishal and his wife, badminton player Jwala Gutta, became parents to a baby girl on Tuesday (April 22). Notably, the baby was coincidentally born on the couple’s fourth wedding anniversary.

On X, Vishnu shared a picture of the two holding the little one’s hand to announce the news.

In another picture shared by the actor, Aryan, Vishnu’s son from his previous marriage, can be seen meeting his newborn sister for the first time.

Vishnu and Gutta got married in a private ceremony in Hyderabad on April 22, 2021. The celebrity couple had been dating for over two years then before making it official.

On the professional front, Vishnu was last seen in Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s social sports drama Lal Salaam. The actor has Aaryan, an untitled film with director Gokul, a film with director Arunraja Kamaraj, a film with director Sathish Selvakumar of Bachelor fame, Irandu Vaanam, co-starring Mamitha Baiju, and the long-delayed Mohandas in the pipeline.

Oscar statuettes
| Photo Credit: AP

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled new rules for the 98th Academy Awards, including a major shift in voting procedures: members must now watch all nominated films in a category to vote for its winner. The change is aimed at reducing uninformed or “coattail” voting and ensuring more thoughtful choices from Academy members.

Voting will now be restricted through the Academy Screening Room, the organisation’s official platform. Members will only access ballots for categories where they’ve verified they’ve seen every nominee. For viewings outside the platform — such as at festivals or private screenings — members must submit a form documenting when and where the film was watched. This policy, previously limited to categories like international feature and short films, now applies across the board.

ALSO READ:Oscars 2025: Two Oscar voters didn’t choose Ralph Fiennes for ‘Conclave’ over a nonexistent win

Another landmark update is the addition of a new competitive category: Achievement in Casting. For the first time, casting directors will be officially recognised for their work assembling a film’s ensemble. The Casting Directors Branch will shortlist up to ten films, which will then go through a “Bake-Off” screening and Q&A process. Five nominees will be selected, and the entire Academy will vote on the winner.

Additional rules announced include earlier submission deadlines for original song and score categories, broader eligibility for international films from directors with refugee or asylum status, and formal guidelines for the use of generative AI in filmmaking. The Academy emphasized that AI tools will “neither help nor harm” a film’s chances, with the focus remaining on human creative authorship.

The Best Cinematography category will now also include a shortlist phase, joining a dozen artisan categories already using this format.

The Oscars are scheduled for March 15, 2026, with nominations voting beginning January 12. Final ballots will close March 5.

Oscar statuettes
| Photo Credit: AP

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled new rules for the 98th Academy Awards, including a major shift in voting procedures: members must now watch all nominated films in a category to vote for its winner. The change is aimed at reducing uninformed or “coattail” voting and ensuring more thoughtful choices from Academy members.

Voting will now be restricted through the Academy Screening Room, the organisation’s official platform. Members will only access ballots for categories where they’ve verified they’ve seen every nominee. For viewings outside the platform — such as at festivals or private screenings — members must submit a form documenting when and where the film was watched. This policy, previously limited to categories like international feature and short films, now applies across the board.

ALSO READ:Oscars 2025: Two Oscar voters didn’t choose Ralph Fiennes for ‘Conclave’ over a nonexistent win

Another landmark update is the addition of a new competitive category: Achievement in Casting. For the first time, casting directors will be officially recognised for their work assembling a film’s ensemble. The Casting Directors Branch will shortlist up to ten films, which will then go through a “Bake-Off” screening and Q&A process. Five nominees will be selected, and the entire Academy will vote on the winner.

Additional rules announced include earlier submission deadlines for original song and score categories, broader eligibility for international films from directors with refugee or asylum status, and formal guidelines for the use of generative AI in filmmaking. The Academy emphasized that AI tools will “neither help nor harm” a film’s chances, with the focus remaining on human creative authorship.

The Best Cinematography category will now also include a shortlist phase, joining a dozen artisan categories already using this format.

The Oscars are scheduled for March 15, 2026, with nominations voting beginning January 12. Final ballots will close March 5.

A still from ‘Weapons’
| Photo Credit: Warner Bros

Warner Bros has dropped the first teaser for Weapons, the much-anticipated horror thriller from Barbarian director Zach Cregger. After a wave of excitement at CinemaCon and strong test screenings, the studio moved its release up to August 8, 2025.

The teaser gives a first look at Cregger’s mysterious new story, centered on the unexplained disappearances of children in the small town of Maybrook. The brief but creepy footage shows pajama-clad kids slipping out of their homes in the dead of night. “Those kids walked out of those homes—nobody pulled them out,” a voice says ominously, as the screen cuts to disturbing images of children running through darkened streets.

Toby Huss appears to lend his voice to the teaser, saying, “Mr. Graff, I can understand your passion… if it was my child, I’d be demanding answers too.” While the full plot is still under wraps, the teaser, combined with surveillance-style clips previously released online, suggests a tense thriller with supernatural overtones that also made Barbarian a standout.

Weapons features a strong ensemble cast including Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, Austin Abrams, and Cary Christopher.

Horror fans can also follow the unfolding mystery at MaybrookMissing.com, where fictional reports hint at a town unraveling after 17 children vanished at precisely 2:17am.

Hollywood actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio paid a heartfelt tribute to Pope Francis following the pontiff’s demise on Monday.
In an emotional statement shared on his social media handle, DiCaprio honoured the late Pope as a “transformational leader” whose legacy extends far beyond the Catholic Church — especially in the realm of environmental advocacy. Posting a series of photographs from his 2016 visit to the Vatican, the actor recalled his audience with the Pope during the filming of his climate documentary Before the Flood. The meeting, he said, left a lasting impact.
“That experience was enlightening, deeply moving and thought-provoking,” DiCaprio wrote. “Pope Francis was a transformational leader — not only for the Catholic Church, but also for environmental reform and activism.”
Praising the Pope’s 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, which called for a radical reassessment of humanity’s relationship with the Earth. The document, DiCaprio noted, was a “clarion call” that helped drive momentum ahead of the COP21 climate conference, eventually contributing to the landmark Paris Agreement.
“Emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life, Pope Francis urged individuals, communities, institutions, and world leaders to unite in caring for our common home,” DiCaprio said.
He also acknowledged the Pope’s more recent work, including the 2023 Laudate Deum exhortation, in which Francis expanded his environmental message and called for urgent global climate action. Quoting the document, the Oscar-winner highlighted the pontiff’s belief that “we are part of Nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it,” urging a shift from an external to an internal relationship with the natural world.
DiCaprio closed his tribute by calling Pope Francis “one of the most extraordinary spiritual leaders of our time,” adding, “His legacy will continue to inspire generations of environmentalists around the world. May he rest in peace.”
With this post, Leo joined a host of Hollywood stars from director Martin Scorsese to actress Eva Longoria, comedian Jimmy Fallon and many others, who took to their social media handles to honour his memory in heartfelt posts.
The Vatican has yet to announce official funeral dates, though ceremonies are expected to begin later this week.

Shubhangi Atre’s ex-husband, Piyush Poorey, has died following complications from liver cirrhosis. He had been battling health issues for some time before his demise on Saturday.

Confirming the death of her ex-husband to Times Of India, the actress said, “Your thoughtfulness during this time means a great deal to me. I request you to give me some time to talk about this.”

Shubhangi and Piyush married in 2003 and welcomed their daughter Ashi in 2005. Their divorce was finalised on February 5 this year. Piyush reportedly worked as a digital marketing professional.

A source close to the situation said, “Shubhangi and Piyush were not on talking terms. However, she is mourning. She has resumed shooting (for her TV show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai) on Sunday.” 

Prior to their divorce, a source close to them told Hindustan Times, “There was a time when the couple tried to work on their relationship and give a second chance to their marriage. But that didn’t work out. They have made peace with the fact that they can’t live together, but they don’t want to go ahead with the divorce proceedings.”

The source added, “They are separated, and have moved on in their life. When it comes to legal formalities, that is something they are not dedicated to doing, as they don’t want their daughter to be in the middle of the whole legal thing. They have remained cordial with each other for the sake of their daughter, and want to continue to do so.” Their daughter Ashi is currently pursuing education in the United States.

Shubhangi Atre has appeared in several popular television shows, including Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Kasturi, and Chidiya Ghar. Currently, she plays Angoori Bhabhi in the comedy series Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain.
 

Rohit Shetty with Shah Rukh Khan

The failure of 2015’s Dilwale, which reunited Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and director Rohit Shetty after the blockbuster Chennai Express, had since led to speculations of a rift between the two. That the two haven’t collaborated since further fuelled these rumous. Now, in a latest interview, Rohit has cleared the air and put an end to those rumours.

In an interview with trade analyst Komal Nahta on his Game Changers podcast, Rohit spoke about the alleged rift and said, “Nahi aisa kuch nahi. Ek respect hai humare beech me aur Dilwale ke baad ye hua ki immediately phir humne humare khud ki production house kholi. Humne decide kiya ki hum khud ki filmein banayenge. Agar loss bhi ho to humara ho, jabki loss nahi hua tha. (There’s nothing like that. We share mutual respect. Also, immediately after Diwale, we had started our own production houses. We decided to make our own films, so even if we face losses, it is only upon us.)

Rohit further stated that Dilwale turned out to be a huge success in the overseas market.

The film, produced by Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, was released on December 19, 2015, and clashed at the box office with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani, starring Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, and Ranveer Singh.

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh will be seen next in King, directed by Pathaan-maker Siddharth Anand and co-starring Shah Rukh’s daughter and actor Suhana Khan.

Rohit, on the other hand, recently delivered a hit in Singham Again, which is part of his Cop Universe. The film starred Ajay Devgn alongside Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor and Jackie Shroff among others.

Saif Ali Khan poses for a picture at the trailer launch of his Netflix action thriller ‘Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins’
| Photo Credit: ANI

Actor Saif Ali Khan has purchased a new luxury property at The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl, Doha—just three months after surviving a violent knife attack at his Mumbai home.

Speaking at an event hosted by Alfardan Group, Saif shared that the decision to invest in the Qatar property was driven by safety, comfort, and accessibility. “It’s very safe and it feels very good to be there,” he said, adding that the location struck a balance between luxury and privacy. “It felt like home away from home,” Saif explained.

The actor recounted staying at the property during a shoot and being impressed by its curated menus, relaxed pace of life, and stunning views. He said he looks forward to bringing his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan and sons Taimur and Jehangir to the island retreat.

This purchase follows a traumatic incident earlier this year. On January 16, Saif was attacked by an intruder inside his Bandra apartment during an attempted robbery. He sustained serious injuries, including damage to his thoracic spine, and spent five days recovering at Lilavati Hospital.

Despite the ordeal, Saif is back in the spotlight. He will next appear in Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, a Netflix thriller streaming from April 25. Directed by Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal, the film stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Kunal Kapoor, and Nikita Dutta alongside Saif, who plays a smooth-talking criminal chasing a priceless diamond.

The actor continues to maintain multiple residences, including his Bandra apartment, the ancestral Pataudi Palace, and homes in London and Gstaad.

Singer Sonu Nigam shared a long post on his Instagram on Monday to warn fans and followers against online impersonators. Sonu Nigam mentioned several accounts under his name are in circulation, spreading misinformation and controversial content. Sonu Nigam clearly mentioned someone using his name on social media and pretending to represent him. The singer also revealed that he had not been active on X (formerly known as Twitter) for the last 8 years.

In the first two slides, Sonu Nigam wrote, “It has come to my attention that someone has been misusing my identity online. Please note that no one from my team has ever reached out to anyone on my behalf for any reason. If someone claims to be from my management and contacts you out of the blue, please treat it with caution!”

Updating his status on X handle, Sonu Nigam wrote, “Also I have not been on Twitter/X for the last 8 years. A few accounts that people may believe to be mine, are actually being run by someone else. If you come across such fake accounts or messages, please REPORT AND BLOCK.”

In another slide, Sonu Nigam thanked fans and followers who brought this issue to his attention: “Thank you to those who’ve flagged the issue to me. And thank you so much, my extended family, for your continued support and understanding.”

The caption accompanying the post read, ” If you come across any suspicious/fake messages under my name, it would be great if you could report or block the account.”

Sonu Nigam’s alert message has come days after singer Shreya Ghoshal’s account being hacked. However, she restored her profile with the help of the platform’s support team.