Page 7 - Bollywood

Veteran actor Asrani passes away at the age of 84 after prolonged illness

Veteran actor Asrani, who cemented a special place in the hearts of audiences through his portrayal of the eccentric jailer in Sholay and best known for his comic roles, passed away in a hospital here on Monday, his manager said. He was 84. The veteran of several films spanning over five decades, Govardhan Asrani, known popularly by mononym Asrani, was remembered for his characters in "Sholay", Namak Haram, and Guddi. The end came on Monday afternoon, four days after he was admitted to Bharatiya Arogya Nidhi Hospital in suburban Juhu. "He was a bit unwell. He was admitted following breathing issues. He passed away today at 3:00 PM. We were told by the doctors that water had accumulated in his lungs, Asrani's manager Babubhai Thiba told PTI. Asrani had acted in over 300 films in a career spanning over five decades. He has largely played character roles, and has garnered wide acclaim for his impeccable comic timing. His dialogue, "Hum angrezon ke zamane ke jailor hai" has achieved

A quieter Diwali at box office: Collection likely to see 60% dip

Unlike last year's star-driven blockbusters, this Diwali's releases led by *Thamma* and *Ek Deewane ki Deewaniyat* mark a shift toward story-led cinema and regional strength

India's cumulative BO collection up 18% in Jan-Sep, says Ormax Media

September 2025 grosses over ₹1,000 crore at Indian box office, led by They Call Him OG; January-September cumulative hits ₹9,409 crore, up 18% Y-o-Y.

From streaming to theatres: How platforms are reaching Indian moviegoers

Amazon MGM Studios' 'Nishaanchi' marks its second theatrical release in India, showing how streaming platforms are now also releasing films in cinemas, not just online

Pankaj Dheer, Mahabharat's Karna, passes away at 68 after battling cancer

Pankaj Dheer also appeared in several supporting roles in many Hindi films, including 'Sadak', 'Soldier', and 'Baadshah'

Delhi HC protects singer Kumar Sanu's personality, publicity rights

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday protected the personality and publicity rights of singer Kumar Sanu, and directed removal of objectionable videos against him from social media. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora orally said it would pass a detailed interim injunction order protecting Sanu's rights and ordering take down of offending material. The court was hearing Sanu's plea seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights, including his name, voice, vocal style and technique, vocal arrangements and interpretations, mannerisms and manner of singing, images, caricatures, photographs, likeness and signature. The singer has also sought protection against unauthorised or unlicensed use and commercial exploitation by third parties, which is likely to create confusion or deception and dilution among the public. During the hearing, the court noted that the counsel for one of the defendants submitted that Sanu has raised a grievance regarding four profiles on Facebook and ...

Delhi HC protects personality, publicity rights of Actor Hrithik Roshan

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday protected the personality and publicity rights of Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan and directed removal of certain objectionable posts against him on social media. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said it was not passing any ex-parte directions, at the interim stage, for removal of certain fan pages and said an order would be passed after hearing them. The court, which listed the matter for further hearing on March 27, 2026, said it would pass a detailed interim injunction order later. The court was hearing a plea by Roshan seeking to protect his personality rights and restrain online platforms from illegally using his name, images and AI-generated inappropriate content. Recently, Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, filmmaker Karan Johar, Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, "Art of Living" founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and journalist Sudhir Chaudhary also approached the high court seeking protection of their personali

Zubeen Garg's associate Arun appears before CID in singer's death probe

Zubeen Garg's close associate Arun on Sunday appeared before CID's Special Investigating Team (SIT) which is probing the singer-composer's death in Singapore last month, officials said. They, however, did not divulge details of Arun's visit to the CID office here. Arun, whom Garg considered as family and was among the four persons who had lit his funeral pyre, demanded speedy justice for the deceased icon while talking to reporters later. The youth had been with Zubeen's family for several years and had even forsaken his family surname and identified himself as 'Arun Garg'. "We want justice for Dada (elder brother). There has been so much delay," Arun said. Asked about the alleged financial and other irregularities committed by other close associates of Garg, Arun said, "I don't know of all those things. I work mainly with 'Bou' (sister-in-law, referring to Garg's wife Garima)." "The only thing I know is that we need justice. Why is it taking so much time?" he questioned. On ...

Fans throng outside Jalsa to celebrate Amitabh Bachchan's 83rd birthday

It was celebration and devotion in equal measures outside Amitabh Bachchan's residence Jalsa on Saturday as hundreds of fans gathered for the legendary actor's 83rd birthday, turning the lanes of Juhu into a sea of posters and placards. Bachchan's birthday has, for decades, been more than a personal milestone it is an occasion that unites fans from across the country, a reminder of the unwavering adoration that continues to surround Hindi cinema's enduring icon. For many, the annual trip to the megastar's residence has become a ritual - a chance to stand for hours in the hope of catching a fleeting glimpse of the man whose stardom has defined generations. Some came dressed as his most famous on-screen characters, others held up life-size cutouts and banners bearing his image and famous dialogues. A fan, wearing a shirt which read "Wishing you bestest 83rd", called Bachchan a "living legend". Every year, we members of Amitabh Bachchan's extended family come here on October 11 to g

Films with vulgarity get clearance, real stories are blocked: Javed Akhtar

Veteran screenwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar has expressed his disappointment that movies reflecting the reality of society face hurdles from regulatory bodies in India, while those rife with vulgarity seem to slip through the cracks. Speaking at an event on Friday, Akhtar said it is a bad audience that makes a bad film successful. "In this country, the fact is that vulgarity will still be passed by (the film regulatory bodies), they do not know that these are wrong values, a male chauvinistic view that is humiliating women and is insensitive. What will not be passed is something that shows the mirror to society," he said at the inaugural session of Anantrang mental health cultural festival. Akhtar said films merely try to depict reality. "A film is a window into society through which you peek, then close the window, but closing the window will not fix what is happening, he cited. Talking about the impact of hyper-masculinity portrayed in films on mental health, Akhtar said that the

Frames per Second: The billionaire as a common man in a world of ambition

Shah Rukh Khan is India's richest actor now, but one of his early films, 'Raju Ban Gaya Genteman', was a nuanced critique of ambition and the pursuit of wealth

Sequel fatigue hits Bollywood: Familiar stories, fading audiences

The disasters of 2025 offer a big lesson for sequel producers

Suniel Shetty moves Bombay HC seeking protection of his personality rights

The petition highlights that gambling websites are using Shetty's images despite him having no connection with them

Breaking the silence: Indian celebrities normalise mental health talk

From Deepika Padukone to Honey Singh, stars are using their voices to normalise discussions on depression, anxiety, and recovery, proving that vulnerability is a form of strength.

Karisma Kapoor's children seek status quo on late father's will assets

The Delhi High Court will resume hearing on October 13 as Karisma Kapoor's children challenge the authenticity of late Sunjay Kapur's will, alleging forgery

Bollywood glamour drives surge in beauty sales this Karwa Chauth

Beauty brands like Sugar, Renee, and Shoppers Stop see festive spikes as Bollywood's portrayal of Karwa Chauth inspires demand for red lipsticks and makeup

Delhi HC summons Netflix, Red Chillies in Sameer Wankhede defamation case

The Delhi HC has summoned Netflix, Red Chillies, Google, X Corp and Meta in Sameer Wankhede's defamation case over his portrayal in The Ba**ds of Bollywood series

'Positive power': Nafisa Ali embraces bald look amid stage 4 cancer battle

Bollywood veteran actress Nafisa Ali, who has been fighting stage 4 ovarian and peritoneal cancer since 2018, bravely and gracefully displayed her 'bald' look while undergoing chemotherapy

Frames per Second: Bollywood's stars, disposable bodies and price of fame

Aryan Khan's directorial debut, 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood', is a celebration of the Hindi film industry's clannish rituals

Nostalgia, with a side of profit: Bollywood rewinds to the classics

The re-releases have also become a conduit for families to watch films together again - one can often see grown children taking their parents to screenings of old Hindi classics