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Sonu Sood thanks readers as his book reaches thousands of schools
Actor Sonu Sood recently thanked readers as his book I'm No Messiah (co-authored by Meena Iyer) reached over 7,000 schools across India. The actor, on Wednesday took to his Instagram account to share a series of pictures along with a message that read, "I'm humbled that my book--I'm No Messiah (co-authored by Meena Iyer)--has reached over 7000 schools across India thank you #Pradeep Lokhande @ruralrelationspune13 @penguinrandomhouse @meenaiyerofficial #keepreadingIndia." The book, available in both Hindi and English, has reached 7,000 schools, connected with 1,390 young readers across seven states, and influenced 229 opinion leaders. Through the Gyan-Key Classroom Library, the world's largest rural reading initiative led by Pradeep Lokhande, the book has also inspired over 2,380 postcards from readers. Meanwhile, on the professional front, Sonu was last seen headlining 'Fateh', which also marked his directorial debut. The film is an action-packed thriller inspired by real-life cybercrime events during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film also features Jacqueline Fernandez, Vijay Raaz, and Naseeruddin Shah, all of whom play pivotal roles in bringing the high-stakes narrative to life. The film hit theatres on January 10. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 April,2025 07:37 AM IST | Mumbai | ANI
Sanjay Dutt to Kareena Kapoor: B-town pours birthday wishes for Ajay Devgn
Bollywood hunk Ajay Devgn turned a year older on March 2 as he celebrated his 56th birthday. Picture Courtesy/Kareena Kapoor Khan's Instagram account His 'Singham' actress Kareena Kapoor wished Ajay with a black and white picture of the two, along with the caption, "Happy Birthday Singham...Biggest hug and Biggest love always @ajaydevgn." i Sanjay Dutt wrote, "Happy Birthday Raju, wishing you another year of success and happiness, keep shining brother @ajaydevgn." Picture Courtesy/Rakul Preet Singh's Instagram account His 'Runway 34' co-star Rakul Preet Singh wrote on the photo-sharing app, "Happy Birthday, Ajay Sir! Working with you has been an incredible experience - your dedication, talent, and humility always inspire me. Wishing you a year filled with success, happiness, and countless memorable moments." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Riteish Deshmukh (@riteishd) Riteish Deshmukh penned the following birthday wish for Ajay, "My dearest friend, brother and a fabulous costar - Aj … I wish you a life filled with love, great health and prosperity- Happy Birthday have a stupendous one." Picture Courtesy/Sidharth Malhotra's Instagram account Sidharth Malhotra also posted the photo with the birthday star with the caption, “Happy Birthday Sir, here’s to an amazing year ahead. Big love and hug!” Ajay's better half, Kajol thanked him for always ‘being older’ than her in a quirky birthday post. Sharing the candid image with her hubby, Kajol mentioned in the caption, “All the cool people were born in August, but we don’t mind wishing u a happy birthday ;) …. thank u for always being older than me.” The pic showed Kajol and Ajay twinning in black. While Kajol smiled from ear to ear, Ajay's gaze was fixed on her. Work-wise, Ajay is preparing for the release of his upcoming sequel, 'Raid 2.' He will be seen reprising his role as IRS officer Amay Patnaik in his next. Going by the teaser, this time he is determined to expose a massive Rs 4,200 crore scam. We are also introduced to Riteish Deshmukh as a formidable politician. The movie will revolve around a high-stakes confrontation between Riteish and Ajay’s characters. 'Raid 2' is slated to release in theatres on 1st May 2025. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 April,2025 07:30 AM IST | Mumbai | IANS
‘Tridev’ actress Sonam pens emotional note about her journey with autistic son
Actress Sonam, who is known for ‘Tridev’ and ‘Vishwatma’, is reflecting on her journey and process of acceptance. On Wednesday, the actress took to his Instagram, and shared an array of pictures with her son Gaurav Rai. The post features throwback pictures and some new pictures as well. She also penned a long note in the caption, as she shared how she found acceptance with her son’s autism. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sonam Khan (@sonamkhan_72) She wrote, “No two autistic children or adults are alike. They are like fingerprints. Unique. As a young mother at age 20, I actually grew up with my son who is autistic. It was the 90s. People didn’t even know the spelling of Autism and even if a few knew, there was a thought process which screamed that Autism was a stigma. Along with zero awareness, zero integration, zero empathy I had to hear lines like, ‘Isko koi problem hain kya?’ (what is wrong with him), ‘Isko mental problems hain kya?’(Does he have mental problems). I would go with my son to birthday parties, either we both were totally invisible and if visible, we were sniggered at. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not being bitter. (they didn’t know better. Some still don’t know better that’s ok too)”. The actress further mentioned that she would come home from parties or social gatherings and invariably start crying non-stop all alone in the bathroom after her son was fast asleep. She called it an extremely tough journey during which she used to hug her son and sleep. She shared, “One night while my son was fast asleep, I got this huge sense of strength which overwhelmed me. That night, I decided that I had to learn a few things the hard way, for him and myself (details some other day), which I gladly did and happily so. Sometimes with a smile, sometimes with a struggle but mostly, with both. I can be extremely stubborn if I decide to do something, that too if it’s for a good reason”. She continued, “Here, it was my son. I hate sympathy. Now I don’t even need empathy either. I would like to thank @rajiv_rai_ for being an excellent father till this date. He spared nothing monetarily in the education of our son. If my experience helps even one family or that one mother or that one father, I would consider it to be a win! So, here are my thoughts for everyone, who are caregivers to children or adults with autism. Today, my son at 32 is a kind, loving & caring person”. “There is so much more to write, so much more to learn but for now, Autism to me is A - Acceptance U - Unconditional love T - Trusting the process I - Introspection S - Slow & steady support M - Motivation. Be relentless & advocate neurodiversity. You can do it! You shall do it”, she added. Sonam was married to producer-director Rajiv Rai, with whom she worked on ‘Tridev’ and ‘Vishwatma’. The two have a son Gaurav Rai, who was diagnosed with autism at an early age. In 1997, the couple left India for the UK after a failed attempt to kill him by hitmen believed to be working for the Mumbai underworld leader Abu Salem. The couple initially lived in Los Angeles and then settled in Europe. However, the marriage deteriorated, and they got divorced officially in 2016 after 25 years. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 April,2025 07:28 AM IST | Mumbai | IANS
Have you heard? No delay in Kantara: Chapter 1 release
Rishab rages a war The makers of Kantara: Chapter 1 have officially shut down rumours of any delays, confirming that the epic prequel will meet its release date of October 2. Hombale Films, the banner backing the movie, took to social media to announce the news, writing, “No doubts. No delays.” Rishab Shetty has reprised his role as both actor and director in the film, just as he did in the first instalment Kantara (2022). The team has promised that the movie will be a cinematic spectacle, featuring an “insane war sequence,” for which Rishab underwent a three-month training, in which he mastered the art of horse riding, Kalari and sword fighting. The movie is set during the reign of the Kadambas of Banavasi and also stars Jayaram, Kishore, and Jayasurya in key roles. Challenge accepted Ayushi Khurana Shooting for a television show often presents unexpected challenges, and for Ayushi Khurana, filming an intense underwater sequence for Jaane Anjaane Hum Mile was one such experience. “I love challenges; as an actor, these moments push you beyond your comfort zone, and that’s where real learning happens. The entire unit was supportive, ensuring I was comfortable. The first time I stepped into the water, I was a little taken aback as it was colder than I expected, and my outfit became heavier instantly, making movement difficult in the tank,” shares the actor. Legend has it Smriti Irani Smriti Irani, the former Minister of Women and Child Development, is reportedly all set to reprise her iconic role as Tulsi Virani in Ektaa Kapoor’s revival of the classic TV serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. According to reports, Smriti is “rigorously working out” to get back into character. We have heard that the limited series will feature the original cast, including Amar Upadhyay, and will retain the same opening shot and location as the original. Interestingly, Amar’s early exit from the ongoing show Doree was reportedly to accommodate his role in Ektaa’s new project. Ektaa is expected to officially announce the news in June, promising to bring a “dash of freshness” to the beloved classic.
03 April,2025 07:19 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist Team
Abhishek Chaubey: We are only making tentpole films
Abhishek Chaubey hasn’t had a film play out on the big screen after Sonchiriya (2019). The director has been happy dabbling in digital entertainment with a segment in Ray (2021) and the web series, Killer Soup (2023). But now, the big screen is calling out to him. “I am currently writing a period thriller,” he reveals, hoping to take it to cinemas. “I have also written a show, a thriller [that explores] a social phenomenon. It’s set in Bihar. Now, I am at the mercy of the streamers,” he smiles. As he flirts with the idea of returning to the movie halls after over six years, the director is aware that a lot has changed in the theatrical space. Chaubey notes that the big screen has become synonymous with spectacles, leaving little room for small films to survive. “We are only making tentpole films. We must find a way for the middle-of-the-road films to have a well-marketed release and make sure that the audience goes to watch them. We have to find our mojo again,” he insists. Citing the example of his debut film Ishqiya (2009), Chaubey points out how small films would find an audience 15 years ago. “Ishqiya is a small film, but Chandan theatre [in Juhu] ran housefull. Even a film that didn’t work at the box office would make enough money so as to not break the production company. Now, the star and marketing prowess of a big film, coupled with expensive tickets, are completely killing small films. Earlier, the audience that watched mainstream movies also watched a Gulzar or a Shyam Benegal offering. That was our culture. Today, that culture is dead.”
03 April,2025 07:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka Sharma
Salman Khan fans on 'artificially inflated' negativity around Sikandar
On Monday night, many accounts on X posted a video in which movie-goers, after apparently having watched Sikandar, are expressing their disappointment with the Salman Khan-starrer. Soon, it came to light that it was, in fact, an old video of viewers reacting to Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023), but was being circulated on X as a reaction to Khan’s latest release. What’s worse, it was being run as an ad on the platform. While Sikandar has opened to poor reviews and an underwhelming response, members of Khan’s fan clubs suspect that negative advertising is being used to influence the audience’s perception of the Eid release. Ravi Desai, who runs the Salman Khan Fan Club, says that negativity around the AR Murugadoss-directed venture is being artificially inflated. “It remains to be seen whether this campaign is driven by someone in the industry, or just an aggressive push by rival fan groups. But something like this has the power to wipe off a film. It happened during Tubelight [2017]. You can’t combat these posts because there is most likely an agency hired and it is multiplying bots every hour. [Many posts] claimed that shows are cancelled, but if you check at Gaiety Galaxy, the shows are sold out,” he argues. Rohit Sharma, who runs the fan club, Salman Army, points out how a boycott campaign had been run against Laal Singh Chaddha (2021). “We saw how online hate ensured that people stayed away from Aamir Khan’s film. Something similar is happening here. Why is an old video being sold as a reaction to Sikandar,” he questions, adding that those at the helm of it are setting a “dangerous precedent”. “If an agency can be hired to run paid ads and amplify negative tweets about a film, it can be used against any actor or filmmaker in the future. It’s manipulation,” he says. Rs 78crThree-day box-office collection of Sikandar
03 April,2025 07:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar Basu
Rashmika Mandanna kicks off her birthday month: 'Can't believe I'm turning 29'
Rashmika Mandanna is currently one of the biggest pan-India actresses, and her box office success speaks volumes about her hard work. She began the year with the success of her hit Pushpa 2: The Rule, which was released last December, followed by another massive hit, Chhaava. Now, her latest film, Sikandar, with Salman Khan, is enjoying a phenomenal run in theaters. With back-to-back hits, 2025 has already been incredible for her, and she has yet another reason to celebrate—her birthday on April 5. Rashmika to celebrate her birthday on April 5 As her birthday month began, Rashmika Mandanna took to her Instagram stories to share her excitement, making fans eagerly anticipate her special day. Sharing an adorable picture of her, Rashmika wrote, “It's my birthdaaaaay monthhhhh, and I am so excitedddddd..I've always heard that the older you get.. you start losing interest in celebrating your birthday.. but clearly it's not the same in my case.. the older I am getting, the more excited I am to celebrating my birthdaaaaaay!! I can't believe I am already turning 29.. I made it one more year healthier, happier, and safely! Now that's worth celebrating!” Rashmika Mandanna’s work front Rashmika Mandanna made her acting debut in 2016 with the Kannada film 'Kirik Party'. She has then featured in Kannada films like 'Anjani Putra', 'Chamak', Telugu movies-- 'Geetha Govindam', 'Devadas', 'Dear Comrade', 'Bheeshma', and 'Pushpa: The Rise'. Rashmika-starrer Sikandar hit theatres on Sunday, coinciding with the festive occasion of Eid. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics and audiences, the film, which stars Salman Khan in the lead role, performed well on the opening day at the box office. As per the makers, Sikandar raked in Rs 54.72 crore globally. Moving forward, Rashmika boasts a remarkable slate of several films in the pipeline. She will next be seen with Dhanush and Nagarjuna in 'Kubera'; she will also share screen space with Dev Mohan in 'Rainbow', Ayushmann Khurrana in 'Vampires of Vijay Nagar', and Ranbir Kapoor in 'Animal Park'. With back-to-back hits on the big screen, she continues to dominate the industry. Her massive success is a treat for her, while fans rejoice in witnessing their favourite star shine brighter than ever in pan-India cinema.
02 April,2025 05:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Shalini Pandey lost her sh*t when south director did THIS while she was changing
Bollywood actor Shalini Pandey, who was recently seen in the Netflix series Dabba Cartel, recalled a shocking incident when a south film director barged into her vanity van while she was changing. Shalini revealed that she was only a film old in the industry and was always asked not to rub people the wrong way since it would cost her work opportunities. Shalini Pandey on losing her cool at south director In an interview with Filmygyan, Shalini shared, “Very early in my career, I was doing a South film, and the director walked into my van. He didn’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 up the wrong way. They’re like, ‘otherwise, you won’t get films’. I had been told all that. As soon as he entered — I wasn’t even thinking, it was just a reaction — I yelled. I absolutely lost my shit. I was 22.” ‘You cannot do that to me’ “Once he left, people told me that ‘I shouldn’t have yelled’. But, there have to be manners. Just because I am new, you cannot just enter without knocking. You cannot do that to me. And I realised that was 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. Later on, I realised how to manipulate such things rather than just snap at people,” added Shalini. Shalini Pandey’s work front Shalini made her film debut with Arjun Reddy directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. She later went on to do south films like Mahanati, NTR: Kathanayakudu, 118, 100% Kadhal, and Gorilla to name a few. In Dabba Cartel, Shalini portrayed the role of Raaji, a sweet, simple, and homely girl who gets into drug distribution in a bid to make some extra money. The show also stars Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Jyotika, Nimisha Sajayan, Anjali Anand, Sai Tamhankar, Jisshu Sengupta, Lillete Dubey, and Bhupendra Singh Jadawat in key roles, along with others. She will next be seen in the film Rahu Ketu with Varun Sharma and Pulkit Samrat.
02 April,2025 03:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Vishal Dadlani shares sadness on the Studio Ghibli trend: ‘I just can't...'
Every other person right now is hopping onto the Studio Ghibli trend. This trend started with AI introducing a new feature that creates images in a unique Japanese art form. While everyone is enjoying sharing their edited AI-generated pictures, Vishal Dadlani decided to spark a bigger conversation. The ace singer took to his social media to call out the "AI plagiarism" that is happening. He also urged his fans not to create such images and shared that he will not be sharing any AI-generated creation featuring him. Vishal Dadlani is upset with the Ghibli trend Through his Instagram story, Dadlani expressed his unhappiness with the plagiarism of an artist's life's work by an Artificial Intelligence tool. The singer also highlighted the environmental hazards caused by the generation of Ghibli-style photos. He wrote, "Sorry, I'm not sharing any of the Studio Ghibli-style images you guys have made of or for me. I just can't bring myself to support AI's plagiarization of an artist's life's work. Not to mention, the environmental horror that those images are. Please do NOT make any more. Thank you." About the Ghibli trend Meanwhile, social media is now filled with Ghibli pictures, ranging from celebrities to ministers. Using the AI tool, a user can turn their imagination into visual art with the Text-to-Image feature. A user needs to input text and let Ghibli Diffusion transform it into art pieces reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's unique style. Studio Ghibli's art style is famous for its soft colors, small details, and dreamy look. Why Vishal Dadlani was in the news Indian singer Jasleen Royal brought a special touch to Coldplay's concert at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. She opened the show with a soulful performance of her song Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, but it seemed like Vishal Dadlani was unhappy with her performance. Vishal Dadlani took to his Instagram stories and, without naming anyone, wrote, "I’m really sorry, but when you put a basic-to-bad singer in front of a large crowd on a large stage, all you’re doing is showing more people that the individual can’t really sing, and that, sadly, systems within labels in India aren’t geared towards really promoting the best we have. I’ve just seen some clips, and my gosh… how embarrassing!" Vishal is best known for composing tracks for Om Shanti Om, Anjaana Anjaani, Dostana, I Hate Luv Storys, Bang Bang!, Sultan, Student of the Year, Befikre, and War.
02 April,2025 03:02 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Salman Khan fans burst firecrackers inside cinema hall during Sikandar screening
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s fans have left no stone unturned to express their admiration for him as Sikandar hit the big screens on Eid. After some booking tickets worth lakhs to showering his posters with milk, his admirers have now continued the trend of bursting firecrackers inside the cinema hall, as seen during Tiger 3. A video of the same from Malegaon has gone viral on social media, leading to discussion on moviegoers' safety. Watch the clip below. Malegaon Salman Khan fans celebrating Sikandar in their signature style! @BeingSalmanKhan #Sikandar pic.twitter.com/MWWRHfPePD — SALMAN KI SENA™ (@Salman_ki_sena) March 31, 2025 Salman’s request to fans A similar incident occurred in November 2023 when some overenthusiastic Salman Khan fans burst firecrackers inside Mohan Cinema Hall in Maharashtra's Malegaon while watching Tiger 3. The police took cognizance and registered a case under sections 112 and 117 of the Maharashtra Police Act. Salman Khan requested his fans and followers not to do so and to enjoy the film without putting lives at risk. Taking to his Instagram stories, Salman wrote, "I'm hearing about fireworks inside theatres during Tiger3. This is dangerous. Let's enjoy the film without putting ourselves and others at risk. Stay safe." Salman Khan doesn’t want controversy While promoting Sikandar, Salman Khan opened up about various aspects, including controversies and fan expectations. While speaking to ANI, Salman was asked if controversies have become a trend with every film release. Responding to this, the actor made it clear that he does not want any controversy surrounding 'Sikandar'. "Arey nahin chahiye bhai humko koi controversy. Bohot saare controversies se guzar chuke hain hum. Humko nahin chahiye koi controversy," the actor said. "And I don't think controversies make a film a hit. We've seen, in fact, that sometimes a film's release is delayed due to controversies, for example, from Friday to the next Tuesday," he added. Sikandar is out in theatres Salman Khan's Sikandar hit theatres on Sunday, coinciding with the festive occasion of Eid. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics and audiences, the film, which also stars Rashmika Mandanna in the lead role, performed well on the opening day at the box office. As per the makers, Sikandar raked in Rs 54.72 crore globally. Directed by AR Murugadoss, collections of Sikandar might have been impacted by piracy, according to analysts. It also features Rashmika Mandanna, Sharman Joshi, Kajal Aggarwal, and Sathyaraj, among others.
02 April,2025 02:46 PM IST | Mumbai
Laapataa Ladies plagiarism row: Kiran Rao directorial accused of copying
Kiran Rao's highly appreciated and much-loved film Laapataa Ladies has found itself in the middle of a controversy. The movie, which received much appreciation from moviegoers and critics alike, is now being accused of copying its script. Recently, a clip of the Arabic film Burqa City surfaced on social media, leaving netizens baffled and questioning whether Kiran Rao has plagiarized its script for her film Laapataa Ladies. Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies is copied? Burqa City revolves around a newlywed man’s search for his wife after she mistakenly gets replaced due to an identical burqa. As the video of the Arabic film went viral, netizens started questioning Kiran Rao. One wrote, "Nothing that Bollywood produces seems to be an original work of art. They are all brazenly copy-pasted from somewhere else, shamelessly billed as original work." "Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies, India's official entry to the Oscars and projected as an original work, actually seems heavily inspired by a 2019 short film titled Burqa City," another user wrote. A third user commented, "It screams duplicity and is sad to see copied/inspired work like Laapataa Ladies presented as original for the Oscars. They also conveniently shifted from a Muslim to a Hindu context in India just to fit a narrative, which feels disingenuous and unfair." "It’s intriguing that Laapataa Ladies has drawn comparisons to Burqa City, given the striking similarities in themes and narrative structure. If Rao’s film indeed mirrors key aspects of Burqa City, it raises valid questions about originality and the fine line between inspiration and plagiarism," another comment read. About Laapataa Ladies Laapataa Ladies is a story set in 2001 in rural India about two young brides who get separated during a train journey and what happens when a police officer takes it upon himself to probe the missing case. Directed by Kiran Rao and produced under the banners of Aamir Khan Productions, Kindling Pictures, and Jio Studios, Laapataa Ladies was released in theatres on March 1, 2024. It starred Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Ravi Kishan, and Chhaya Kadam. On November 12, a new poster for the film was unveiled with the title Lost Ladies. It highlighted a change for international audiences, as the Hindi word Laapataa was translated to its English word, Lost.
02 April,2025 02:25 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent