Entertainment

Mammootty in a still from ‘Bazooka’

A few late flourishes can sometimes redeem a film even though it might be hurtling downhill till that point. But, in Deeno Dennis’s directorial debut Bazooka, that supposed redemption arc comes way beyond a point where most of us would have stopped caring for the characters or the plot. It comes almost like a dessert that arrives after a tasteless main course that made your stomach feel queasy. As for the dessert, beyond the dressing on top, it turns out to be the same old under it.

In Bazooka, hardly a moment passes without a background score. In a film tailor-made for the superstar’s fans, a good part of this score is dedicated to accentuating his every random movement. It begins right from the moment we see John Caesar (Mammootty) at a bus stop, reading a self-help book and waiting for a bus — inside which a good part of the film takes place. But then, ACP Benjamin Joshua (Gautham Vasudev Menon) also gets the same treatment when we first see him getting out of his car to carry out a routine vehicle check. This is not surprising in a film which survives mostly on its cosmetics.

It comes dressed up as a gaming thriller, for the simple reason that characters play games, including a person who plays it loudly inside a bus, much to the discomfort of the others. Caesar, a forensic expert travelling in the bus, is trying to help the police track down a criminal mastermind who leaves them clues before every heist. Much of this story is told through his never-ending, patchily-written conversations with his nosy neighbour (Hakkim Shah), also the noisy gamer.

Interspersed with this are a few action sequences with a biker gang that does not have anything to do with the narrative other than make a show of the star’s action prowess. The things that some writers and filmmakers resort to in the name of “fan service” turn out to be a kind of disservice to the actor as well as his fans.

The police investigation is another joke altogether, especially the decoding of some of the clues. Some lines that appear to have been written just as fillers for the visuals turn out to be unintentionally comic. When a police officer says that the mastermind could be a psychopath, the ACP retorts, “Let’s not glorify him”. One wonders in which parallel world is psychopath a term used for glorification. The screenplay, for the most part, is an aimless mishmash of events, failing to excite us, despite the cues through the background scores signalling us to get excited.

For a film branded as a “gaming thriller”, Bazooka ends up as a dull film with barely an exciting passage of play that is worthy of the star it is supposedly celebrating.

Bazooka is currently running in theatres

Speculations are rife that Shah Rukh Khan may attend the Met Gala for the first time this year. Reports that surfaced earlier today suggest the Bollywood superstar could be collaborating with renowned designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee for the high-profile fashion event.

The buzz began after the popular Instagram account Diet Sabya posted a cryptic message hinting at the collaboration. While no names were mentioned, the post teased that “two titans” – a major Bollywood actor and a celebrated designer – are set to join forces for their Met Gala 2025 debut.

“#MetGala is gonna be exciting. discuss babyyyyy,” read the caption. The post’s text stated, “STOP THE PRESSES!!! The impossible just happened! Two titans of their craft – the greatest Bollywood superstar – and the biggest designer of our generation – are joining forces for their MET Gala 2025 debut… This Bollywood icon is about to become the first Indian man to strut his ‘dandy’ on the Met carpet.”

The post quickly sparked speculation online. While many fans are convinced the mystery duo is Shah Rukh Khan and Sabyasachi, some believe it could be Amitabh Bachchan. Actor Kubbra Sait, meanwhile, commented that she is hoping for Ranveer Singh, calling him “magic.”

The discussion soon spilled over to platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit. One fan wrote, “There are strong speculations that #ShahRukhKhan is attending #MetGala this year. Diet Sabya has hinted it and Reddit’s guess is SRK or @SrBachchan.” Another speculated it could be Hrithik Roshan or Ranbir Kapoor, while some mentioned Kiara Advani.

There are also separate reports suggesting that Kiara Advani, who is currently expecting her first child, may be walking the Met Gala red carpet this year.

The theme for this year’s Met Gala is “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” with the official dress code being “The Garden of Time.” The event will be co-chaired by singer Pharrell Williams, actor Colman Domingo, F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Basketball legend LeBron James will serve as an honorary co-chair.

Birthday parties of Bollywood’s star kids are nothing short of extravagant affairs. From themed décor to celebrity guest lists, every detail is grand — including the return gifts. Instead of handing out one gift per child, these parties feature an entire gift store where kids, and even parents, can pick whatever they like.
In a recent chat on Bharti TV, Bharti Singh, Maniesh Paul, and Harssh Limbachiyaa shared how both kids and parents end up collecting bags full of toys from these extravagant setups.
Chaos at the Return Gift Stall
Maniesh talked on the podcast about attending a famous actor’s kid’s birthday party with his son. He said his son is usually well-behaved, but at the party, he couldn’t stop looking at the return gift stall. All the kids rushed there excitedly, and even the parents started picking things for themselves.
Mini Hamleys at Every Party
Harssh explained that not everyone may be familiar with how star kids’ birthday parties work. Instead of giving just one return gift, the hosts set up an entire gift store at the party—like a mini Hamleys—filled with items like school bags, cycles, and toys. Guests can pick whatever they like. Maniesh remembered seeing a dad walking away with five bags full of toys, while the child calmly enjoyed his candy nearby.

Bharti’s Fun Yet Embarrassing Moment
Bharti also recalled attending the birthday party of Salman Khan’s sister Arpita Khan’s child, where a return gift store was set up. Since her son was too little to choose gifts, Bharti was excited to pick some herself but felt shy doing so. She asked her son’s nanny to help instead, but the nanny started asking her questions about which toys to pick—loudly—making Bharti feel even more awkward as many celebrities were standing nearby.

Bharti shared that she attended Arpita Khan’s child’s birthday party, where a full store of return gifts was set up. Since her son was still very young, she felt tempted to pick out toys herself but didn’t want to appear too eager. So, she asked her nanny, Rupa didi, to choose something instead. However, when the nanny began loudly asking which teddy bear to pick, Bharti got embarrassed as many celebrity parents were around. Despite the awkwardness, she laughed it off and said the whole experience was a lot of fun.

Shah Rukh Khan, often called the ‘King of Bollywood‘, has always impressed fans and co-stars with his charm, wit and unforgettable screen presence. Over the years, many celebrities have praised him, but one moment that stood out was when Katrina Kaif described him as “incredibly intelligent”.
Having shared the screen with Shah Rukh Khan in films like ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ and ‘Zero’, Katrina has spent enough time with the superstar to get to know the man behind the magic. And she had nothing but glowing words for him.
‘Talking to him is like talking to an intellectual’
In a past interview with Pinkvilla, Katrina spoke about SRK in the most heart-warming way. She said that every conversation with him leaves you with something to think about, calling him an intellectual in her own unique way.
“Always informative. Like always, knowledgeable. I don’t know if that’s correct grammar, but it’s always knowledgeable. Talking to him is like talking to an intellectual. We will always leave knowing more. He is incredibly intelligent,” she said.
It’s not every day that someone in the industry is praised not just for their talent, but for their mind. Katrina’s comments gave fans a rare look into SRK’s thoughtful and curious nature.
Katrina and Shah Rukh first came together on screen in Yash Chopra’s romantic drama ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ in 2012. Audiences loved the sizzling chemistry between Katrina and Shah Rukh. The love story, the soulful music, and the emotional plot made it a memorable film. In 2018, the duo came back again with ‘Zero’ directed by Aanand L Rai.

Katrina and SRK’s on the work front
Kaif was last seen in the 2024 film ‘Merry Christmas’. Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the film was a dark mystery thriller. She starred opposite Vijay Sethupathi, and their pairing was one of the main highlights of the film. Since then, Katrina hasn’t officially announced any new films.
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan has already locked in his next big release. Titled ‘King’, the film is an action-packed thriller directed by Siddharth Anand, who’s known for hits like ‘War’ and ‘Pathaan’.What makes ‘King’ even more special is that it marks the big-screen debut of Shah Rukh’s daughter, Suhana Khan.

Director Neeraj Ghaywan posing during a photocall for ‘Masaan’ at the 68th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
| Photo Credit: AFP

Ten years after his breakthrough debut Masaan was selected for Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan returns to the Croisette with his sophomore feature Homebound, again featured in the same category. The film’s inclusion in the 2025 lineup positions Ghaywan as India’s representative at the festival this year, following closely on the heels of Payal Kapadia’s historic Grand Prix win for All We Imagine As Light in 2024.

Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions in collaboration with Varun Grover and Somesh Mishra, the film features Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, with a reported cameo by Janhvi Kapoor.

Homebound joins a diverse slate in Un Certain Regard, a section of the Cannes Film Festival devoted to highlighting emerging talent. Among the other films featured this year are Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great, Akinola Davies Jr’s My Father’s Shadow, Diego Céspedes’ The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo and Harris Dickinson’s Urchin.

Last year, Sandhya Suri’s debut feature Santosh, a police procedural set in rural India, also premiered in the Un Certain Regard section.

For Ghaywan, Homebound marks a significant return to feature filmmaking. His debut, Masaan (2015), received the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes and quickly became a touchstone for India’s new wave of realist cinema. Co-written with lyricist and writer Varun Grover, Masaan was lauded for its layered storytelling and has since attained cult status both in India and internationally.

Born in Hyderabad in 1980 to Maharashtrian parents, Ghaywan’s path to cinema was trained as an engineer and later an MBA in marketing, he spent several years in corporate roles before transitioning to filmmaking, initially as a film critic. His early work caught the attention of director Anurag Kashyap, whom he later assisted on Gangs of Wasseypur and Ugly. He describes Kashyap as a formative mentor during his transition to directing.

Between Masaan and Homebound, Ghaywan built a formidable body of work in short and episodic storytelling. His 2017 short Juice, which starred Shefali Shah and dealt with gender dynamics in Indian households, won the Filmfare Award for Best Short Film. He directed the critically acclaimed Geeli Pucchi segment in Netflix’s anthology Ajeeb Daastaans, praised for its exploration of caste, queerness, and workplace politics. Ghaywan also served as co-director on Sacred Games Season 2 and as an episodic director on Made in Heaven Season 2.

ALSO READ:‘All We Imagine as Light’ movie review: Payal Kapadia’s radiant ode to a city and its outsiders

With Homebound, Ghaywan’s selection continues a growing presence of Indian filmmakers at Cannes — a trajectory reaffirmed last year when Kapadia became the first Indian in three decades to compete for the Palme d’Or and win a major prize.

Actress Tabu has joined the cast of Puri Jagannadh’s upcoming movie. The makers of the film made the formal announcement of the actress’ inclusion in the film.

Tabu is set to essay a pivotal role in the film. The actress, who is known for her selective roles, was immediately drawn to the character and the compelling storyline, which led her to give her consent to be a part of this project.

The yet-to-be-titled pan-India film stars the Makkal Selvan Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role. The film was announced on the auspicious occasion of Ugadi. The script has been meticulously crafted by Puri, ensuring that every character holds significant weight.

The film is set to go on floors in June, and will be released in multiple languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. The makers will announce the other cast and crew of the movie soon.

The narrative is set to be an intense and gripping tale, where each character contributes meaningfully to the unfolding drama. The film is produced by Puri Jagannadh and Charmme Kaur under their banner, Puri Connects.

Vijay Sethupathi was last seen in ‘Viduthalai Part 2′. In 2024, Vijay starred in three films. He began the year with Sriram Raghavan’s ‘Merry Christmas’, which was also shot in Hindi and starred Katrina Kaif. The film revolves around an uneventful Christmas Eve, which turns the world of two people upside down.

When two strangers meet, romance blossoms, and the plot takes an unexpected turn. His 50th film, ‘Maharaja’, directed by Nithilan Saminathan and co-starring Anurag Kashyap, was also released last year and became a massive success at the box office.

‘Viduthalai Part 2′, which was directed by the multiple National Award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaran, marked Vijay’s last film in 2024.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Gigi Hadid recently spent quality time with her 4-year-old daughter, Khai, whom she shares with ex-partner Zayn Malik. The mother-daughter duo visited Medieval Times in New Jersey for a fun outing.

“That was our first experience there,” Gigi said during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “Khai got very into it. You can make kids a hundred different things in a week, and when we get there, why is her favorite chicken the one at Medieval Times? She ate so much chicken,” she added.

Gigi mentioned that the event includes jousting tournaments and medieval-themed food and noted that utensils aren’t provided with the meal. “She went princess vibes, and I’m like the princess’ keeper of hand sanitizer, wipes and crayons,” she said, while sharing a photo of Khai dressed in a princess outfit with a matching crown. “I also didn’t know if she’d be nervous about the swords and stuff. She was not nervous, by the way. She was rocking on,” she shared.

Gigi, who is currently dating actor Bradley Cooper, has occasionally given fans a glimpse into life with her daughter. Back in February, she shared a series of photos featuring moments with Khai.

“Some stuff I meant to share from end of ’24, but got the flu at the top of year,” she captioned the post.