Tag: Bollywood

Kiran Rao’s piquant Laapataa Ladies has been selected as India’s official submission to Oscars 2025. The announcement was made by the jury of the Film Federation of India (FFI), the apex body that annually selects the Indian official entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, on Monday, September 23.
Released in theatres in March, Laapataa Ladies is Rao’s sophomore directorial after the acclaimed Dhobi Ghat (2011). The satirical comedy-drama tells the story of a young man whose bride gets accidentally swapped with someone else’s. The film stars Sparsh Shrivastava along with Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Chhaya Kadam and Ravi Kishan. It is based on Biplab Goswami’s prize-winning screenplay, Two Brides.
In its citation, the FFI jury said, “Indian women are a strange mixture of submission and dominance. Well-defined, powerful characters in one world, Laapataa Ladies (Hindi) captures this diversity perfectly, though in a semi-idyllic world and in a tongue-and-cheek way. It shows you that women can happily desire to be home makers as well as rebel and be entrepreneurially inclined. A story that can simultaneously be seen as one that needs change, and one that can bring about change. Laapataa Ladies (Hindi) is a film that can engage, entertain and make sense not just to women in India but universally as well.” The 13-member committee was chaired by Assamese filmmaker Jahnu Barua.
Produced by Jio Studios, Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Pictures, Laapataa Ladies had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. It released in Indian theatres in March this year and is currently streaming on Netflix.
“I am deeply honored and delighted that our film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ has been chosen as India’s official entry to the Academy Awards,” Rao said in a statement. “This recognition is a testament to the tireless work of my entire team, whose dedication and passion brought this story to life. Cinema has always been a powerful medium to connect hearts, transcend boundaries, and ignite meaningful conversations. I hope that this film will resonate with audiences across the world, just as it has in India.”
This year, a total of 29 films, including Payal Kapadia’s Cannes-winning All We Imagine as Light and the acclaimed Malayalam drama Aattam, were in the running for Oscars selection
India was last nominated for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards for Lagaan (2001). The 97th Academy Awards are scheduled for 2025 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, US.

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt looked drop-dead-gorgeous as she made her Paris Fashion Week debut in a creation by ace couturier Gaurav Gupta. The actress sauntered on the ramp along with American star Andie MacDowell during the show Walk Your Worth at Palais Garnier. She wore a metal-cast silver breastplate paired with black velvet flared pants from the designer’s 2024 couture collection, Arunodaya. Gupta, who has styled renowned global head-turners, took to Instagram and wrote, “@aliaabhatt in custom Gaurav Gupta Couture for her runway debut at the L’Oréal Paris — Le Defilé show.”
Gupta’s list of celebrities, who have sported his creations, include names such as Beyonce, Paris Hilton, Mindy Kaling, Angela Bassett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Kriti Sanon, Janhvi Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shakira, Jenna Ortega, Jr Ntr. Bebe Rexha, Sharon Stone, Jeena Ortega, Sharon Stone, Ashanti, Luis Fonsi, Lizzo, Kylie Minogue, Megan Thee Stallion and Saweetie. Source: IANS

Maddock Films, one of the production companies of Stree 2, has confirmed that the film has become the ‘number one Hindi film of all time’ in India. Taking to X on Wednesday, September 17, it shared a poster of the film and also penned a note. The film has surpassed the lifetime collections of Shah Rukh Khan’s film Jawan (only Hindi language earnings). The poster read, “Indian box office’s no. 1 Hindi film of all time!” written on it. The caption read, “Woh Stree hai aur usne aakhir kar dikhaya… Hindustan ki sab se sarvashresth (She is Stree and she has finally done it…India’s best film) No. 1 Hindi film of all time!!!”
“Yeh itihaas humare saath rachane ke liye sab fans ko bahut bahut dhanyavaad (thanks a lot to all fans for scripting this history with us)… Stree 2 is still running in cinemas successfully… theatre aao, kuch aur naye records rachate hain (come to theatres, lets make some more new records)!” it also read.
Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao’s Stree 2 has collected Rs 586 crore at the Indian box office, as per trade analyst Taran Adarsh. He confirmed the news on his X (formerly Twitter) account. Sharing a poster of the film, he wrote, “#Stree2 scripts HISTORY… Becomes the HIGHEST-GROSSING *HINDI* FILM EVER… Crosses *lifetime biz* of #Jawan [#Hindi version]… Next stop: Inaugurating the ?600 cr Club. [Week 5] Fri 3.60 cr, Sat 5.55 cr, Sun 6.85 cr, Mon 3.17 cr, Tue 2.65 cr. Total: Rs 586 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice.”
Jawan’s earnings
As per Sacnilk.com, Jawan’s nett collection in India, for all languages (Hindi, Tamil and Telugu) is Rs 640.25 crore. In Hindi, its lifetime collection in India is Rs 582.31 crore nett.
Jawan (2023) is an action thriller film directed by Atlee. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan in dual roles as a father and his son. Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Deepika Padukone, Priyamani and Sanya Malhotra also feature in the film.
About Stree 2
Stree 2, directed by Amar Kaushik, also has cameos by Varun Dhawan and Akshay Kumar. The first instalment, Stree (2018), was already a massive hit, setting high expectations for the sequel. However, Stree 2 has managed to exceed those expectations, capturing the hearts of fans across the country. The film also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana. Source: HT

Surprising audiences once again, actor Jacqueline Fernandez has now made his singing debut with single Stormrider. Jacqueline will be seen picking up the mic with her debut single Stormrider, released in collaboration with LA.
Titled Stormrider, Jacqueline’s debut single is produced in association with LA-based record label Myst Music. Taking to Instagram, Jacqueline treated fans with the teaser of the song and captioned the post, which read, “This is just the beginning #Stormrider.”
Jacqueline shared the inspiration behind her debuting in the world of music in a press note shared by her team, “Growing up in a household filled with music, especially with my dad being a part-time DJ, I was surrounded by an eclectic mix of sounds from a young age. Our home was filled with vinyl records, CDs, and music from different genres and cultures. This exposure to diverse musical influences sparked my passion for music and performance.”
Sharing what music means to her, the actor stated, “For me, music is about storytelling and connecting with emotions, which is why I decided to launch my music. I wanted to create something that resonates deeply with listeners, just as the music I grew up with did for me. Music has always been my way of expression, and now I get to share my voice and story with the world.” The music video is slated for launch on September 20.
Meanwhile, on the acting front, Jacqueline Fernandez will share screen space with actor Sonu Sood in their upcoming film ‘Fateh’.
‘Fateh’, which marks Sonu Sood’s debut as a director, will delve into the real-life instances of cybercrime. The film is made under the banner of Zee Studios and Shakti Sagar Productions.
Jacqueline will also headline the much-anticipated multi-starrer series ‘GOATS’.
Directed by Abhishek Sharma, the star-studded cast Neil Nitin Mukesh , Boman Irani , Siddharth Nigam and Sumedh Mudgalkar in the lead, along with Bhavin Bhanushali , Anusha Mani, Kunwar Amar , Santana Roach , Yukti Tareja , and Arnav Maggo .
Not only this, she has also joined the star cast of ‘Housefull 5’. The film will feature an exciting lineup of leading ladies, including Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa, Chitrangda Singh, and Soundarya Sharma.

A Florida judge has declared Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner divorced and single, signing off on a confidential agreement reached between the two. The Miami-Dade County judge approved the agreement on Friday, one year after the 35-year-old Jonas Brothers singer filed to divorce the 28-year-old Game of Thrones and X Men actor and five years after the two were married.
The split brought a quiet and relatively quick end to a divorce that briefly became acrimonious and looked headed for a long and ugly custody fight. The documents said that moderated negotiations led to an agreement on splitting assets, spousal support and custody of their two daughters, 4-year-old Willa and 2-year-old Delphine.
Judge Gina Beovides declared that the marriage was “irretrievably broken,” and that the couple’s agreement, especially their parenting plan, was in the best interest of the family. After-hours emails seeking comment from representatives of both Turner and Jonas were not immediately returned.
The couple met through Instagram messages and began dating in 2016. They married in a secretive ceremony at a Las Vegas wedding chapel in May of 2019 after the Billboard Music Awards. Country duo Dan + Shay performed at the wedding.
Jonas filed for divorce in September of 2023. In the filing he sought joint custody and said the two had a pre-nuptial agreement. The following day the two posted an identical amicable statement to each of their Instagram accounts. But the split turned into a serious dispute within weeks when Turner sued to force Jonas to turn over the girls’ passports so they could join her in her native England.
The daughters, who were born in the US but have dual citizenship, were with Joe Jonas in New York, where he was on tour, according to court documents, in which Turner said they had been planning on raising the girls together in England when their marriage fell apart. Turner said she learned of Jonas’ divorce filing through the media, while Jonas said the two had had multiple conversations about it.
The custody fight was dropped in January, a sign that the two were on a path to a settlement. Turner, who is from Northampton, England, played Sansa Stark for eight seasons on HBO’s Game of Thrones and played Jean Grey in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019’s Dark Phoenix.

American singer-actor Selena Gomez has officially joined the ranks of one of the youngest billionaires. According to Deadline, the Only Murders in the Building actor has achieved this financial feat primarily through the success of her beauty brand, Rare Beauty, alongside other lucrative ventures.
Launched in 2019, Rare Beauty has significantly contributed to Gomez’s estimated net worth of USD 1.3 billion, positioning her as one of the youngest female billionaires in the United States. The beauty brand accounts for about 81.4 percent of her overall net worth, the report stated.
Gomez’s wealth is not solely attributed to her beauty brand. The valuation encompasses her stake in the mental health startup Wondermind, revenue from music album sales, real estate investments, and earnings from streaming deals, brand partnerships, concert tours, and acting projects.

Jennifer Garner’s immediate attention towards Ben Affleck amid divorce from Jennifer Lopez has put Garner’s relationship with her boyfriend John Miller in jeopardy. RadarOnline revealed that Miller and Garner’s relationship is on the rocks as the former felt neglected while the latter was busy consoling Affleck. Garner and Miller have been together since 2018 and rumors of engagement were also doing rounds until Affleck and Lopez’s divorce came to light. An insider revealed to the media outlet, “John is at the end of his rope with what he considers Jen’s ‘unfathomable’ support for her ex-hubby while ignoring him in the process.” Garner and Affleck spent almost a week together while they helped their daughter Violet settle into her dorm as she moved to Yale for college.
An insider cited this close relationship as the reason for Lopez’s sudden move to file for divorce on the second anniversary of their nuptials in Georgia. The insider said, “J.Lo was making a point that she was humiliated by Jen and Ben’s ridiculous closeness. Don’t think John didn’t feel the same way. John is still incredulous the woman he was close to marrying pushed him aside to focus on repairing her ex’s love life. How is he supposed to feel?”
Sources added that Miller understands that Affleck and Garner share a past but he also believes that it’s time she starts living in the present. The reports from the media outlet also state that the Batman actor continues to blow up Garner’s phone as he navigates through the divorce and Miller believes Garner should instruct him to delete her number now.
Meanwhile, Garner is also at a point where she wants to focus on her boyfriend and their relationship and let Affleck deal with his problems on his own.
A source revealed, “Garner realizes she may have overplayed her hand by putting John in second place in this dynamic. Now she’s trying to woo him back and salvage the relationship.”
After the divorce from J.Lo, Garner has been there for Affleck like no one else has. RadarOnline previously reported that the two are said to be “secretly back together” after Affleck’s divorce. The insider said to the media outlet, “It started months ago. Just look at how happy they look. They’ve gotten a second chance at love.”

Rakul Preet Singh has shared her take on nepotism, while admitting that she has lost films because of it. In the latest episode of Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, the actor admitted she too would help out her kids in the future, if needed. Rakul Preet said nepotism was a fact of life, and the sooner people accepted it, the better it is for them.
When asked if she lost out on projects because of nepotism, Rakul said in Hindi, “Of course, and then as a result, you can become bitter. But this is not just part of the film industry, opportunities can be snatched away from you in any other industry, like the medical field… and I think that’s life, the sooner you understand this, the better it is for your progress.”
The actor, without taking any names, added, “Tomorrow, if my kids want help, of course, I will help them out and not force the same struggle as I had to undergo on them. Similarly, if star kids get easy access, it is because their parents have worked hard. So nepotism is not something I think too much about. Yes this is a reality, films have been taken away from me, but I am not a person who will get bitter. Maybe these projects were not meant for me. I move on. I feel bad for a day and then snatch out of it.”
Earlier in July, Rakul Preet was seen in Indian 2, which was headlined by veteran actor Kamal Haasan. Indian 2 is the sequel to the 1996 film Indian, which also starred Kamal as Veerasekaran Senapathy. The sequel marked the reunion of Kamal and director S Shankar.
On working with Shankar, Rakul Preet had told ANI at the time of the film’s release, “It’s a privilege to be working with such a remarkable filmmaker, who is a legend in himself. He’s such an amazing director. The way he looks at characters, his vision, and the nuances he adds with his guidance on the set. I’ve learned so much from him while filming Indian 2. Truly an experience!” Rakul Preet is now working on De De Pyaar De 2.

Ajay Devgn is one of the busiest actors in the industry. He is currently busy in the shoot of Son of Sardar 2. The shooting is going on in the UK. Amid this, the release date of his film Raid 2 has been announced. It will be released on 21st February, 2025. Vaani Kapoor will be seen in the lead role. Fans are super excited about this news.
Taran Adarsh shared the poster on his Instagram handle and wrote, “AJAY DEVGN – RITEISH DESHMUKH – VAANI KAPOOR: ‘RAID 2’ RELEASE DATE LOCKED… #Raid2 – starring #AjayDevgn as IRS Officer #AmayPatnaik – to arrive in *cinemas* next year: 21 Feb 2025… Directed by #RajkumarGupta. #RiteishDeshmukh portrays the antagonist… The film also features #VaaniKapoor and #RajatKapoor… Extensively filmed across #Delhi and #Lucknow.” As soon as the news was shared, fans reacted. One of the fans wrote, “Ritesh Deshmukh in a villain role again after ek villain and marjaavan.” Another wrote, “Itna late.”
Earlier, the film was scheduled to release on 15th November 2024 but the release date has been changed. The official X(formerly Twitter) handle of T-Series had dropped a poster that featured a pair of legs sporting classy shoes. The text read, “Amay Patnaik is back.” It also revealed the release date of the film i.e. November 15, 2024. The caption stated, ‘The wait is over! Ajay Devgn is back as IRS Officer Amay Patnaik in #Raid2, ready to bring another true case to the big screen on 15th November 2024!. IRS officer Amay Patnaik AKA Ajay Devgn is all set to get a new tip this time! So, are you ready to know whose house will be raided by him this time?”
In January, Ajay had shared the announced the sequel of Raid 2. He even shared the poster saying Amay Patnaik is back. The first part of the movie was inspired by a real-life income-tax raid conducted by the officers of the Income Tax Department under the Indian Revenue Service office in the 1980s. In the movie, Ajay played an honest Income Tax Officer who raids an influential man in Lucknow. The movie received positive reviews from critics and also turned out to be a box-office success.
Touted to be one of the most-awaited sequels, the film went on floors on 6th January in Mumbai and brought together director Rajkumar Gupta and producers Bhushan Kumar, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak, and Krishan Kumar.
Raid, which also featured Saurabh Shukla and Ileana D’Cruz, was based on the real-life raid conducted by the officers of the Income Tax Department in the 1980s. Devgn’s most recent releases were Maidaan, a period sports drama, and Neeraj Pandey’s Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha. His next movie is Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again.

Hours after Malaika Arora’s father Anil Mehta died by suicide, it has now been reported that police officials recorded her mother Joyce’s statement. Sources claimed Malaika’s mother, in her statement to the police, said that Anil would routinely sit in the balcony and read the newspapers every morning. She told the police that while they were divorced, had started living together again for the past few years.
Joyce also informed the police that on Wednesday, September 11, morning, when she saw her ex-husband’s slippers in the living room, she went to look for him in the balcony. When she could not find him there, she leaned over and saw below. The building watchman was shouting for help. Joyce also told the police that Anil Mehta was not suffering from illness. He only had some knee pain. He had taken VRS from the Merchant Navy.

Amar Kaushik is currently basking in the success of his horror-comedy Stree 2. The film director, who donned the producer’s hat with Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga and Munjya, is once again to produce a supernatural horror-comedy. Amar, in an interview with India Today, revealed the name of the new vampire film from the Maddock Supernatural Universe.
The filmmaker, while confirming the film, stated that he is producing the vampire movie. Amar said, “The vampire film is titled Thamba. We will begin shooting for it in the next two months.” Amar also confirmed Varun Dhawan’s Bhediya 2. He revealed that the story has been written and now the screenplay is being developed as he is not satisfied with few parts of the story.
Earlier, a Pinkvilla report mentioned that Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna were roped in Munjya director Aditya Sarpotdar’s horror-comedy. According to the report, “Ayushmann Khurrana and Dinesh Vijan have previously worked together on Bala and share a great creative bond.

Politics and cinema are two such areas in which high-voltage drama is expected. The trend of making films on political agenda is quite old in the industry. The new name added to this is Kangana Ranaut’s movie Emergency. However, due to heavy controversy, this film has been postponed once again. But Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency is not the first film which has been postponed due to the noise of politics. Even before this, there were many such films in Hindi cinema, which fell prey to politics and were disliked by politicians or organisations, especially the one made on the former Prime Minister’s life. Let’s have a look at films that revolve around the life history of the former Prime Minister, that didn’t go well with either the audiences or the organisations.
The film Kissa Kursi Ka starring Shabana Azmi, Raj Babbar and Surekha Sikri turned out to be a controversial political drama. The movie was completed in 1974 under the direction of director Amrit Nahata. However, due to the imposition of emergency in 1975, its release was postponed. During the emergency, the then government saw this movie and asked for changes in it. Also, its prints were confiscated. Somehow, Kissa Kursi Ka was released in 1978. But there was a lot of discussion about this film as a political satire.
Aandhi
During the emergency period, Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen’s film Aandhi was also ready for release. But director Gulzar’s movie was accused of misrepresenting the relationship between the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her husband. However, when Indira’s government fell in 1977, the way for the release of Aandhi was cleared.
Indu Sarkar
Before Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency, director Madhur Bhandarkar’s film Indu Sarkar has shown the story of the Emergency period of 1975 on the big screen. A lot of political mileage was drawn from this movie. The Congress party strongly opposed the film. However, the release date of Indu Sarkar was not postponed and it was released in theatres in 2017.
Emergency
Kangana Ranaut’s film Emergency was to be released on the big screen on September 6. But this movie did not get the green signal from the censor board and a petition was filed in the court regarding the Emergency by some members of the Sikh community. It is alleged that the image of the Sikh community has been presented in the wrong way in the film. Currently, the release date of Emergency has been postponed indefinitely.
There are several other Bollywood films like Bellbottom, Sam Bahadur and Raid among others, where several celebrities have played Indira Gandhi on-screen. However, being just in supporting and positive roles, the films didn’t get engrossed in any controversy, especially because of their storyline. Source: IndiaTV News

Kangana Ranaut is busy promoting her upcoming her upcoming film Emergency. The actor talked about her career and films in the latest episode of The Bombay Journey with Mashable India, where she said that she considers that Bollywood is a ‘hopeless place’ which thrives on people who got it easy.
During the conversation, the actor said, “Only a people have a problem with me otherwise if you see me, I won an election and the kind of love that I receive from the industry, proves my point. So the problem is me or with them?”
When the host asked about her stance on boycotting Bollywood, Kangana said, “Bollywood is, honestly I am saying, it is a very hopeless place. Kuch nahi hone wala inka. Ek toh talent se ye jalte hain. Jo bhi inko talented dikhta hain na uske piche pad ke ya toh usko khatam kar dete hain unka career barbaad kar dete hain unko boycott kar dete hain. Itna ganda PR kar kar ke unko badnaam karte hain (Nothing will happen with them. They are jealous of talent. If they see someone talented they go after them to destroy their career. Horrible PR is written on them and they are boycotted from the industry).”
Kangana made her acting debut with Gangster, and went on star in several films like Woh Lamhe, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai and Double Dhamaal. She had a career breakthrough with Queen, and achieved more box office success with Tanu Weds Manu Returns, and went on to win National Awards for both these films. Earlier this year, she won from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh on her electoral debut.
Emergency will see her in the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Releasing in theatres on September 6, it also stars Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhary, Milind Soman, Shreyas Talpade, Vishak Nair, and the late Satish Kaushik.

Bollywood star Salman Khan is all set to revisit his action image in his upcoming project, Sikandar. The actor is set to perform some heavy-duty action scenes in the AR Murugadoss directorial. The actor, who was battling a nerve injury a few years ago, was advised against performing action scenes. But sources told India Today that Salman has been losing weight and also getting into a rigorous fitness regime to look his fittest best for Sikandar.
The film also stars Rashmika Mandana, and a special workshop was held with Salman and Rashmika before they commenced the shoot.
The actor is set to do a month-long schedule in Mumbai for the same. Special fight sequences that include hand- to-hand combat have been choreographed for the film. Salman has also been training to get in shape for his role. The actor was last seen in Tiger 3, where he shared screen space with Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. Salman also has Karan Johar’s The Bull and the actioner, Tiger vs Pathaan, in the pipeline, where he will once again share screen with close friend and superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
Giving more information on it, the source further said, “While Sikandar has a lot of action in it, there are ample of emotional and dramatic moments in the screenplay, and Salman is looking forward for the high-octane moments under the direction of AR Murugadoss. Rashmika, Sathyaraj and Prateik Babbar too will be a part of this schedule. “The team is in the process of identifying a palace which brings scale and rich production values to the film. The third schedule will take place around November.”

Two-part modern classic Gangs of Wasseypur will re-release in theatres on August 30, director Anurag Kashyap announced on Tuesday. The 2012 intergenerational revenge saga starred Manoj Bajpayee in the lead, along with the then-budding actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Richa Chadha, Huma Qureshi, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi and Jaideep Ahlawat. Gangs of Wasseypur received critical acclaim upon its release with mostly positive reviews and also emerged as a commercial success.
Kashyap shared the update on his official Instagram page. “In three days the Gang will be back… GOW back in cinemas (sic)” he wrote. According to a poster shared by the filmmaker, Gangs of Wasseypur will be available for theatrical viewing from August 30 to September 5. Tickets are available at the official website of Miraj Cinemas.
Set in Wasseypur, a small town near Dhanbad in Jharkhand, the film series chronicles the story of the coal mafia spread across three generations of a family entangled in crime, extortion and murder.
Source: HT