Entertainment

The highly anticipated prequel to Kantara has officially been slated for release on October 2, 2025. Putting an end to speculation about potential delays, the makers have reassured fans that the film is right on track.  

Rumours of a postponement had been circulating on social media, but Hombale Films took to Instagram on Wednesday to set the record straight. Their statement read, “???????? Doubts. ???????? delays. The legendary saga, #KantaraChapter1 unfolds on October 2nd, 2025.”  

Actor Rishab Shetty, who has poured his heart into Kantara: Chapter 1, recently shared a glimpse of his rigorous training for the film. In an Instagram post, he was seen fully immersed in a Kalaripayattu session. Keeping the caption simple, he added just a heart emoji.  

Rishab previously won the prestigious National Award for Best Actor for Kantara, which he also wrote and directed. The 2022 film became a pan-India blockbuster.  

Reflecting on the honour, Shetty told ANI, “This award is a result of my entire team’s hard work. I may be the face of the film, but the production house, cinematographer, technicians – everyone played a crucial role in making this possible.”  

Expressing his gratitude to his supporters, he added, “I want to thank the people of Karnataka and the National Awards panel for recognizing this film. The love from the audience made this a success, and I dedicate this win to them.”  

Set in the fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, Kantara followed Shetty’s character, a Kambala champion, as he clashed with a determined Forest Range Officer. The film also won the National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

In 2012, British artiste Fink aka Fin Greenall made his way to India for the first time as a performer, playing every where — from a theatre in Mumbai and the NH7 Weekender festival in Bengaluru, to the erstwhile Blue Frog club in New Delhi.

That is quite a range of spaces for the often-acoustic, intimate folk and indie rock that Fink performs. Plus, Greenall and his band also got to collaborate with the likes of music duo Salim-Sulaiman for the series The Dewarists, for a song titled ‘Let Go’. That explains why Fink says he has “two sets of memories” from India.

Over video call from his current home in Berlin, Fink talks about his first impression, “I got to see real life in India for just a week. But it wasn’t about staying at a fancy hotel and playing a gig. It was just wonderful. I fell in love so hard.”

Since then, Fink and his band have, by his own admission, “been dying to get back” to perform in India, a country he feels not many artistes get to perform in. To that end, Fink and his band’s drummer/guitarist Tim Thornton will be back in India for a tour.

Musician Fink
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Fink’s Acoustic Tour’s India leg includes stops in Mumbai on April 3, Bengaluru on April 4 and New Delhi on April 6. In Bengaluru, singer-songwriter L’nee Golay will provide support. Fink says, “I can’t wait to get back now. I feel I’m better and could do a much better job this time.”

He laments that he cannot exactly venture out to try street food in India since he does not want it to affect his performances in any way. He says with a laugh, “You walk around the streets, and you smell that stuff, and you say to yourself, ‘That’s going to be delicious.’”

Fink has been touring North America and Europe from last year and as an acoustic act, bringing the various moods of their albums, including the 2014 breakout album Hard Believer, Resurgam from 2017 and most recently, the 2024 album Beauty In Your Wake.

He says, “We did all of Spain, Portugal, Italy — places where we can do about 500 to 1,000 tickets. We love this because it means we can come to Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi, and we’re not going to lose money. We’re not going to make much money, but we’re going to finally play for our Indian fans.”

It has been just over a decade since Hard Believer and songs such as ‘Looking Too Closely’ catapulted them to global fame, and looking back, Fink says, “When you get a little bit of success, the world suddenly becomes rather big.”

Musician Fink
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

In terms of the songs they will play for Indian fans, he says about 80% of their setlist is often fixed and the rest “is a question mark”. He adds, “Somebody might shout out a track, and we will just do it. We’re quite flexible on stage.”

That means everything from ‘This Is The Thing’ to ‘Sort of Revolution’ to more songs off Beauty In Your Wake, including ‘Follow You Down’, ‘One Last Gift’ and more. Compared to his earlier material, Fink says his newer songs run deep. “While ‘What Would You Call Yourself’, is a philosophical question about identity, ‘The Only Thing That Matters’, is about legacy, and a philosophical thought process of who am I and what our legacy is.”

When asked what his next material — to be recorded once he is back from five months of touring through the world this year — might veer towards, Fink smiles and says he has no idea. “But it’s going to be great.”

With one day off before the shows in India kick off in Mumbai and one day before his third and final show in Delhi, he has made enough space in his bags to carry back as much as possible, especially Bollywood soundtracks on vinyl. He adds, “I’m gonna be walking around like such a tourist, saying, ‘Oh, I need that. I want that. That looks nice, that smells nice.’”

Fink India 2025 will play at Fandom at Gilly’s Redefined in Koramangala. Tickets from ₹799 on BookMyShow

Yami Gautam took to social media to share a heartfelt birthday note for her younger sister Surilie Gautam, calling her the ‘Raja Babu of her life.’

Earlier today, the actress took to her Instagram handle and shared a beautiful moment from her wedding featuring Surilie.

Alongside the image, Yami wrote, “To the OG maasi & Raja Babu of my life. Happy Birthday to my dearest Surilie. Love you so much !!!! P.S. Can never get enough of this beautiful moment from my wedding, @s_u_r_i_l_i_e.”

In the heartwarming image, Yami is seen sitting gracefully with a red dupatta draped over her head, while Surilie pours water over her mehendi-adorned feet as part of a traditional wedding ritual.

Notably, Yami Gautam frequently shares her deep love and admiration for her sister, Surilie, often describing her as a cheerleader, friend, and pillar of strength. She has often praised Surilie’s wit, resilience, and her knack for making her laugh.

Last year on Surilie’s birthday, Yami had shared a throwback picture with her “little one” and captioned it, “It’s Surilie Day, today & everyday!!!! Happy birthday my little one!!! We love you so much.”

In other following posts, the proud sister added, “Happy birthday to the OG Raja Babu of our family….P.S.our love for these fake sunglasses was on another level. The only person who can convince/push/drag me for fake nails with the brightest nail paint. Happy birthday.”

Earlier this year in January, Surilie Gautam shared a fun reel featuring herself and her sister, Yami. The duo showcased their bhangra moves while grooving to Surilie’s track Jatt Suraj Kha Juga.

For the unversed, Surilie, who turned 35 on April 3, made her TV debut in 2008 with Meet Mila De Rabba. She is known for her roles in Punjabi movies like Power Cut, Shava Ni Girdhari Lal, and Posti.

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

Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday in ‘Kesari Chapter 2’

Dharma Productions on Thursday (April 3) launched the trailer for Kesari Chapter 2. Starring Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan and Ananya Panday, the historical drama is set during and after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919.

Kumar plays a lawyer, inspired by C. Sankaran Nair, who challenges the British crown and seeks to uncover the truth of Jallianwala. “We are suing the crown for genocide,” Kumar says in the trailer. Madhavan pitches up as a fearsome Indian-origin lawyer defending the actions of the British administration in Punjab. Ananya Panday, as a bright female lawyer, plays Kumar’s steadfast aide.

Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, Kesari Chapter 2 is based on the book The Case That Shook the Empire by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat. The film appears to combine several historical events into a single, streamlined narrative, spanning the findings of the Hunter Commission and a libel suit filed by Michael O’Dwyer against Sir CS Nair in England.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was one of the darkest chapters of British colonial rule in India. On April 3, 1919 in Amritsar, Reginald Dyer, a British Brigadier-General, ordered soldiers to fire upon an unarmed crowd of over 15,000 Indians gathered at Jallianwala Bagh on Baisakhi day. The crowd had gathered to peacefully protest the Rowlatt Act. The killings shook the world and became a rallying point for anti-British sentiment in India.

CS Nair was a distinguished Indian lawyer serving as the sole Indian representative in the Viceroy’s Executive Council during the time of the massacre. Anguished by the killings, he resigned from the prestigious post, forcing the British to implement changes such as the revocation of martial law in Punjab.

CS Nair later wrote a book, Gandhi and Anarchy (1922), where he criticized Michael O’Dwyer, the lieutenant Government of Punjab during the massacre. He accused O’Dwyer for abetting the atrocities through his repressive administration. This, in turn, invited a libel suit from O’Dwyer, who by then had returned to England after being dismissed from Punjab.

Kesari Chapter 2 is set to hit theatres on April 18, 2025.

Redin Kingsley and Sangeetha
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Tamil actor Redin Kingsley and his wife and actor Sangeetha V announced on Thursday the birth of their first child, a baby girl. Sharing an image of their child, without revealing her face, the couple announced via Sangeetha’s Instagram account.

Redin, best known for his performances in films like Doctor, Beast and Jailer, married television actor Sangeetha (of Anandha Ragam, Thirumagal fame) back in December, 2023.

Redin, who first made it as a dancer in the film industry, found his break in Nelson Dilipkumar’s Nayanthara starrer Kolamaavu Kokila. Since then, he has starred in all the subsequent films of the filmmaker, namely, Doctor, Beast and Jailer, with his stellar performance in Sivakarthikeyan’s Doctor making him a household name.

Some of the other notable titles that featured Redin include LKG, A1, Netrikann, Annaatthe, Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, Gatta Kusthi, Pathu Thala, Soppana Sundari, DD Returns, and Mark Antony. He was recently seen in films like Bloody Beggar, Kanguva, Sabdham and Perusu.

On the other hand, Sangeetha is known for her work in soaps such as Anandha Raagam, Aranmanai Kili and Thirumagal. The actor made her transition to the silver screen with the 2021 Vijay starrer Master.

Bharat Dabholkar
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Actor-director and writer, Bharat Dabholkar, started as a lawyer, before creative forces compelled him to take to theatre, advertising and films.

The common thread between theatre and ads is laughter, Bharat says over a call from Mumbai. “I find laughter the biggest connection to people be it the Amul ads or theatre.”

Bharat brings the musical, Blame It On Bollywood to Bengaluru. He has written and directed the musical and shares the stage with Anant Mahadevan and Jayati Bhatia. Produced and presented by AGP World in association with Yash Raj Films, the production has laughter as well as song and dance.

“Every play of mine begins with us making fun of ourselves. Once that is done, you are pardoned when you make fun of others.”

Scenes from the musical
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

There is a thin between freedom of speech and vulgarity, Bharat says. “I am a lawyer, and have studied the Indian Constitution. All these comedians who cite freedom of expression forget that there is a restriction of fundamental rights too. A simple way of putting it is my fundamental right to swing my hand ends where the other man’s space begins.”

Known for his political and social satires Bharat says, “I have made fun of everybody in my plays, and never got into trouble, because I know where to draw the line. You don’t get personal nor do you take sides. You have to always be objective.”

Bharat gives 99.99 % of the credit for the success of the Amul campaign to Verghese Kurien. “He was the world’s best client. He said, ‘I understand milk and milk products but not advertising. I have chosen you and cannot tell you what to do. Do whatever you want, but make sure my product sells.’ When you are given that kind of a brief, your responsibility also increases.”

 Bharat laughs off his titles of ad-guru and father of Hinglish. “I am no guru as I have not taught anyone and I believe no one learnt anything from me. But Hinglish happened, because I did my schooling in Marathi. When I came to Mumbai I joined a sophisticated South Bombay College. There were 145 of the prettiest girls in my class and five boys.

“If a girl came and asked me to go out for a film, I would respond in my head in Marathi, then translate it to English and then respond. By that time, the girl would have watched the film and returned too. That is when I started using Hinglish, just to talk to the girls.”

It worked, Bharat says in college, later in plays and advertising. “I realised when you speak the language of people, they relate to it better. We would try and make a local connect too. For instance, for one Amul ad in Tamil Nadu, we punned on a title of an MGR film, Unnai Veda Matten. We created an image of MGR holding Amul butter in his hand and used the tagline ‘Vennai Vida Matten’. That’s how those ads worked. We call it empathy in advertising.”

About his musical, Blame it on Bollywood, Bharat says, “I realised regardless of which community you belong to, every wedding has this Punjabi Bollywood wedding influence. The play was originally called, Blame it on Yash Raj, which ran for 12 years. Yash (Chopra) is a good friend of mine, we got his permission too for the title. Later, we changed the title to Blame it on Bollywood, added new songs and dances.” 

Blame it on Bollywood tells the story of a Punjabi father, Bengali mother, and a daughter who wants to marry a Muslim. “The apprehensive bride’s family discovers that the Muslim family is more evolved and sophisticated than them.”

The play, Bharat says, is a tribute to Yash Chopra, who is regarded as the father of romance in Bollywood. ”It is humorous, and breaks the stereotypes. The weddings get bigger, there is a sangeet, where we get the audience to dance with us. It is about having a good time while we make fun of everything related to weddings.” 

Blame it on Bollywood will be staged on April 5, 7.30pm at Prestige Centre for Performing Arts. Tickets on https://bit.ly/BIOB_Bangalore_BookNow

Singer-songwriter Johnny Tillotson, best known for his 1960s hit Poetry in Motion, has sadly passed away at the age of 86.
The news was made public a day after his passing by his wife, Nancy Tillotson, who, in a heartfelt social media post on Wednesday, April 2, revealed that he died following a battle with Parkinsonism. .
PEOPLE put up Nany’s statement that read, “It is with a broken heart that I write to let you know that the sweetest, kindest man I ever met, Johnny Tillotson, left earth for Heaven yesterday. He was my best beloved, Champion of my realm, Knight of my heart.”
She continued, “Someone said, that sometimes right in the middle of an ordinary life you get a fairy tale. The day I met him I got mine. He was funny, generous and kind. A gentleman through and through. He loved and was grateful to his fans, as he once said, they made every dream I ever had come true. Once again on his behalf I say thank you for that.”
In her note, Nancy reflected on their life together, and paid tribute to his remarkable career, calling his achievements a “testament to his undeniable talent.” Tillotson was known for a string of hits, including Talk Back Trembling Lips, You Can Never Stop Me Loving You, and It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin’, which was later covered by music legends like Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and Elvis Presley. He earned two Grammy nominations—one for Best Country and Western Recording in 1962 and another for Best Contemporary (R&R) Vocal Performance in 1966.
Tillotson is survived by his wife of 45 years, Nancy; his son, John, and grandchildren.
Nancy concluded her heartfelt tribute saying, that he will be missed every day for the rest of her life. “He was simply the best. With all the love I have in my heart for a wonderful man gone too soon from this world,” she wrote.
News of Tillotson’s passing comes just days after the release of ‘Everything I Touch Turns to Blue’, leaving behind one final musical gift to his fans.

Val Kilmer died on April 1, 2025. He was 65. Fans, friends, and well-wishers have been sending in their heartfelt condolences for the loss of the Top Gun star, as it’s a tragic loss to comprehend.

Now his ex and good friend Cher, has taken to X, to share her grief. She recalled fond memories of him and his incredible work, and also highlighted how brave he had been all through his illness.

VALUS
Will miss u,U Were Funny,crazy,pain in the ass,GREAT FRIEND,kids💜U,
BRILLIANT as Mark Twain,
BRAVE here during ur sickness

— Cher (@cher) April 2, 2025

The post read, “VALUS. Will miss u. U Were Funny, crazy, a pain in the ass, GREAT FRIEND, kids (love) U, BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness.”

For the unversed, Cher and Val Kilmer dated for two years, back in the 80s. They had met at a birthday party. Even after parting ways, there was no animosity between the two as they continued to be good friends and colleagues. They would often talk lovingly about each other in interviews.

In a 2021 People Magazine interview, Cher mentioned, “We became friends because we laughed at the same things constantly. It went from madly in love and laughing hysterically to respecting each other’s ability.”

She further elaborated how it initially started off as friendship, but the two soon fell in love with each other.

However, things started falling apart because of their clashing strong personalities, Cher added, “We had unbelievable times and then put up with some times when they weren’t because we were both Alpha males.”

Cher concluded by saying that she had no idea how they continued to remain such good friends. It was difficult, but they just did it.

Some of Val Kilmer’s most notable works include Top Gun (1986),  The Doors (1991), Tombstone (1993), and Batman Forever (1995). It put him on the map as he rose to fame, and then there was no looking back.