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After years of leading major commercial films, Deepika Padukone says she has deliberately begun stepping back from projects that don’t resonate with her personal values or creative instincts. In a recent conversation with Harper’s Bazaar, she explained that the traditional benchmarks of success no longer hold meaning for her. A Shift in Priorities Beyond Fame and Massive Box-Office Hits Deepika, who has increasingly used her influence to promote fair working hours and equal pay in the film industry, said her goals have changed dramatically. “At this point, that’s not what drives me anymore. It’s not about doing Rs 100-crore films, or even Rs 500–600 crore ones,” she said. In recent months, she reportedly exited two major films with Prabhas—Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD—due to her insistence on reasonable working hours and fair pay. Discussing her evolving approach, she added, “If something doesn’t feel genuine to me, I can’t do it. Sometimes people assume throwing money at you is enough, but it isn’t. And the opposite is true too—some projects may not be massive commercial ventures, but if I believe in the people or the message, I’ll support it.” Redefining Her Creative Purpose Deepika is increasingly focusing on supporting new creators rather than simply starring in big films herself. After producing projects like Chhapaak under KA Productions, she says she now finds greater fulfillment in backing stories and creative talent. “What excites me today is empowering others. My team and I are committed to nurturing storytellers—writers, directors, even emerging producers. That’s what feels meaningful now,” she said. Her evolving priorities come alongside a broader critique of the industry’s work culture, especially the glorification of burnout. “We’ve normalized overworking. We confuse burnout with dedication. The human body and mind need only eight hours of work a day. You can only give your best when you’re healthy. Bringing an exhausted person back onto a set does no one any good,” she told the magazine. As one of India’s highest-earning actors, Deepika’s move away from chasing massive paychecks and huge box-office numbers marks a significant reimagining of success—one grounded in authenticity, well-being, and long-term creative purpose. Source: NDTV

Shah Rukh Khan attended a lavish event in Mumbai alongside Rizwan Sajan, founder and chairman of the Dubai-based Danube Group, to launch a landmark property named Shahrukhz. Hosted at a luxury hotel, the event marked a major milestone — SRK is now the first actor to have a tower named in his honor. SRK shared that Rizwan insisted the launch happen in India rather than Dubai.“I really wanted this event to take place here because this is where I come from,” he said. “As this project progresses, I hope it helps people build better and more fulfilling lives.” SRK Says His Mother Would Have Been Proud“My mother would be very happy. It’s a huge honor,” he remarked. “When my kids visit, I’ll tell them, ‘Look, your dad’s name is written here.’ I’ve reviewed the building plans for the last two months — it’s modern, accessible, and perfect for people beginning their journey in Dubai.” SRK’s Stage Moments Go ViralShah Rukh delighted fans by striking his iconic arms-wide-open pose on stage. He also mimicked his famous “Don” walk and delivered the memorable Om Shanti Om line: “Itni shiddat se maine tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai…” He kept the energy high as he danced to “Chaiyya Chaiyya” with Farah Khan and Rizwan Sajan. About the TowerThe Shahrukhz project is expected to take three to four years to complete and will stand 56 stories tall. A statue of SRK’s classic pose will greet visitors at the entrance, offering a perfect photo spot. Sharing what drew him to the project, SRK said:“When Rizwan explained the vision — creating a place for people coming to Dubai with dreams of homes and businesses — I knew that if I could contribute or inspire them, it would be the greatest gift.”

The makers of SS Rajamouli’s highly anticipated action-adventure film, starring Mahesh Babu, have released the first look of Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini, marking her much-awaited return to Indian cinema. The film, tentatively titled SSMB29, is Chopra’s first collaboration with the director of RRR and Baahubali. In the character poster, Priyanka is seen in a mustard yellow saree, wielding a gun, and striking a commanding pose over rocky terrain in a dramatic, windswept setting. Sharing the image on social media, she wrote: “She’s more than what meets the eye… say hello to Mandakini.” Globetrotter is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious Indian films in recent years, reportedly drawing inspiration from African exploration adventures. Earlier, Rajamouli had unveiled Mahesh Babu’s first-look poster on the actor’s 50th birthday, featuring a rugged chest adorned with a rudraksh mala with a trishul and Nandi pendant, hinting at the film’s mythic undertones. The director also introduced Prithviraj Sukumaran’s character, Kumbha, described as “sinister and ruthless,” in a menacing all-black outfit seated on a high-tech wheelchair. The makers confirmed that the official title and first full glimpse of Globetrotter will be revealed on November 15 at a major launch event at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. The event will also be live-streamed on JioHotstar.   With inputs from NDTV

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s much-anticipated magnum opus Vrusshabha is set to release in theatres worldwide on December 25 this year, the makers announced on Friday. Originally slated for release on October 16, the film was first postponed to November 6 and has now been rescheduled for Christmas Day. Sharing the update on X (formerly Twitter), Mohanlal posted a video teaser offering a glimpse of an action sequence from the film. “Some stories are more than cinema, they're legacies. This Christmas, witness that legacy roar to life in Vrusshabha — a film that celebrates emotion, grandeur, and destiny. Releasing worldwide on December 25, 2025,” he wrote. The teaser featured the tagline: “A king’s arrival is royal. The preparations must be grand. Prepare for the king Vrusshabha.” Earlier, the film’s first-look poster — unveiled on Mohanlal’s birthday — had generated huge excitement among fans. The actor appeared as a fierce warrior king clad in golden-brown dragon-scale armor, with long hair, a thick beard, and a striking white tilak, exuding strength and regality. “This one is special — dedicating it to all my fans. The wait ends. The storm awakens. With pride and power, I unveil the first look of Vrusshabha — a tale that will ignite your soul and echo through time,” Mohanlal had said when releasing the poster. Written and directed by Nanda Kishore, Vrusshabha is presented by Connekkt Media in association with Balaji Telefilms. The epic drama has been shot simultaneously in Malayalam and Telugu and will release in five languages — Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada. The film is jointly produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa R Kapoor, CK Padma Kumar, Varun Mathur, Saurabh Mishra, Abhishek S Vyas, Vishal Gurnani, and Juhi Parekh Mehta.   With inputs from NDTV

Bollywood stars Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal welcomed their first child, a baby boy, on Friday morning, the couple announced in a joint post on social media. “Our bundle of joy has arrived. With immense love and gratitude, we welcome our baby boy. 7th November 2025 – Katrina and Vicky,” the post read. A source from HN Reliance Hospital, where the actress gave birth, confirmed that both mother and baby are in good health, though no discharge date has been set. “Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal were blessed with a baby boy at HN Reliance Hospital this morning. Both mother and child are doing well,” the hospital source said. According to the same source, the baby was born at 8:23 a.m., and both mother and newborn remain stable under observation. The couple had first announced their pregnancy in September through a heartwarming Polaroid shared on social media, showing Vicky holding Katrina’s baby bump. “On our way to start the best chapter of our lives with hearts full of joy and gratitude,” they had written. The birth announcement sparked an outpouring of love from the film fraternity. Priyanka Chopra Jonas commented, “So happy! Congratulations.” Kareena Kapoor Khan wrote, “Kat, welcome to the boy mamma club! So happy for you and Vicky.” Parineeti Chopra added, “Congrats, new mamma and papa!” while Sonam Kapoor Ahuja said, “Amazing, both of you. All my love.” Actress Rakul Preet Singh also congratulated the couple, writing, “Omggggg congratulations, you two! So happy!” Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal tied the knot in 2021 in an intimate ceremony attended by close family and friends. Source; NDTV

The first trailer of Michael, the much-anticipated biopic on late pop legend Michael Jackson, has been released, giving fans a glimpse of the King of Pop’s remarkable journey. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, the film stars Jaafar Jackson — Michael Jackson’s nephew — in the lead role, portraying the global icon’s rise to fame and lasting influence on music and dance. The movie also features Miles Teller, Larenz Tate, and Laura Harrier in key roles. It is scheduled for worldwide theatrical release on April 24, 2026, after being moved from its earlier October 2025 date, according to Variety. The trailer opens with the line, “I know you have been waiting a long time for this,” before taking viewers through the pop star’s meteoric career, signature performances, and creative brilliance. It highlights Jaafar’s stunning recreations of Jackson’s famous dance moves, including the moonwalk, with the tagline: “Honour your past and embrace the future.” Produced by Graham King, John Branca, and John McClain, Michael aims to celebrate the life and legacy of one of the most influential entertainers in history. Universal Pictures India shared the teaser on Instagram, calling the film “a powerful cinematic tribute to the King of Pop.”   Source: NDTV

A primal punk spirit rages through Lynne Ramsay’s “Die, My Love,” a jagged, go-for-broke psychodrama starring Jennifer Lawrence as an increasingly unhinged new mother and Robert Pattinson as her husband. In this cauldron of marital nightmare, set in a ramshackle rural Montana home, there are fires, real and imagined, and a variety of wildlife. There’s an incessantly yapping dog, brought home by Jackson (Pattinson) shortly after the couple move in from New York. There’s a horse in the road, inopportunely. And on the shirt on Grace (Lawrence) is a tiger. But, more than these animalistic flourishes, there is Grace, herself. In a moment early in the film, she prowls on all fours through tall grass, with a knife in her hand. The shorthand description of Ramsay’s film, adapted from a 2012 novel by the Argentine writer Ariana Harwicz, is that it’s about a woman with postpartum depression. But that’s not quite right. It’s more about the power and urges of a woman who, like a beautiful, feral creature, is not taking to domestication. That’s the appealing through line of “Die, My Love,” though it can be difficult to firmly grasp it in Ramsay’s piercing but tediously overamplified character study. Still, as unkempt and overwrought as “Die, My Love” is, it’s not a movie that’s timidly weighing in on parenting and gender roles. There’s plenty to admire in Ramsay’s uncompromising and delirious portrait of marital hell, particularly in the bracingly raw performance of Lawrence. The abandon with which she throws herself into the role is enough to make you exclaim “Mother!” Grace and Jackson have moved near his childhood home. Their house belonged to Jackson's uncle before he killed himself. Jackson’s parents (Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek) live nearby, and Spacek's knowing eyes suggest they went through something not so dissimilar long ago, casting Grace's struggles as part of a long, gothic American history. Soon after moving in, the couple dance ferociously before winding up naked on the floor. That scene is announcement of the pitch Ramsay, the great Scottish filmmaker of “Ratcatcher” and “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” is working at and of how much her stars are with her on the ride. This is the first movie together for the former teen idols. But I found myself wondering if Lawrence and Pattinson’s evident chemistry works against the film. Pattinson’s Jackson is some ways a stereotypical dude and foil to Grace. He drinks Budweiser, goes absent with work and can seem more interested in their young son, or the dog, than in Grace. But Pattinson has always exuded a bemused resistance to male tropes that makes him less of an oppositional force to Grace. Pattinson does a lot with concerned looks, as Grace’s behavior grows more extreme. But a more conventional leading man might have been better suited to the role, and clarified their dynamic. But clarity is also not what Ramsay is after. Working from a script she penned with playwrights Enda Walsh and Alice Birch, Ramsay sticks resolutely to Grace’s disturbed perspective. The sound design, by Tim Burns and Paul Davies, is purposefully chaotic, filled with barking and the children's music Grace blares as she stomps half naked through the house, ignoring housework and indulging in sexual fantasies. (LaKeith Stanfield has a small, peculiar part.) Grace is also a writer who isn’t writing, so her manic mindset has some echoes with Jack Torrance in “The Shining.” So, no, this isn’t postpartum, and Grace, herself, makes it clear. Her son is great, she says. “It’s everything else that’s f---ed.” What falls into everything else? It’s mostly the things that are trying to subtly and not so subtly conform Grace to a simple and restrictive mom persona. Heaven help the cheery suburban mothers who try to make small talk with her at a birthday party. Even the classic rock Jackson plays in his truck irks her. “I hate guitars,” she pronounces. It helps for “Die, My Love” to get out of the house, where the movie is overwhelmingly, even oppressively set. “Die, My Love” might have benefited from more scenes like these that let Lawrence use her comedic talents more. Instead, a live-wire performance gets suffocated, and the conceptual force of the movie ends up feeling more oppressive to Grace than anything else. “Die, My Love,” a Mubi release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some violent content. Running time: 118 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.    

Author Chetan Bhagat has revealed that Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were initially considered for the film 2 States, before Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were finalized. In an interview with Pinkvilla, Bhagat said, “For 2 States, bigger stars were being talked about. Shah Rukh Khan was being considered. There was also a time when Vishal Bhardwaj was going to make it. Then names like Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra were discussed.” He added that he was unsure about the final casting when a new director and two relatively new actors were chosen. “Arjun was just one film old, and Alia had only done Student of the Year. I wasn’t convinced. But it turned out to be amazing casting — their freshness and youth made the film what it was,” he said. Bhagat also shared that several actors had turned down roles in Kai Po Che!, another film based on his novel The Three Mistakes of My Life. “All the stars rejected it, so we had to cast Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao, and Amit Sadh. I had little hope from the movie, but it became one of the best adaptations,” he said. 2 States, produced by Dharma Productions, became a major hit in 2014, striking a chord with young audiences for its portrayal of an inter-cultural romance inspired by Bhagat’s own life.   Source: NDTV

Sunita Ahuja, wife of Bollywood actor Govinda, has once again spoken out about ongoing rumors surrounding their marriage and the actor’s alleged extramarital affair. Months after the couple appeared together publicly and insisted that “no one can separate” them, Sunita revisited the topic during a podcast interview with Paras S. Chhabra on his Abraa Kaa Dabra Show. When asked about Govinda’s rumored affairs, she said, “I’ve heard these things too — supposedly about a Marathi actress — but until I see it with my own eyes or catch him red-handed, I can’t believe or declare anything.” Sunita added that at this stage in life, her husband should be focused on their children, daughter Tina and son Yashvardhan, rather than on such distractions. “This isn’t the age to be doing all that. Govinda should be thinking about settling our daughter and Yash’s career,” she said. “I’ve told the media that I’ll always speak the truth — because I don’t lie. Until I say something myself, don’t believe the rumors.” She also used the opportunity to advise women to be financially independent, stressing the importance of earning one’s own income. “My YouTube channel is doing really well — I even received the Silver Button within four months,” she said. “A woman should stand on her own feet. Earning your own money gives you a different kind of happiness. When your husband gives you money, it comes after asking several times — but your own earnings are truly yours.” Sunita revealed that she currently lives in a four-bedroom home with her children, while Govinda stays elsewhere. “This house feels small for us,” she joked. “Through this podcast, I want to say, ‘Chichi, buy me a big five-bedroom house — or else see what happens!’” Rumors of Trouble in Marriage Speculation about Govinda and Sunita’s relationship has circulated since February, when she began sharing personal details in media interviews. An ETimes report quoted a source claiming that Sunita had even sent Govinda a separation notice, though no further action was taken. Later reports suggested that the couple had reconciled. On Ganesh Chaturthi, the two appeared together and denied any rift. “If something had happened between us, would we be standing so close today?” Sunita told the media. “No one can separate us — not even God or the devil.” Govinda and Sunita married in March 1987, keeping their relationship private until after their daughter Tina’s birth in 1988. The couple later welcomed their son Yashvardhan in 1997. Source NDTV

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has hinted that a sequel to his 2011 superhero film Ra.One might happen in the future, saying “if the time ever feels right, we might do it again.” The actor made the remarks while interacting with fans during a private event in Mumbai on his 60th birthday on Sunday. Reflecting on Ra.One, which co-starred Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, Shah Rukh said the film was “ahead of its time” and close to his heart. “Anubhav (the director) worked really hard to make it. I was expecting it to start a new trend because I always feel I should make films that inspire others to try new ideas,” he said. The actor admitted that Ra.One didn’t fully meet his expectations back in 2011, though it performed well and connected with audiences. “I thought everyone would say, ‘It’s a superhero film!’ Not just that — it was also about visual effects. Maybe people weren’t that familiar with technology like PlayStations, video games, or iPads back then. Today, everyone has smartphones. It would probably be more acceptable now,” he said. When asked about the possibility of a sequel, Shah Rukh Khan said it depends on director Anubhav Sinha, who helmed the original film. “He’s the one who made it, and only he can make it again. We worked really hard on it. God willing, if the time ever feels right, we might do it again. It’s easier now anyway,” he said. Ra.One featured Shah Rukh in a dual role alongside Arjun Rampal as the villain, with supporting performances by Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma, Shahana Goswami, and Satish Shah.   Source: NDTV