Challengers is a love triangle with tennis as a backdrop. The plot (by Justin Kuritzkes) is novel and neatly incorporates sports, romance, drama and a lot more. A few scenes are arresting and well-executed by Luca Guadagnino. However, the film gets silly after a point and one wonders where the film is going. The climax is tense and though it is unexpected, it's also abrupt and bizarre; one wishes it ended on a better note. Zendaya looks ravishing and as a performer, she puts her best foot forward. But she also looks too young for the role. The same applies to Mike Faist. Josh O'Connor leaves ..read more

Box Office India Trade Network The new release this week RUSLAAN had dull collections of 45-50 lakhs nett which was lower than last weeks DO AUR DO PYAAR which netted 50 lakh plus. The plus for RUSLAAN was the genre as its an action film while DO AUR DO PYAAR had more face value as it had a known female lead. The problem with RUSLAAN is the face value as in Hindi cinema, its extremely rare for an out and out action film to work when the lead has not found acceptance with the masses. Generally, action fares work with established stars due to the acceptance they have. A start ..read more

Dibakar Banerjee opens up on needing therapy to deal with the trauma of his unreleased film, Tees Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; April 28, 2024) Dibakar Banerjee’s latest offering, Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2, has opened to critical acclaim. But the filmmaker has yet to move on from the pain of his unreleased work, Tees. Spanning three generations of a family, Tees is said to reflect “the personal, ideological and sexual history of India”. Netflix was slated to release it in 2022, but pulled the plug on it—an episode that Banerjee says he hasn’t been able to move past. “It’s definitely not easy to g ..read more

She’s not a buffet, but a ‘specialty restaurant’, says actor Taapsee Pannu, asserting that a lot has changed — both in her sartorial choices and onscreen roles — since she first ventured into acting Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 28, 2024) Taapsee Pannu is in a “very happy, content and satisfied” place in life, both personally and professionally. With a string of meaningful films to her credit that strengthened her position in the film industry, and having turned producer, Pannu has had a great run so far. Her last release, Dunki (2023) where she played Shah Rukh Khan’s lov ..read more

As Kajol attempts her first supernatural movie Maa, writer Saiwyn discusses how the actor has brought gravitas to the role of a Bengali mother in the Vishal Furia-directed venture Upala KBR (MID-DAY; April 28, 2024) There is little that Kajol hasn’t done in her three-decade-plus career, from headlining blockbusters to playing grey roles and recently foraying into digital entertainment. Interestingly though, a horror movie was sorely missing from her filmography. Not anymore. The actor is attempting the genre with Chhorii (2021) director Vishal Furia’s next Maa. Saiwyn Quadras, who has pen ..read more

Soumya Vajpayee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 28, 2024) Sonu Nigam and his sister, Teesha Nigam, recently collaborated for a single, Humnava. This marks the singers’ fifth musical outing together. “It’s always special to sing a duet with your little sister,” says Sonu, as Teesha adds, “Apart from being my brother, he is the greatest singer alive. So, it’s always an honour to be his co-singer.” Sonu calls the single “a passionate composition with beautiful lyrics” and says he was “focused on emoting it appropriately”. He adds, “I had sung it much earlier and had even shot for it. Teesha was broug ..read more

Ali Fazal, Nivedita Bhargava, who is in the campaign, Richa Chadha and Yasmin Saeed Actor-producer and newly turned fashion entrepreneur Richa Chadha and designer Yasmin Saeed chit-chat all things Chikan with mid-day Dhara Vora Sabhnani (MID-DAY; April 28, 2024) For  actors and producers Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, 2024 is a year of more than one new beginning. The couple is expecting their first child; Chadha is looking forward to next week’s release—Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, and the two have turned fashion entrepreneurs for the first time. It was appropriate that their new ..read more

Yvonne Jacob (BOMBAY TIMES; April 28, 2024) Actor Shruti Marathe, who is known for her work in Marathi films like Rama Madhav, Taptapadi, and Bandh Nylonche, will soon be seen with Jr NTR and Janhvi Kapoor in director Koratala Siva’s Devara: Part 1. In a chat, the actor talks about her preparation for the film and collaborations in the film industry. Excerpts from the interview: On working with a big team in her Telugu project... Shruti tells us, “I am thrilled to be a part of a film with such a big star cast. I am playing Jr NTR’s wife, and we are still shooting the film, which will be r ..read more

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; April 28, 2024) In a conversation with us before her marriage, Arti Singh had said that she hoped her mama Govinda would attend her wedding on April 25. And indeed, he did. Post the wedding, Arti’s brother Krushna Abhishek spoke about putting aside their differences and the family reunion on the happy occasion. ‘Chi Chi mama has been a father figure to us’ Calling his sister’s wedding and the reunion with Govinda (whom they fondly call Chi Chi mama) a double bonanza, an emotional Krushna told us, “I was missing my father immensely at Arti’s wedding. I had a s ..read more

After back-to-back intense roles, Animal star Triptii veers to comedy with Bad Newz; sources say film explores medical condition where she is pregnant with twins from two men Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; April 27, 2024) No role is too small. Who knows that better than Triptii Dimri, her brief part in Animal (2023) having changed her career overnight? The blockbuster’s success brought her many things, including a wider audience and the ‘national crush’ label. Last month, Karan Johar announced his next production, Bad Newz, starring Vicky Kaushal, Dimri and Ammy Virk. While the posters released ..read more