Entertainment

The first edition of Bandish Bandits was appreciated as much for its narrative as it was for the sonic soundscape crafted by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Why then would the makers choose to replace the trio with a bevy of young composers for the next edition? “It was solely in the interest of time,” reveals music supervisor Akashdeep Sengupta, tasked with cohesively presenting the 17 tracks designed by musicians with different sensibilities. “The first season took three years to create. For the second season, we only had 18 months. Keeping that in mind, and the fact that in this edition we needed to highlight both traditional and modern music, we decided to champion new artistes from across India.” Script in hand, Sengupta was tasked with traversing the country and finding musicians who could serv...

Many from Hollywood’s A-list are throwing their support behind Blake Lively in the wake of her misconduct claims against her It Ends with Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni. The complaint, filed late last week with the California Civil Rights Department, accuses Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the movie and a subsequent effort to “destroy” Lively’s reputation.In the complaint, Lively accuses Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation following a meeting in which she and her husband Ryan Reynolds addressed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” by Baldoni and a producer on the movie.Baldoni enlisted publicists and crisis managers in a “sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed retaliation plan” meant to ...

The second season of the much-awaited crime drama `Paatal Lok`, starring Jaideep Ahlawat and Gul Panag, has revealed its release date. Prime Video, on Monday, shared the announcement on its official Instagram account, unveiling a poster featuring Ahlawat. Along with the poster, Prime Video announced that the crime drama is set to return on January 17 next year.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by prime video IN (@primevideoin) Directed by Avinash Arun Dhaware and created by Sudip Sharma, the series is produced by Clean Slate Filmz in collaboration with Eunoia Films LLP. The returning cast includes Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, and Gul Panag, alongside new faces such as Tillotama Sho...

Blake Lively has accused her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the movie and a subsequent effort to “destroy” her reputation in a legal complaint. The complaint obtained by The Associated Press, which The New York Times reported was filed Friday with the California Civil Rights Department, precedes a lawsuit. It names Baldoni, the studio behind the romantic drama It Ends With Us and Baldoni’s publicists among the defendants.In the complaint, Lively accuses Baldoni and the studio of embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation following a meeting in which she and her husband Ryan Reynolds addressed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” by Baldoni and a producer on the movie.The plan, the complaint said,...

Whenever there is a series about the entertainment industry, an award show sequence is almost always woven into it. It seems to be true of Aryan Khan’s debut series, Stardom, as well. mid-day has learnt that the first-time writer-director began shooting an award function scene in Mehboob Studios in Bandra yesterday. Sources tell us that as many as 18 stars have been lined up for the sequence.    Rajkummar Rao, Sara Ali Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Pics/PTI, Instagram On Friday, Rajkummar Rao, Arjun Kapoor, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Shanaya Kapoor filmed their portions. A source reveals further, “On Saturday, Aryan will shoot with his superstar-father Shah Rukh Khan, Sara Ali Khan, and social media influencer Orhan Awatramani aka Orry. Seasoned actors Karisma Kapoor and Neelam, as well as pers...

When Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry commenced working on the second season of Bandish Bandits two years ago, they were tasked with meeting one requirement—live up to the expectations of the audience after the success of the first edition. Considering the response to the recently released second edition, one may say with some credibility that the duo did succeed.  Ask Chaudhry if returning to the show for another edition posed a challenge, and she responds in the affirmative. “Like my character, it felt like Shreya too was starting afresh. Just as [my character] Tamanna goes to a music school in the season, I did too,” she says, alluding to the extensive music workshops that all actors attended so that they could add authenticity to their portrayals. “We had lessons in singing, and [le...

When Khoj was offered to Sharib Hashmi, he was already sold on the story of a man struggling to prove that the woman, claiming to be his wife, is lying. There was another incentive—it was the first series that saw him play the lead. “I always read a story first to see whether it is engaging me as an audience. Then I see how my character contributes to it. Here, everything fit,” says the actor of the ZEE5 series, also starring Anupriya Goenka and Aamir Dalvi. In his 16-year career so far, Hashmi has essayed diverse roles, from the leading man’s closest friend in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) to a supportive husband in Tarla (2023). Now, the actor says he can feel a shift in the industry’s perception, with filmmakers offering him lead roles. “Today, I am not doing anything and everything that’s o...

Telling stories is content creator Dolly Singh’s first love. It has taken on a new form with Best Worst Date, an Instagram sketch series that is written by and stars her. As the second season dropped on the photo-sharing app on December 16, Singh says she has enjoyed creating the five-minute episodes. “My love for writing has grown over the years. I like telling my own stories. My voice is more long-form oriented. I wanted to do that on an app where short form is being pushed. This idea allows me to write my own story and use it in bits,” says Singh, who was recently seen in Thank You for Coming (2023). The seven-episode series, directed by Anurag Baruah, chronicles the protagonist’s experiences on blind dates.  Singh is enjoying juggling acting, writing and content creation. Having put ...

After basking in the success of his previous projects `Sacred Games` and `CTRL`, Vikramaditya Motwane is now set to take fans inside the harsh realities of India`s most infamous prison with his upcoming web series, `Black Warrant`. Netflix, on Thursday, released the teaser for the prison drama, which stars actor Zahan Kapoor as a newly appointed jailer struggling to adapt to the tough environment of Tihar Jail. The teaser shows Zahan trying to survive as he learns to navigate the harsh realities of prison life, while his colleagues ask him to toughen up. The teaser also shows Rahul Bhatt, who appears to be playing the role of an authoritative cop. The series marks Zahan`s debut in the world of web series. The actor is the grandson of late Bollywood legend Shashi Kapoor. Check out the te...

Former That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson, through his lawyers, has appealed his 2023 rape convictions. In September of 2023, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women, both former members of the Church of Scientology (Masterson is still a member of the church). The actor, 47, was found guilty of two of three counts of forcible rape during his retrial in May 2023.He had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. The retrial was called after 2022’s original trial on the same three counts ended in a mistrial when a jury deadlocked, failing to reach unanimous verdicts.Now, in a 242-page appellant’s opening brief filed on Dec. 18, Masterson’s lawyers allege that key witness testimonies morphed over time and “erroneous judicial rulings” skewed the jury’s v...