Entertainment

Rumours of Ayesha Jhulka’s relationship with Nana Patekar, Mithun Chakraborty made it to the gossip columns of tabloids, magazines during her time. Years after, the Khiladi actress reacted to those rumours in a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani. 

She said, “If you open the tabloids of that time, I was linked with everybody. We were just friends, and we had a fun relationship. When you do six or seven films together, you’re meeting each other on set every third day… At that age, it’s naivety… I have more boyfriends than girlfriends even now, but that doesn’t mean you have to be romantically associated with them. In today’s time, what is there to hide? We’ve crossed that age…”

According to some reports, Ayesha’s relationship with Nana Patekar caused a rift in the actor’s relationship with Manisha Koiarala and they, eventually, broke up. 

Addressing speculation that Manisha Koirala ended her relationship with Nana because of her, Ayesha said, “It didn’t have anything to do with an affair. We did a photoshoot together, and then I did a play with him. But again, look at the seniority. I understand (being linked up) with co-stars my age, but I hate to talk about people who are (older). I have nothing to do with (Manisha walking out on him).”

Ayesha Jhulka and Akshay Kumar’s chemistry in the 1992 film Khiladi made a lot of buzz. Reacting to the rumours of her relationship with Akshay Kumar, the actress said, “There could’ve been an attraction, but that’s normal,”

“We’ve always had that fondness, but I don’t think ‘physical attraction’ is the right way to put it,” she explained.

Ayesha Jhulka worked in films like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Kaise Kaise Rishte, Sangram, Waqt Hamara Hai, Dil Ki Baazi, Aulad Ke Dushman, to name a few. 

Salman Khan’s latest film, ‘Sikandar,’ was released on the occasion of Eid with high expectations. However, the film has struggled to perform well at the box office. It opened with Rs. 26 crore on its first day but faced mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. After 3 days of release, the film has collected Rs 74.5 crore net in India, as reported by Sacnilk.
According to the makers, ‘Sikandar’ earned Rs. 35.47 crore on its opening day and Rs. 39.37 crore on the second day. Worldwide, the film has managed to collect Rs. 141.15 crore in three days. Despite these numbers, the film is yet to cross the Rs. 100 crore mark in India, a milestone Salman’s Eid releases usually achieve with ease.

Fans blame producers for Sikandar’s BO performance

As fans expressed disappointment over the film’s performance, some took to social media to blame the producers. Many Salman Khan supporters accused the producers of “destroying” the actor’s career. One fan commented, “Have some shame, or would you not stop until you destroy Salman Khan’s career?” Another user tagged Warda Khan Nadiadwala, the wife of producer Sajid Nadiadwala, and questioned, “How can you be so shameless?”
Warda Khan’s responses to trolls
Meanwhile, producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s wife, Warda, who has been actively promoting the film by sharing positive reactions, did not hold back in her responses. When a fan called her a “Jaahil aurat” (ignorant woman), she replied, “Get well soon.”
These interactions quickly went viral, with screenshots of her replies being widely shared on social media. However, it appears that Warda has now removed most of them from her feed. Some criticized Warda for her language, while others defended her, stating that Salman himself is responsible for selecting scripts and directors. One Reddit user wrote, “She had nothing to do with the movie. It is Salman who chose the script and director. It is on him. But these fans can’t call him out.”
Despite the backlash, Warda continued to highlight positive fan responses to ‘Sikandar.’ She reshared a post that read, “Sikandar just owned every fan’s heart” and added, “Yoo-hoo, Sikandar ka fans ke dillon pe raaj.” She also shared another post stating, “Salman Khan’s Sikandar will earn more than Rs. 20 crore at the box office,” to which she responded, “Jawaab audience ka karara Jawab.”
Check the Reddit post here

Stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das has announced his debut as an author with the memoir, The Outsider. The International Emmy-winning comedian shared the news on Instagram where he posted a video that showcased various chapters of his life, career, and identity.

“I WROTE A BOOK!!!!! For ALL ‘The Outsiders’… For some reason, I have seen more of the world, and been let into more worlds, than anyone I know.

“Laughter has truly saved my life. I hope to show you how funny and beautiful this world is. It hits shelves soon, but you can order it NOW in my profile,” he wrote on Wednesday evening.

Through the book, which will be published by Simon & Schuster, Das will take readers on a journey through his life, highlighting moments of self-discovery, heartbreak, failure, and laughter, a press release said.

The memoir recounts several key incidents from Das’s life, including a moment when he was stranded on a pier in Cozumel, Mexico, after his cruise ship left without him due to visa issues.

Born in India, Das spent his early years moving between India and Lagos, Nigeria, and often felt like an outsider.

“I’ve had a strange life that took me across the world more than anyone I know. I don’t know how one ends up being the Indian kid in Nigeria, the African kid in boarding school, the boarding school kid in Delhi Public School, the Delhi kid in Galesburg, Illinois, the Chicago guy in Alabama, the America-return in Mumbai, the Bollywood guy in comedy, the stand-up comedy guy in Bollywood, the Bollywood guy in Indie Music, and the Indian in American comedy,” Das said.

“All I know is, when you are blessed enough to step into all those worlds, you write a book about it. I hope to take you across the world through the eyes of a fortunate fool,” he added.

Das has performed in six standup specials — “Abroad Understanding”, “Losing It”, “For India”, “Vir Das: Inside Out”, “Vir Das: Outside In” and “Vir Das: Landing”, which won him an International Emmy for best comedy series.

He has acted in movies such as “Badmaash Company”, “Delhi Belly”, “Go Goa Gone” and “Shaadi Ke Side Effects” as well as shows like “Whiskey Cavalier”, “Fresh Off the Boat”, “Hasmukh” and “Call Me Bae”.

Das is currently on his ‘Mind Fool’ world tour, taking his comedy to 33 countries.

Shalini Pandey
| Photo Credit: @shalzp/Instagram

Actor Shalini Pandey has opened up about a disturbing incident in which a director of a South Indian film she was working on barged into her vanity van when she was changing clothes. The actor, who made her film debut with 2017’s Arjun Reddy, added that the incident taught her to establish boundaries very early on in her career.

Shalini said this in an interview with Filmygyan, while talking about her experience working with men in the industry. “It’s not that I have worked only with good men in my career, I have also worked with horrid men in my life. I am talking about on-screen, off-screen and within the crew. You just have to have boundaries. I have also faced the most chauvinistic men. That’s also the reality,” said Shalini.

The 31-year-old added that since she was an outsider to the industry, she had nobody to go back to. “Mere pass hota hi nahi tha to ask how one should be in such situations. Now, when I look back, I am glad I was like that. I was naive, but I had hard boundaries. Like, I would snap.”

This is when the actor shared the harrowing incident from when she was 22 years old. “I was doing a South film and this director walks into my van, doesn’t knock, and I was changing. He just opened the door and entered. This is a girl who has just done her first film. People usually tell you to be very sweet and not rub people the wrong way. They be like, ‘otherwise, you won’t get films’. I have been told all that.”

Shalini recounted how she yelled at the director, a reaction she said she was advised against. “Once he left, people told me that I shouldn’t have yelled. But, there has to be manners. Just because I am new, you cannot just enter without knocking. You cannot do that to me. And I realised that is something that I carried with me. I would come across as an angry person to people. But I had to do certain things to protect myself,” said Shalini, adding that she has now learn how to “manipulate such things rather than just snap at people.”

On comparisons with Alia Bhatt:

Meanwhile, in another interview with Instant Bollywood, Shalini addressed being compared with Bollywood superstar Alia Bhatt, stating that she wishes to have her own individuality. “Alia hai! We don’t need another Alia. No one should be another Alia. Because Alia is so amazing. Not just because of her films — of course, she’s incredible onscreen. But personally, from what I’ve seen of Alia offscreen as well, I admire her.

“I don’t want to be that because there is one Alia. Of course, there are so many admirable qualities that you want to take, but I also want to have my own individuality. I want people to look at me for who Shalini is rather than box me into something. But when they compare with love, of course, it’s a great comparison because she’s just lovely,” added Shalini.

Shalini, known for working in films like Arjun Reddy, Mahanati, and NTR: Kathanayakudu, made her Bollywood debut in 2022, with the Ranveer Singh-starrer Jayeshbhai Jordaar. She was last seen in Netflix’s 2024 film Maharaj, co-starring Junaid Khan, and in the streamer’s 2025 series Dabba Cartel, co-starring Shabana Azmi, Jyothika, Nimisha Sajayan, and Anjali Anand.

Jaya Bachchan was in the news again for her insistence that Raya Sabha members stop addressing her as ‘Jaya Amitabh Bachchan‘. Last year she sparked off a social media debate when she stated her preferences and reignited the buzz once again when she reminded presiding chairman Birendra Prasad Vaishya, “For so many years, you used to call me Jaya ji only. Anyway, it doesn’t matter.”
While this subject has gained traction over the past few days, it has been an ongoing debate for several decades, it seems. Long before she could address the matter in the Rajya Sabha, Jaya, made the bold decision to keep her maiden name ‘Jaya Bhaduri‘ even after she married Amitabh Bachchan in 1973.
At a time when it was customary for women to take their husband’s surname after marriage, Amitabh won praise from his father-in-law for standing by his wife’s choice to to retain her maiden name for her film career. Taroon Coomar Bhaduri, a renowned journalist and writer, in a 1989 article for The Illustrated Weekly of India, reflected on his son-in-law’s unwavering support for Jaya’s identity and career. He recalled an instance where someone, in an attempt to flatter Amitabh, suggested that Jaya should be credited as “Jaya Bachchan” instead of “Jaya Bhaduri” in films.
Big B, responded saying, “Of course, she is a Bachchan, but you should know that in the industry and professionally, she is more famous as Jaya Bhaduri.”
With Amitabh’s support, Jaya continued to use her maiden name in film credits.
Taroon praised Amitabh for his support, and for the way he stood up against rumours about their alleged inter-cast marriage. “I would like to know just one good reason why my wife or I would have been opposed to the Bhaduri-Bachchan alliance,” he wrote, and shared his appreciation for Amitabh’s character. He further lauded the actor’s perseverance in the film industry, adding, “Initial failures did not deter him, and with a Teutonic doggedness, he pursued his career.”

Priyanka Chopra has finally reunited with her daughter Malti Marie after spending time apart while filming her upcoming project SSMB29 across various locations in India. 

The actress recently shared a photo with her little one on Instagram and it’s all things adorable. The caption read, “Home.” The image shows the mother-daughter duo sharing a tender moment. 

Priyanka is dressed in an all-black outfit while little Malti wears a floral dress as they gaze affectionately at each other.

Just days before the reunion, Priyanka had been exploring Jaipur and documenting her experience in the Pink City through various social media posts on Instagram, though the specific reason for her visit remains unclear.

Priyanka and her husband, musician Nick Jonas, welcomed Malti Marie in January 2022 via surrogacy. The child’s name holds special significance, with “Malti” being the middle name of Priyanka’s mother, Madhu Chopra, while “Marie” honors Nick’s mother’s middle name. The couple married in a lavish ceremony at Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace in 2018.

Professionally, Priyanka’s upcoming projects include the highly anticipated film SSMB29, directed by SS Rajamouli, where she stars alongside Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The team has been shooting in several locations, including Telangana and Odisha. 

Additionally, she has roles in forthcoming films The Bluff and Heads Of State, though release dates for these projects have not yet been announced.

Christopher Nolan arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles
| Photo Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Hollywood studio Universal Pictures on Wednesday teased new movies from Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan, while showcasing footage from its upcoming sequels Jurassic World Rebirth and Wicked: For Good at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, US.

Spielberg “is currently shooting a film that promises to be a return to form, in the spirit of his monumental classics,” said Universal executive Jim Orr, at the movie theatre industry summit in Las Vegas.

The untitled film, out June 2026, is widely rumored to be a blockbuster sci-fi. Orr promised it would contain “a propulsive, modern, out-of-this-world twist,” without sharing further details.

Meanwhile, Nolan is in the Mediterranean shooting his star-studded version of The Odyssey, based on the millennia-old Ancient Greek epic saga written by Homer.

It is due July 2026, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya and Anne Hathaway.

In a prediction bold even by the standards of Hollywood marketing, Orr suggested the film “will be a once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would, quite frankly, be very proud of.”

The comments came at CinemaCon, an annual week-long summit at which Hollywood studios present their biggest upcoming movies to theater owners and press.

A theme of this year’s event has been a drive to get studios to commit to keeping new movies in US theaters for at least 45 days before they appear on streaming.

A source with knowledge of the talks told AFP Wednesday that three of Hollywood’s six biggest studios have committed.

Universal, which has in recent years brought many of its films to on-demand streaming very soon after they debut in theaters, has not yet agreed to the new 45-day “window,” the source said. The studio did not immediately comment.

But its efforts to court movie theater owners Wednesday included showing extended new footage and A-list stars from the next Jurassic movie — out this July.

It comes from the writer of the original 1993 Jurassic Park. The action returns to that film’s island setting.

Unlike the “Jurassic World” films where dinosaurs freely roamed the globe, the fearsome reptiles are now once again scarce, surviving in a few remote spots.

Star Scarlett Johansson said the film would “put the scares back into Jurassic” by keeping the dinosaurs hidden and ratcheting up the suspense.

Universal’s presentation ended with surprise appearances from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, whose second and final Wicked film will hit theatres November.

CinemaCon concludes Thursday with presentations from Paramount and Disney.

The trailer of  Chhorii 2 has crawled out of the darkness and into our nightmares, proving once again that nobody fights like a mother protecting her child, especially when faced with ghosts that clearly didn’t read the parenting manual on boundaries.

The sequel to the 2021 Indian horror hit ramps up the terror as it follows Nushrratt Bharuccha’s character Sakshi, who now faces an even more harrowing battle against supernatural forces threatening her daughter Ishani. 

The trailer effectively establishes a more intense atmosphere than its predecessor, taking viewers into unexplored underground caves where malevolent entities lurk in shadows.

Visually, the trailer delivers on creating genuine unease through its effective use of haunting imagery, from disturbing rituals to ghostly apparitions that seem determined to make Sakshi’s life a living nightmare. 

The cinematography appears to embrace darkness, using it to amplify the sense of isolation and vulnerability.

Soha Ali Khan makes an intriguing appearance as the enigmatic “Daasi Ma,” whose role appears pivotal to the unfolding supernatural drama.

What elevates this trailer beyond standard horror fare is its emotional core – beneath the jump scares and eerie atmosphere lies a story about maternal determination and the lengths one will go to protect their child. 

The film premieres on Prime Video on April 11, 2025, featuring a supporting cast that includes Gashmeer Mahajani, Saurabh Goyal and Pallavi Ajay. 

Salman Khan’s latest release Sikandar has been struggling at the box office since its release on Sunday. Salman Khan, who tried different promotional stunts to promote his film, opened up about the lack of support from film fraternity for his films. Salman Khan said his friends think that he doesn’t need support while the superstar says he also needs backing for his films.

Salman Khan also admitted that he promotes his friends and colleagues’ films.

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Salman Khan said, “Unko aisa lagta hoga ki zaroorat nahin padti mujhe. (Maybe they think that I don’t need their support.). But, sabko zaroorat padti hai. (Everybody needs support, including me).”

Ahead of Sikandar’s release, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and director AR Murugadoss engaged in a fun chat as a promotional stunt. Salim Khan also joined the conversation and picked up his favourite Salman and Aamir Khan films.

Take a look at the video here:

At the trailer launch of Sikandar, Salman Khan addressed the issue of a 31-year age gap with heroine Rashmika Mandanna.  “They say there is a 31-year difference between the heroine and me. If the heroine doesn’t have any problem or the heroine’s father doesn’t have any problem, then why do you have a problem?” Salman Khan’s punchline made the press burst into laughter.

Salman Khan didn’t stop there. “And when she (Rashmika) will get married and have a daughter and then she becomes a big star then also we will work (together). We will get the mother (Rashmika)’s permission for sure,” Salman Khan said at the event.

Apart from Salman Khan and Rashmika, the project also features Kajal Aggarwal, Sathyaraj and Sharman Joshi in important roles. Sikandar released in theatres on March 30.