A few months back, actor Manoj Bajpayee and director Neeraj Pandey was dragged into a major controversy over their Netflix film Ghooskhor Pandat. The title was slammed for "disrespecting and hurting the sentiments" of the Brahmin community. While the makers made a clarification that it didn't focus on any caste, the backlash compelled them to remove the promotional content. Months after the controversy, Manoj has made an important revelation.
During a chat with PTI, Manoj talked that the row and how it impacted the entire team for some time and that he was subjected to abuse and threats. He mentioned they never saw it coming, but when it occurred, they put out an apology within two days. He told PTI, "We didn't expect it. But when it happened, in two day's time we put out our apology. If anything is offending anyone with that much of intensity, we as creative people are always there to mend our ways or correct ourselves. I personally feel that the title change is not going to be such a huge thing, we are creative people, we can come up with ten different titles and they will be equally exciting."
Manoj further explained that when the threats sent to him, he travelled continuously without any fear. "When people are trolling you, abusing you and getting your family into the whole thing, I feel empathy for them. The film talks about something else. But I think on social media now people are impatient and they are eager and desperate to come out with their opinion without even knowing fully about the subject matter. I'm a person who is very curious for knowledge, I'm a well-educated person, and I don't have any intention, I don't have that energy and time to argue with people, who are that impatient with their opinion or who are not even bothering to educate themselves. So, why to argue with them? Don't get into the mud with the people who like to roll you into the mud."
The controversy around Ranveer Singh's reported exit from Farhan Akhtar's Don 3 continues to dominate headlines. However, the Dhurandhar star has made a conscious decision to not weigh in publicly. Just two days after Ranveer's team mentioned that he would maintain a dignified silence on the issue, veteran author and columnist Shobhaa De has supported him and also lauded his decision to stay above the noise. While sharing her thoughts on the ongoing debate, Shobhaa praised Ranveer for handling the situation in a rather mature way, and step away from public mudslinging. According to her, being silent amidst massive constant speculation is indeed the smartest strategy.
Ranveer Singh is sensible, clever, well-advised. He's holding his silence. He's keeping quiet, letting his fans and followers fight his battles for him," said Shobhaa in an Instagram reel she put out on Wednesday evening. "What Ranveer has successfully done by keeping quiet is enhance his own brand appeal and also his popularity," she 4said in a video that she recently posted.
The author posted the video with the caption that read, "Ranveer Singh is the Delhi Gymkhana of Bollywood.....same same but different... Exclusivity instead of inclusivity? Stop behaving like Trump!!! Threats and intimidation???? Won't work. Never have. Regardless who the players are..."
Much like Shobha, many of Ranveer Singh's fans have expressed concerns that the reported ban could be part of a larger conspiracy that targets not just him but also filmmaker Aditya Dhar and blockbuster film Dhurandhar. Social media has been flooded with posts questioning the timing of the backlash. While reacting to Shobha's post, a fan mentioned, "Actually all are very jealous of Ranveer Singh,, he's so hot hes so sexy , he has an amazing physic and a fantastic actor.. I saw Dhurandar 1 & 2 it was superb Hit movie." Next comment read, "Shobha, your analysis is spot on. I am just surprised that an intelligent director like Farhan (though mediocre as both actor and director - giving a hint of sour grapes) cannot see the repercussions of his actions. Ranveer is much loved by the public and they are the ones who will decide the fate of his future projects." Next post mentioned, "Ranveer Singh will definitely and deserves to win this round and NOT Farhan Akhtar or any other Khan for that matter. Period."
On Monday, during a press meet, the Chief Advisor of FWICE, Ashoke Pandit, talked about the Dhurandhar actor. He said, "On 11th April, Farhan filed a complaint. Three weeks before the unit was to leave for the shoot, Ranveer left the movie. After we invited Farhan and his producing partner, Ritesh Sidhwani, of Excel Entertainment, to tell their side of the story, Ritesh appeared personally at the FWICE office while Farhan attended the meeting remotely on Zoom since he was in London. They narrated the full incident for two hours. They also presented all the expenses incurred on pre-production, which are accounted for and audited. These include hotel bookings, location bookings, and overseas travel bookings for over 200 workers. Everything is on paper. Nothing is hearsay."
Actor Naga Chaitanya has taken his fight to the Delhi High Court, asking for protection of his personality rights after people started misusing his name, image, and likeness all over the internet. He's especially calling out AI-generated explicit content, fake videos, and rumors spread about his private life.
His lawyer, senior advocate Vaibhav Gaggar, told the court that websites have been attaching Chaitanya's name to explicit search terms just to pull in more traffic. Gaggar pointed out that some AI-created or digitally altered videos make it seem like Chaitanya's in compromising situations that never happened. He also flagged content bringing up Chaitanya's ex-wife, Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Some posts online accused Chaitanya of cheating on her and sabotaging her career. "This is straight-up trolling, not fair criticism," Gaggar said.
When the case reached Justice Jyoti Singh, the judge acknowledged that celebrities get more scrutiny than most, but said they still have their limits. "You're in public life, and that makes you more vulnerable, but there's a line," she said. Chaitanya's suit doesn't just stop at fake videos and rumors. It also calls out unauthorized products using his image and claims people are using deepfake tools, voice cloning, and other digital tricks to create fake content, all for profit.
His complaint argues this constant circulation of fake or defamatory content is wrecking his reputation, privacy, and public image. The court looked at several YouTube videos flagged as defamatory. Some have already been taken down, but others, especially those linked to news reports, are still up. According to ANI, the judge said one of the online links was "borderline." Chaitanya's team told the judge that something new pops up every day and asked for a dynamic court order to block future uploads.
The Delhi High Court has now issued summons in the case and signaled that it will give an interim order. The next hearing is scheduled for September 30. This suit comes at a time when people are increasingly worried about AI abuse, especially against public figures. Chaitanya's lawyers want not just current removals, but protections in place for the future against re-uploads and even lookalike fakes.
For some background: Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu were together for years, married in 2017, then separated in 2021. Chaitanya has since married Sobhita Dhulipala, and Samantha is reportedly married to filmmaker Raj Nidimoru. Still, both actors can't escape speculation and gossip online. This case is one of the first big legal battles in India taking on deepfakes and online attacks linked to past relationships.
Blast box office collection day 1: Arjun Sarja's latest action family entertainer Blast has made a respectable entry at the box office on its first day. The film, which also stars Preity Mukhundhan and Abhirami in key roles, released on May 28 and managed to pull in steady crowds, particularly in Tamil Nadu and a few other strong centres.
According to Sacnilk estimates, Blast collected around Rs 1 crore net in India on its opening Thursday. The movie was screened across 1,022 shows and recorded an overall occupancy of 26 percent. The India gross collection for Day 1 stands at Rs 1.15 crore.
As expected, Tamil Nadu emerged as the film's strongest market, contributing a solid Rs 95 lakhs to the opening day tally. Karnataka followed with Rs 10 lakhs, while Kerala added Rs 7 lakhs. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana together brought in Rs 1 lakh, and the rest of India contributed around Rs 2 lakhs.
Occupancy was getting better as the day kept rolling on. The Tamil version opened with 15.46% occupancy in the morning shows, which moved up to 25.69% during the afternoon. Then in the evening shows it improved again to 26.92% , and finally the night shows recorded the best turnout at 40.31% .
In an interview with The New Indian Express, Preity Mukhundhan expressed her happiness about being part of the film. She said, "It feels amazing to be able to put my work out there through a film where I'm not just a supporting presence but a literally strong character." She also mentioned, sort of the troubles a lot of actors run into when they try to land roles that actually feel meaningful, and yeah even when they go asking directors for clarity about what their character's feeling, they still get responses that are kinda vague. That seems to point to a real, still not quite addressed lack of depth in some of these newer scripts.
With a blend of high energy action, family feelings, and a decent ensemble, Blast has kicked off its theatrical run on a promising note. The first-day numbers look decent enough for this kind of movie, though the true test will come later, like how it holds steady through the weekend and whether word of mouth stays strong enough to let it grow in the following days. People in the industry and fans too will be watching its screen presence closely as it tries to compete in a crowded market.
Drishyam 3 box office collection day 8: Drishyam 3 starring Mohanlal is turning out to be an absolute box office monster! The thriller has been winning audiences over with its edge-of-the-seat storyline and powerhouse performances, and the craze doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. What's even more impressive is that the collections are actually getting stronger with each passing day even during weekdays.
On Day 8, Drishyam 3 (Malayalam) collected a net of Rs 6.50 Cr across 3,453 shows. This brings total India gross collections to Rs 94.91 Cr and total India net collections to Rs 81.80 Cr so far. Overseas, the film collected Rs 5.50 Cr on Day 8, taking its total overseas gross to Rs 103.00 Cr so far. This pushes the worldwide gross collection to Rs 197.91 Cr.
As reported by Sacnilk's early estimates, Drishyam 3 has earned Rs 6.65 crore at the box office on Wednesday. On Wednesday, the Mohanlal starrer saw 2.3 per cent growth from what it collected on day 6. The film's net collection amounted to Rs 6.50 crore. In seven days, Drishyam 3 earned Rs 75.30 crore. This is indeed huge for a Malayalam film, as it gets limited screens in India. On Wednesday, Drishyam 3 saw 32.7 per cent occupancy in cinema halls. Drishyam 3's total India gross collection now stands at Rs 87.38 crore. On the other hand, the Mohanlal-starrer earned Rs 5 crore on day 7 outside India. In a week, the film earned Rs 95.70 crore globally. The film's worldwide collection after 7 days is Rs 183.08 crore. As expected, the film's Malayalam version emerged as the biggest contributor on Day 7 too. It earned around Rs 4.48 crore net with strong occupancy figures across Kerala.
Mohanlal-starrer crime drama Drishyam 3 enjoyed a strong theatrical run on the sixth day at the box office. Even though the film witnessed a routine weekday drop at the box office, it reportedly earned Rs 6.45 crore net in India on its first Tuesday. As reported by Sacnilk, Drishyam 3 earned Rs 7.70 crore net in India on Monday, and registered a 16.2 per cent drop on Tuesday. The film was shown across 4,668 shows. While the film earned Rs 6.45 crore on day 6, its India net collection amounted to Rs 68.60 crore.
Drishyam 3 has now been successful in crossing a major milestone at the global box office. On day 6, the film was able to earn Rs 6 crore overseas, and took the total international gross collection to Rs 90.70 crore. The film's worldwide gross collection now stands at Rs 170.32 crore.
Drishayam 3 box office collection day 8: Jeethu Joseph's much-awaited Drishyam 3 is holding its ground firmly at the box office even as it enters its second week. The latest chapter in the beloved Malayalam thriller franchise once again sees Mohanlal returning as the sharp and composed Georgekutty, with strong support from Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Siddique, Asha Sharath, and Murali Gopy.
The story starts a few years after what happened in Drishyam 2, with Georgekutty, and his family, trying to somehow move forward in their daily life. Yet old wounds stay open, and fresh issues keep coming back, which puts them under serious emotional and mental strain. The movie keeps the franchise's familiar tight tension, mixing police investigation with family pressures and those tricky moral dilemmas too.
Since its release on May 21, Drishyam 3 has delivered impressive numbers. It crossed 40 crore net in India within the first three days and went on to collect over 170 crore worldwide by the end of its opening week. Though the film got mixed reactions from critics and audiences alike, Mohanlal's forceful performance and the solid legacy behind the Drishyam series have, somehow kept it afloat.
Now that it's slid into the second week, the momentum has taken a slight dip, which is kinda expected. On Day 8, it brought in 3.86 crore, with the Malayalam version giving 3.27 crore , and then smaller pulls from Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions. The total India collection now stands at 79.16 crore, and it is expected to cross the 80 crore mark soon.
In a recent conversation with Mathrubhumi, director Jeethu Joseph opened up about the film's climax. He revealed that the ending does not rely on any major shocking revelation or the unmasking of a hidden criminal. Joseph emphasised that vibe on set was all about working together, saying that he handed over the full screenplay to every key cast and crew member so that everybody could get the story really clear. He also spoke about that iconic shovel sequence from the first film, and mentioned that not even the actors knew, or realised, how much it mattered back then, which is kind of funny when you think about it now.
With steady box office collections and solid fan backing, Drishyam 3 keeps showing why this franchise is still counted among the most successful in Malayalam cinema.
Shilpa Shetty's much-awaited show Maa Hai Na will feature Govinda's daughter, Tina Ahuja and wife Sunita Ahuja. During a recent media interaction, both Tina and Sunita shared their thoughts on the show. As expected, Sunita made headlines for her quirky and candid statements about life and husband Govinda. During her interaction, Sunita revealed the real reason for her to learn cooking. Sunita said, "Khana bana bana ke to pati pataya hai na." She also stressed on the fact that she has been cooking since the age of 15. While sharing her thoughts on her culinary skills, Sunita also revealed if her daughter loves to cook on the sets of Maa Hai Na. She explained, "Jab waqt aata hai na sab seekh lete hain." Sunita also explained that it is never right to put pressure on children and the need for them to enjoy their lives.
Sunita didn't shy away from talking about her married life either. "Maine to jaldi shaadi kar liya tha," she said. She further added, "Mere pati ko khane ka shaukh tha." Sunita also mentioned that she learnt cooking at the age of 15 to woo her husband.
But what caught everyone's attention was how Sunita referred to her husband Govinda as "bakri." During a Maa Hai Na event, Sunita was asked if she knew the meaning of the word "GOAT." While reacting to it, she asked, "Bakri?" The moment someone told her that her husband Govinda is a GOAT, not a bakri, Sunita said, "My husband? He's not a bakri! He's a..." She couldn't stop laughing and added, "Shilpa samajh gayi."
A month back Sunita Ahuja talked about her 40-year-old wedding to superstar Govinda. In the recent interaction, she called Govinda an excellent son and father. However, he was never a good husband, she said. While talking to Abhishek Vyas Insights, Sunita Ahuja said, "I will say it again. Govinda is a good son, brother. But as a husband, what I want... I love going to parties, for dinners, on holidays, but he got so indulged in providing for his family that he never enjoyed it. He is 60 but has never lived for himself." Sunita mentioned that this makes her feel bad. Reason? Govinda is a big superstar, but haven't seen anything in life. "I always say that I want a son like Govinda, not a husband," she added. Sunita also stressed on the fact that there's no point even regretting it now because she can't leave him now.