Movies

Queer narratives have finally started claiming space on OTT, with Indian and international platforms slowly but surely offering room for identities beyond binaries and boxes. From quiet coming-out arcs to full-blown romantic leads, LGBTQ+ characters are no longer just side plots; they ARE the plot. Here’s a rundown of some standout Indian and global shows that have done justice to queer storytelling. Indian OTT shows that got it right Made in Heaven In Made in Heaven (2019–2023), Arjun Mathur plays Karan Mehra, a gay wedding planner from Delhi whose sexuality is handled with nuance. The show covers everything from family rejection to self-acceptance. Season 2 also introduced Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju as Meher, a trans woman navigating corporate and personal challenges with quiet power. ...

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Actor Jonathan Joss, best known for voicing John Redcorn in King of the Hill, has died in a shooting, according to Texas police. San Antonio police confirmed to Variety that Joss, 59, died on Saturday. According to a police report viewed by The Hollywood Reporter, the cause of death was from “injuries sustained after multiple gun shots.”Police were reportedly dispatched to a scene while a shooting was in progress, and Joss was discovered near the road, having been shot multiple times. An attempt to revive him was unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.Police say the shooter fled the area in a vehicle, but was detained by officers only a block away. Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, 56, ...

Every now and then, showbiz gets a story of hope. Sanjay Kumar Sahu’s story is just that. Over the past few weeks, the actor has seen an outpouring of love for his performance in the acclaimed thriller, Black White & Gray — Love Kills. The recognition feels almost surreal to Sahu, who hails from a Chhattisgarh village. “I am from Umapur, a village situated in the Surguja district in Chhattisgarh. It’s a tribal area. When I was in college, the first from my village to pursue higher studies, I juggled it with folk theatre. During this time, I met actors who suggested that I should enrol in National School of Drama [NSD] or FTII [Film & Television Institute of India]. I wasn’t able to get through NSD, and FTII was out of my league because of its high fees. Later, I heard that FTII wa...

Actor and comedian Russell Brand pleaded not guilty in a London court Friday to rape and sexual assault charges involving four women dating back more than 25 years. Brand, who turns 50 next week, denied two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. He said “not guilty” after each charge was read in Southwark Crown Court.His trial was scheduled for June 3, 2026 and is expected to last four to five weeks.Prosecutors said that the offenses took place between 1999 and 2005 — one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in London.Brand didn’t speak to reporters as he arrived at court wearing dark sunglasses, a suit jacket, a black collared shirt open below his chest and black jeans. In his right hand, he clutched a copy of the The Vall...

Behind the mic is where Anusha Mani built her identity over the past 18 years, lending her voice to hits like Lehrein (Aisha), Gulaabo (Shaandaar) and Tera rasta chhodoon na (Chennai Express). But now, she has stepped out of the recording studio and into the spotlight. The singer has made her acting debut with Hai Junoon, the musical series led by Neil Nitin Mukesh and Jacqueline Fernandez. “As a singer, I never thought I would or could act. What drew me to this show primarily was that it was a musical. I auditioned during the lockdown when the makers were looking for singers who can act. Turns out, being forced to audition by my management and family really paid off,” Mani laughs.  A still from Hai Junoon For the singer-turned-actor, the JioHotstar series that is centred on a talent sh...

At first glance, the global touring industry seems to be doing well. Live Nation, the largest concert promoter and ticketing company, reported earlier this month that it was having an amazing year. More than 100 million tickets have been sold for events in 2025 so far. Compare that with 2019, the last big year before COVID-19, when Live Nation had sales of 98 million tickets for the entire 12 months.Economic slowdown? Tariff-related issues? Fan rebellions against the high cost of tickets? None of those dire predictions seems to be coming true. Live music is having a banner year!Well, maybe for some.Coachella didn’t sell out for the second year running, and of those who did go, more than half financed their ticket purchases.Other festivals have been cancelled. According to tracker Music Fes...

Title: SirensCast: Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Glenn HowertonCreator: Molly Smith MetzlerRating: 3/5Runtime: 1 hr/ep ( 5 eps) This series is based on an Off Broadway play “Elemeno Pea” by Molly Smith Metzler who is also the creator of this limited 5-episode series. The series is focused on the way women treat each other and at its heart are two estranged sisters Devon DeWitt and the younger, aspirational Simone. Their fractured relationship becomes the basis for a whole lot of drama. Directed by Nicole Kassell, Quyen Tran and Lila Neugebauer, Sirens excels in unsettling the viewer with its befuddled world of truths and lies. The sunny, picture-perfect island plays host to a dark biting social satire, with melodrama and thrills underlining the idyllic setting. The story may sound common ...

Look what you made her do. Taylor Swift, in a move to end a long-running battle over who owns her music, announced Friday that she has bought back the rights to her first six albums.“All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me,” the Karma singer wrote, announcing the news on her official website. “I’ve been bursting into tears of joy … ever since I found out this is really happening.” Story continues below advertisement Swift originally lost the rights to her entire catalogue of music in 2019 when her first record label, Big Machine, sold them to music producer Scooter Braun. It kicked off a feud between the singer and Braun, the latter of whom has fallen from grace in the music industry as a result.In November 2020, Braun turned around and sold the mast...

NOTE: The following article contains disturbing details and video footage. Please read at your own discretion. A woman identified only as the pseudonym “Mia,” a former assistant of Sean “Diddy” Combs, continued her testimony Friday at his sex trafficking and racketeering trial.Mia said that she threw her phone across the room in terror and ran outside when she saw the hip-hop mogul calling her days after his longtime ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, sued him two years ago.“It was just so triggering to see that,” the former assistant said. She was the second of three women expected to testify at the federal trial in Manhattan that they were sexually abused by Combs.Ventura’s lawsuit, which alleged years of sexual abuse, was settled within a day for $20 million. Story continues below a...

Title: LandmanCast: Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Jacob Lofland, Michelle Randolph, Paulina Chávez, Kayla Wallace, Mark Collie, James JordanDirector/Creator: Taylor Sheridan, Christian WallaceRating: 3.5/5Episodes: 5 This oil industry melodrama set in the boom-towns of West-Texas is about fortune seekers and the world of oil rigs. The series follows roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom that changes the geopolitics of the region.“Landman” is a potent combination of big business, family conflicts and horrific on-the-job accidents. Landman is an antihero drama replete with cursing, violence, and nudity. We’re introduced to Tommy in a vulnerable spot, being held at gunpoint by a drug cartel enforcer. Tommy, has the ability to talk himself out of the trickiest pickle and does ...