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Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) Veteran actress Jaya Prada is all set to mark her return to the big screen with 'Jai Hind Jai Sindh'. The director of the drama, Indrajeet Lankesh, revealed that he grew up watching her films during an exclusive interaction with IANS.

The director added that to have the opportunity to direct Jaya Prada in her comeback film is a 'pleasure and an honour' for him.

He was asked, "What has it been like working with Jayaprada? She is making a comeback with your film."

Indrajeet Lankesh told IANS, "Of course, she is making a comeback with 'Jai Hind Jai Sindh'. It is a pleasure because I grew up watching her films, including her work with Dr Rajkumar sir. There was a fantastic film called 'Sanadi Appanna', which was a biopic. Jayaprada ma’am played an amazing role as a dancer in that film. It was a huge blockbuster in the South. I grew up watching those kinds of films featuring Jaya Prada ma’am. And then, of course, there was 'Sharaabi'. Who can forget 'Sharaabi' with Bachchan sir? We were all in college when we watched that film."

Expressing his delight at getting to work with Jaya Prada, the filmmaker added, "For me to direct her in a comeback film is a pleasure and an honour. To be able to say “action” and “cut” for her is truly a dream come true."

Speaking about the rest of the cast, which includes both veterans and young actors, Indrajeet Lankesh continued, "Apart from that, we have an impressive cast comprising Mahesh Manjrekar, Rahul Dev, and Indira Tiwari. I loved Indira Tiwari in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'. Then there is Vikram Kochhar, whom I watched in 'Dunki' and really loved his performance. There are several senior actors, including actors from the National School of Drama. Mahesh Manjrekar sir is the senior-most among them."

"At the same time, the young generation of actors has a huge platform through this film because they are newcomers. Two girls and two boys are the central characters in the foreground. This is a huge breakthrough for them, and it is something I have been doing throughout my career — giving youngsters a platform, a career opportunity ,and a stage to express themselves," he concluded.

--IANS

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Chennai, Aug 11 (IANS) Actor and producer Vishnu Vishal on Tuesday announced that his upcoming project with director Arunraja Kamaraj had now been dropped as a result of budgeting issues and creative differences cropping up between the director and him.

Taking to his social media timelines to share a statement on the decision to drop the film, Vishnu Vishal said, "Over the past few days, there has been a lot of speculation in the air recently about my next project with director Arunraja Kamaraj, and I felt it was only right to clear the air and let audiences know exactly where things stand - it's something they deserve to know."

Stating that the project in question had been one that he had been looking forward to for the past year, Vishnu Vishal said he had been preparing strenuously for it over the last 10 months.

"It was a film I hoped to begin after the release of Gatta Kusthi 2, and I was excited to bring it to life," he claimed.

However, the actor said, "Unfortunately, in recent times, the project has run into creative differences with the director, along with budgeting issues. Budgeting, in fact, seems to be one of the biggest challenges the industry is grappling with right now."

Pointing out that he had tried his best to make things work, Vishnu Vishal said that despite every effort that had been made, they had decided not to move forward with the project.

"I understand that it is a difficult decision for both Arunraja Kamaraj and myself, but we have to part ways with this project and I wish him all the best for his future endeavors. The legal processes attached, will take their own time to settle and get sorted. As always, I remain excited about what lies ahead. But sometimes, as an actor who also wears the hat of a producer, difficult decisions have to be made - and this was one of them," he explained.

The actor and producer concluded the statement, saying, "Right now, my focus is on the upcoming release of my film 'Irandu Vaanam' and my brother's film 'Yellow Yellow Dirty Fellow'. Also, I'm working on something really exciting and unique, and will be dropping the official announcement very soon. Thank you all for your continued love and support. I hope to receive the same in the days to come."

--IANS

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Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) Actress Sadia Khateeb got a little emotional as her movie 'Raksha Bandhan' completed 4 years of release on Tuesday.

Commemorating the occasion, Sadia decided to look back on her time on the set of the drama. She shared that working with Akshay Kumar in the movie turned out to be a memorable and enriching experience for her.

The film has given Sadia the opportunity to learn and explore, all the while creating some fond memories that she will cherish forever.

She said, “Raksha Bandhan will always hold a very special place in my heart. It has been four years since the film was released, but the memories of working on it still feel so fresh. Getting the opportunity to share the screen with Akshay Kumar sir and such a wonderful ensemble was truly an enriching experience."

" I learnt so much during the making of the film, both as an actor and as a person. The warmth on set, the beautiful relationships we built, and the memories we created are something I will always cherish,” she went on to add.

Helmed by Aanand L. Rai and written by Himanshu Sharma, along with Kanika Dhillon, 'Raksha Bandhan' is a remake of the 2005 Bengali film 'Dadar Adesh'.

The movie revolves around a brother who has vowed to marry off his four sisters before tying the knot with his ladylove. The film sheds light on the struggles of dowry, societal pressures, and sibling bonds.

The project features Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekkar, Sadia Khateeb, Sahil Mehta, Sahejmeen Kaur, Smrithi Srikanth, and Deepika Khanna in pivotal roles, along with others.

'Raksha Bandhan' got a theatrical release on 11 August 2022, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan and Independence Day. While the movie received mixed-to-positive reviews, it failed to perform at the box office.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Aug 11 (IANS) Stressing on the need for children to care of their parents in their old age, Telugu star Nagarjuna has now said that one couldn't get luckier than getting the opportunity to look after one's parents.

Participating in the pre-release event of director Uday Chauhan's upcoming comedy drama, 'Pallaburusu', featuring actors Sudhakar Reddy and Murlidhar Goud in the lead, Nagarjuna said, " I've always had this thought in my mind. There can be nothing luckier than getting the opportunity to look after one's parents. I took care of my parents. Shouldn't we? They took care of me when I was a child. They held my hand and were there when I was scared. They took care of me when I had fever, when I got scared when the power went off. Shouldn't we also be there for them and take care of them when we grow up?."

Citing his wife Amala as an example, Nagarjuna said, "Amala has parents who are aged 88 and 90 years respectively. She takes very good care of both her parents. I keep telling her that there can be no one more luckier than her. So, taking care of your parents is very important. This is what I remembered when Uday told me the story of 'Pallaburusu'."

Stating that director Uday narrated the story in a very entertaining way to him, Nagarjuna praised the work of actors Sudhakar Reddy and Muralidhar Goud in the film.

"Everyone who has acted in this movie has delivered a great performance. I can see how this entire team has bonded well and the amount of teamwork that has gone into this project. A movie made with so much love will never fail. This movie will definitely be a success. Pawan has given wonderful music. I still keep listening to his music in 'Love Story'. He has done a great job for this movie too," he said.

Stating that he was thoroughly entertained by the film, Nagarjuna said, "I watched the movie. It was very entertaining. I kept laughing and even as I laughed, tears came to my eyes and my heart became heavy. There was an uplifting feeling. This film has everything in it and it will definitely be a success."

--IANS

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Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) Music composer Amaal Mallik, who is known for advocating the artistes’ rights in the music industry, has said that the system of royalty and residual income is quite complicated and warped in the industry.

Amaal, who has composed the song ‘Yeh Awarapan’ from the upcoming Emraan Hashmi-starrer ‘Awarapan 2’, spoke with IANS during the promotions of the film in the BKC area of Mumbai.

He told IANS, “The type of contracts you sign with a label, artist or a production house, everyone has their own levels, and no one exactly knows what they agree on or what terms they agree on. What Rahman sir will get as a deal will not be what I will get as a deal. What I will get as a deal, maybe some other composer will not get. What he gets, someone new will not get. So, I think it is up to people’s own decision making. Obviously, the laws of our country have improved. But the master share of royalty is of the production house or label”.

However, he agreed that the system of revenue sharing in south Indian cinema is more streamlined and transparent.

He said, “In the South industry, they share a huge chunk with big artists. But, there is a balance. Some take upfront fees and some don't. But, there is a lack of clarity on the Hindi film side. Here, we don't know what happens. Here, everyone's contracts are different. Everyone's requirements are different. Why is everyone agreeing on one price? No one has any clarity. In the South, there is a lot of respect given to the composers. They know that music hypes the film and gives it a positioning. I am glad that it is happening there. But, it is a slow process in Hindi cinema. It is not fully wrong, but it is not fully right also. There is no 100% clarity in royalties”.

“We don't get radio royalties. We don't know how much we get from streaming. In a year, every artiste gets according to their catalogue. Where intricately money streams should be more or not, we will get to know when more avenues open. In the Hindi film industry, it is difficult to ask for your masters. The marketing of a song costs crores of rupees. Actors are also involved in the song. There are also producers making those decisions”, he added.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) Actress Akansha Ranjan, who recently tied the knot with filmmaker Sharan Sharma, has shared that the wedding ceremony encountered many challenges but eventually turned out to be perfect and dreamy.

On Tuesday, the actress took to her Instagram, and shared a series of pictures from her intimate wedding ceremony with Sharan Sharma as the couple looked every bit dreamy.

The actress penned a long note in the caption, and shared that from a last-minute venue change and having no teams in place to a storm sweeping across the city, the wedding celebrations were hit by chaos but as the day unfolded, it turned out to be a perfect celebration of their union.

She wrote, “A last-minute venue change, no teams in place, a storm sweeping the city… and yet, this day turned out to be absolutely perfect. Only because I had the most incredible people by my side”.

The ceremony seemingly took place against an elegant floral backdrop, with only the couple’s nearest and dearest in attendance. One photograph shows Akansha signing the official marriage papers, while another captures her sharing an effortless laugh with Sharan.

The couple reportedly began dating in 2022 but largely kept their relationship away from the public eye. Akanksha comes from a family associated with the entertainment industry. She made her acting debut with the streaming film ‘Guilty’, earning attention for her performance alongside Kiara Advani. She later appeared in ‘Ray’, ‘Gram Chikitsalay’, and ‘Monica, O My Darling’.

Earlier, the actress had shared her struggles with the egg freezing process during a candid conversation with Soha Ali Khan during her podcast ‘All About Her’.

Soha opened up about crucial topics such as egg freezing, reproductive choices, and medical advancements.

Soha asked, "When you refer to the fact that it took a lot out of you and you’ve done this one cycle and might wait for some time, what does that mean?".

Reacting to this, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor shared that the process brought a lot of physical discomfort for her, leaving her drained.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) Indian cricketer K L Rahul shared a lovely social media wish for his father-in-law Suniel Shetty on Tuesday. The right-hand wicket-keeper and batsman called the 'Hera-Pheri actor' the 'Best Ajja' to his daughter Evaarah.

K L Rahul dropped an adorable picture of Suniel holding little Evaarah in his arms on his Instagram Stories and wrote, "Happy birthday to the best ajja (sic)", followed by a hug and red heart emoji.

Suniel's daughter, Athiya Shetty, reportedly started dating KL Rahul in 2019, and the lovebirds finally got married on 23 January 2023 at Suniel's farmhouse in Khandala.

On 24 March 2025, the couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl, whom they named Evaarah.

Athiya also wished her father by posting a childhood family photo on her Instagram Stories, along with the caption, “Happy Birthday Papa, I love you so much.”

Suniel's son, and actor, Ahan Shetty, uploaded a father-son picture on his IG, accompanied by the text “Happy Birthday Papa.”

Apart from his family members, many from the film fraternity also shared heartfelt wishes for Suniel.

Ajay Devgn dropped a throwback still from the 1994 movie 'Dilwale and wrote, “Happy Birthday Suniel Anna, ek dilwale ki taraf se dusre dilwale ko.”

Jackie Shroff also posted a candid photo of the 'Dhadkan' actor and called Suniel, “Asli Bhidu forever.”

Additionally, Sonu Sood penned on his social media handle, “Janmadin ki badhai Anna, aapka saal shandar ho.”

Suniel's 'Gopi Kishan' co-star Shilpa Shirodkar also treated the netizens with a picture from the movie.

"Sab ke liye Anna but mere liye my only Gopi (red heart emoji) Wishing you an awesome birthday Suniel," Shilpa's wish for Suniel read.

Suniel made his Bollywood debut with 'Balwan' back in 1992, and went on to become a part of some noteworthy projects such as 'Mohra', 'Border', 'Dhadkan', 'Hera Pheri','Main Hoon Na', 'Phir Hera Pheri', and 'Awara Paagal Deewana', to name just a few.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) The upcoming film ‘Eetha’, which stars Shraddha Kapoor in the titular role, is set to debut in cinemas on December 4, 2026.

The makers of the film announced the film’s release date on Tuesday. The film also stars Randeep Hooda, Nana Patekar and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. It is directed by Laxman Utekar.

The film is a biographical drama based on the life of Vithabai Narayangaonkar, one of Maharashtra’s most celebrated Tamasha and Lavani performers. The story traces Vithabai’s journey from humble beginnings in the folk-performance tradition to becoming a celebrated cultural icon, while exploring the hardships, resilience and sacrifices behind her artistic success.

The film is particularly significant for bringing the largely underrepresented world of Maharashtra’s traditional folk theatre to mainstream Hindi cinema. Its teaser has generated attention for Kapoor’s transformation and the film’s period setting. The film’s music is composed by Ajay-Atul.

The film is produced by Dinesh Vijan, Laxman Utekar and Karishma Sharma. It marks Shraddha Kapoor’s 3rd collaboration with Dinesh Vijan after ‘Stree’ and ‘Stree 2’, While the first part of the ‘Stree’ franchise was a surprise hit, the 2nd part was a bonafide blockbuster, and cemented the actress’ position as a bankable female star in the industry.

Set against the backdrop of Indian folklore, the ‘Stree’ franchise blends supernatural scares with sharp humour, social commentary and memorable characters. While its success helped establish a larger cinematic universe featuring ‘Bhediya’, ‘Munjya’ and other supernatural stories, ‘Eetha’ is a separate entity in the biographical drama space, and one of the most awaited projects of the actress.

The film is produced by Maddock Films and Kathputli Creations.

--IANS

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Chennai, Aug 11 (IANS) The makers of director Vysakh, who is directing the eagerly awaited revenge thriller 'Khalifa', featuring actor Prithviraj in the lead, on Tuesday revealed actor Shine Varghese's look and disclosed that he played a character called Sudhip in the film.

Taking to his social media timelines to share Shine Varghese's first look poster from the film, actor Prithviraj wrote, "Shine Varghese as Sudhip. @Shine_T_Varghese Character Poster #5. #KHALIFA In cinemas from 20th August 2026!"

The makers have already revealed that actress Mohini plays a character called Noorjahan while Kyraa Vasudevan plays Vyshanavi in the film, which will have Master Nafash playing Rushin. Actor Shammi Thilakan plays a character called Raghavan in the film.

For the unaware, the unit of the film had wrapped up its shooting in June this year. The 'Khalifa' unit had gone to Dubai earlier this year to shoot some important sequences in the film.

The film is among the most eagerly awaited action entertainers of the year. Some days ago, the film had hit the headlines when Prithviraj had shared a younger looking picture of himself in the film on Instagram. He had written, "AAMIR - The story that was…! #KHALIFA."

Prithviraj plays a character called Aamir Ali in the film. The actor had shared a glimpse video of Khalifa on his birthday last year.

He had then said, "A revenge forged by a lineage that spans generations! Next Onam.. Aamir Ali will write his vengeance in gold! #KHALIFA - The Ruler."

The Khalifa Glimpse that he shared began with a voice on a news bulletin announcing that police and customs officials had unearthed a multi million dollar gold smuggling racket operating out of the middle east. The racket, audiences were informed, was being carried out through networks in London, Nepal and Kerala.

An old man gets interrogated by a customs official called Panicker, who tells the person being questioned that his colleague Aamir is finished and that he can be hauled to jail wherever he sets foot in India. Panicker tries to intimidate the person being questioned, by citing the COFEPOSA act.

The glimpse video then showed the interrogated person replying, "Do you know how the COFEPOSA came into being?" Some scintillating action scenes of which Prithviraj was a part followed this part of the Glimpse video.

The interrogated person then goes onto explain how the COFEPOSA act came into being. "Up north, there was Sukur Naren Bakhia and Haji Mastan.Down south, it was Mudaliar and Mambaraykkal Ahmed Ali. The four of them were a nightmare for Mrs Gandhi.That is what led her to pass the COFEPOSA Act in Parliament in 1974. And even then, using the COFEPOSA, she couldn't keep Ahmed Ali behind bars for even half an hour. Aamir is the grandson of that very same Ahmed Ali." He then, in a challenging tone, asks the official to nab Aamir, saying that it is then that he'll witness the real fireworks like the one in the Uroos festival at the Mambaram mosque.

The video gave the impression that the film would be a gripping thriller with some edge-of-seat chase and stunt sequences in it.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) The trailer of the upcoming crime-thriller film ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ was unveiled on Tuesday, and it promises the next chapter of the iconic ‘Mirzapur’ universe.

The trailer plunges the viewers into the world of the fan-favourite series while retaining the franchise’s signature intensity, dark humour and iconic dialogues returning alongside a story that expands the scale of the universe like never before.

The film features Pankaj Tripathi, Divyenndu, Ali Fazal, Jitendra Kumar, Ravi Kishan, Abhishek Banerjee, Rasika Dugal, Mohitt Maalik, Sheeba Chadha, Rajesh Tailang, Pramod Pathak, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Harshita Shekhar Gaur, Shweta Tripathi, Sonal S. Chauhan, Anangsha Biswas, Shaji Chaudhary, Satendra Soni, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Sushant Singh in pivotal roles.

At the centre of the new chapter is the race for the Gaddi, with new stakeholder entering the story and challenging the established power dynamics. As the battle gets bigger, the world of Mirzapur expands beyond Purvanchal, taking audiences into the deserts and an even more expansive cinematic landscape.

The film takes India’s biggest streaming franchise from the world of the series to cinemas,and sets the stage for a grander world and higher stakes as the battle for the Gaddi enters an all-new arena.

The film is presented by Amazon MGM Studios and Excel Entertainment, and is helmed by Gurmmeet Singh, written by Puneet Krishna, and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under the banner of Excel Entertainment. The film is co-produced by Kassim Jagmagia and Vishal Ramchandani.

‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ is set arrive in cinemas on September 4, 2026, releasing in Hindi and Telugu.

--IANS

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