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The teaser of Raja Shivaji, directed by and starring Riteish Deshmukh, has been released, offering a glimpse into the life and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj through a large-scale cinematic presentation. After an initial theatrical preview alongside Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the teaser has now been unveiled online, generating strong anticipation for the film, which aims to portray one of India’s most celebrated warrior kings. The film features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Boman Irani, Amol Gupte and Genelia Deshmukh. The teaser, running over two minutes, introduces the characters before showcasing intense battle sequences. It opens with Sanjay Dutt portraying a powerful ruler opposing the Marathas, followed by Abhishek Bachchan as Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale, depicted as a fierce warrior. Riteish Deshmukh appears later in the role of Shivaji, highlighting his mission to establish Swarajya. The teaser was shared on social media by Jio Studios on Tuesday. Mounted on a grand scale, the film promises high-intensity action, elaborate world-building and strong technical execution. It features music by Ajay-Atul and cinematography by Santosh Sivan. Presented by Jio Studios and produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Genelia Deshmukh under the banner of Mumbai Film Company, the film is scheduled for worldwide theatrical release on May 1, 2026, in Marathi, Hindi and Telugu.   #From NDTV

Actress Lara Dutta, who debuted in Andaaz opposite Akshay Kumar, revealed she had a terrifying experience of nearly drowning while filming a dance sequence in the sea. At the time, Lara didn’t know how to swim and was swept away by strong waves along with Akshay. Recalling the incident in a conversation with Asian Television Network Canada, Lara said, “I went underwater wearing leather, didn’t know how to swim, sank like a rock.” Akshay Kumar grabbed her and brought her safely back to the beach. She went into hypothermic shock, the shoot was paused, and she was rushed to the hospital. Years later, when Akshay recommended her for the underwater adventure film Blue, which required extensive ocean sequences, Lara initially declined, saying she couldn’t take it. Akshay’s advice was simple: “Learn swimming.” “At 30, he asked me to learn diving. I said, ‘Mai hi pagal mili hoon’ (Do you think I am crazy?),” Lara recalled. But she took his advice seriously, learned to swim, and overcame the fear left by her experience on Andaaz. Directed by Anthony D'Souza and starring Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan, Blue released in 2009. While it wasn’t a major box office success, it helped Lara conquer her phobia and boosted her confidence. Lara Dutta was last seen in the film Ishq-e-Nadaan. #From NDTV

Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar: The Revenge continues its record-breaking run, crossing ₹1,000 crore in domestic gross earnings within just 11 days of release. According to box office tracker Sacnilk, the film has earned ₹1,011.95 crore gross in India, with a net collection of ₹846.47 crore. Overseas, it added ₹25 crore on its 11th day, taking its total international earnings to ₹350 crore. The film collected ₹68.10 crore in India on its second Sunday, slightly higher than Saturday’s figures. Of this, ₹63 crore came from the Hindi version, while the Telugu version contributed ₹3 crore. Released on March 19, the film opened strongly with ₹102.55 crore on its first day, followed by ₹80.72 crore on March 20 and ₹113 crore on March 21. It maintained momentum with ₹114.85 crore on March 22, before collections dipped to ₹65 crore on the following Monday. Throughout the week, daily earnings ranged between ₹40 crore and ₹60 crore before rising again over the weekend. The number of shows, which stood at 21,633 on the opening day, declined slightly to 19,270 by the second Sunday. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said the film has surpassed the lifetime earnings of Baahubali 2 in the North American market, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film in the region. In a post on X, he wrote that the film has “scripted history” in the United States and Canada, calling it the new top performer in the market. A sequel to the 2025 hit Dhurandhar, the film features returning cast members including Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan and Sanjay Dutt. The original film had emerged as the highest-grossing release of last year. #From NDTV

Aamir Khan has said that the OTT release of his film Sitaare Zameen Par was part of the original strategy, though he did not want it to follow immediately after its theatrical run. Speaking to PTI, the actor said he was clear from the beginning about releasing the film on a digital platform but preferred a gap after its cinema release. The film is now set to stream on SonyLIV from April 3, allowing those who missed it in theatres to watch it at home. Aamir also said the platform will release a documentary titled Sitaaron Ke Sitaare, which focuses on the real-life parents of the neurodivergent actors featured in the film. He described the documentary as a special project that shifts the spotlight to the parents, calling them the “real superstars” for their role in raising and supporting the 10 young actors. The actor made the comments while attending the red carpet of the inaugural International Film Festival Delhi in the capital. Earlier, Aamir Khan Productions had announced that the film, which had initially skipped an OTT window, would soon be released on streaming. Besides Aamir, the film also stars Genelia Deshmukh and introduces 10 neurodivergent debutants. It is being described as a spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par. The film grossed around Rs 265 crore worldwide, emerging as one of the highest-grossing films of last year. #From NDTV

Ranveer Singh’s latest film ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ continued its strong run at the box office, collecting over Rs 575 crore in India within six days of release. The film earned Rs 56.55 crore on Tuesday, taking its total domestic collection to Rs 575.67 crore (net), according to trade tracker Sacnilk. The gross collection in India stood at around Rs 687.43 crore. Internationally, the film has already crossed Rs 231.57 crore, pushing its worldwide gross collection close to Rs 919 crore. The Hindi version contributed the largest share on Tuesday with Rs 52 crore, while the Telugu version added Rs 3.10 crore, continuing strong regional support. The film opened with Rs 102.55 crore on March 19, followed by Rs 80.72 crore on March 20 and Rs 113 crore on March 21. On March 22, it earned Rs 114.85 crore across 21,633 shows in India. Collections dipped to Rs 65 crore on the first Monday after release. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said the film is also performing well overseas despite restrictions in Gulf countries. It has been released on about 3,000 screens abroad  one of the widest overseas releases for a Hindi film. Earlier, paid previews on March 18 earned Rs 43 crore from 12,735 shows despite some cancellations. Director Aditya Dhar apologised for technical issues affecting certain regional shows, saying the team was working to ensure smooth screenings. Source: NDTV

The Karnataka State Commission for Women has asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to take strict action over alleged obscene and derogatory lyrics used in films, particularly in a song from the movie ‘KD: The Devil’. In a letter to the CBFC’s regional director, the Commission expressed concern about the song ‘Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke’, saying it portrays women in a disrespectful manner. The move came after receiving multiple public complaints. The Commission said such lyrics violate film certification rules and could negatively affect women’s safety and social well-being. It stressed that any content that demeans or presents women in an obscene way should not be approved for public release. It urged the CBFC to carefully review such scenes and lyrics and ensure they are removed or modified before granting certification. It also called for action against those responsible for including such content. In a separate letter to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, the Commission raised similar concerns and asked for steps to regulate the use of offensive language in films. It warned that such content could encourage harassment, especially among young people. Meanwhile, actor Kangana Ranaut criticised the song, calling it a “new low” and urging stricter control over vulgar content in Bollywood. The issue has also reached legal authorities, as a lawyer filed a complaint seeking action against the song, alleging it contains highly vulgar and sexually suggestive content that may harm public decency. Source: NDTV

The 98th Academy Awards on Sunday delivered one of the most exciting Oscars ceremonies in years, with a mix of thrilling winners, historic milestones, and heartfelt tributes that kept audiences captivated. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another emerged as the big winner, taking six Oscars including best picture, while Ryan Coogler’s Sinners won four, marking a rare box-office and awards success for both films. Netflix’s Frankenstein and KPop Demon Hunters also earned multiple wins, proving that popular streaming films could compete with traditional cinema. The ceremony saw historic firsts, including Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first woman to win an Oscar for cinematography for Sinners, and Jessie Buckley becoming the first Irish woman to win best actress. Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler made history as among the few Black recipients in leading acting and screenwriting categories. Host Conan O’Brien set a lively tone, blending humor and political edge, while the In Memoriam segment stood out with emotional tributes, including Barbra Streisand’s homage to Robert Redford. Unlike recent years, the 2026 Oscars avoided major mishaps, running smoothly with no envelope mix-ups or on-stage controversies, and even included a rare tie in the best short film category. The ceremony reflected both cinematic achievement and commercial appeal, signaling a rejuvenation of the Oscars experience for audiences worldwide.   With inputs from BBC

The film One Battle After Another dominated the 98th Academy Awards, winning six Oscars including the coveted best picture award at the ceremony in Los Angeles. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the dark comedy action thriller also secured awards for best director and best casting, marking a major triumph for the filmmaker after multiple previous nominations. The film features a star-studded cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti. It received 13 nominations this year. In the acting categories, Michael B. Jordan won best actor for his role in the film Sinners, while Jessie Buckley took home the best actress award for her performance in Hamnet. Buckley’s win made her the first Irish actress to claim the Oscar for best actress. In her acceptance speech, she dedicated the award to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.” Meanwhile, Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Oscar for best cinematography for her work on Sinners. In another historic moment, the films The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva shared the award for best live-action short film, marking only the sixth tie in the category in the nearly century-long history of the Academy Awards. The ceremony was hosted by US comedian Conan O'Brien and took place in Los Angeles.   With inputs from BBC

Actor Madhu Malhotra, known for her supporting roles in Hindi films during the 1980s and 1990s, has died at the age of 72. Although she never emerged as a leading star, Malhotra became familiar to audiences through appearances in several popular Bollywood productions. One of her most memorable performances was in Hero, directed by Subhash Ghai. In the 1983 hit action romance, she portrayed a gypsy woman featured in the well-known song Lambi Judai, sung by Reshma. The film is also remembered for launching the careers of Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Seshadri. Malhotra also appeared in the 1982 action-comedy Satte Pe Satta, directed by Raj N. Sippy and starring Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini. In the ensemble film, she was paired opposite actor Paintal. She made her film debut in the horror movie Andhera by the Ramsay Brothers. Her entry into mainstream Hindi cinema came with The Great Gambler (1979), directed by Shakti Samanta, where she played the sister of the character portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan. A regular collaborator of Subhash Ghai, Malhotra also appeared in the 1980 hit Karz alongside Rishi Kapoor, Simi Garewal and Tina Munim. Before gaining recognition through “Lambi Judai,” she played the love interest of Prem Chopra in the romantic drama Aas Paas, which starred Dharmendra and Hema Malini. Despite appearing in numerous films, her career largely remained limited to secondary and supporting roles. She later portrayed the sister of Anil Kapoor in the 1992 adaptation of Heer Ranjha, which featured Sridevi in the title role. In 1993, she played Mrs Malik in King Uncle, directed by Rakesh Roshan and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Jackie Shroff and Nagma. She also appeared in Ghulam, directed by Vikram Bhatt and headlined by Aamir Khan and Rani Mukerji. Her final screen appearance came in the 2000 film Woh Bewafa Thi, directed by Mohan Bhakri, which featured Sudesh Berry among its cast.  source:The Indian Express 

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has praised Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar since its release and expressed high expectations for its sequel, Dhurandhar 2, starring Ranveer Singh. Varma suggested that if the sequel earns between ₹1,500–2,000 crore at the box office, it could significantly challenge the business of South Indian films. In an interview with Variety India, Varma said audiences are deeply invested in the characters and story from the first film. “They shot both parts simultaneously, so it’s essentially one film split into two,” he noted, adding that he expects Dhurandhar 2 to outperform its predecessor. Varma also highlighted the strong promotional efforts for the film in South India. He further credited the original Dhurandhar with redefining action choreography in Bollywood. “You can’t have people flying in the air and kicking mid-air anymore; the action has to be realistic. If Dhurandhar 2 makes ₹1,500–2,000 crore, all South films could be affected since they’re designed in the old-school way,” Varma said. The trailer for Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge was released last Saturday, with Varma praising it on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “STRATOSPHERIC LEVEL” and commending Aditya Dhar’s direction. Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge is among the most anticipated Hindi films in recent years. Directed by Aditya Dhar, it sees Ranveer Singh return as Hamza, also known as Jaskirat, an Indian spy operating in Pakistan. The film also stars R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun. The first part, released in December last year, was a mega hit, earning ₹1,300 crore worldwide. Initially, the sequel was expected to clash at the box office with Yash’s Toxic, but the release of Toxic was postponed from March 19 to June 4. Dhurandhar 2 will now face competition from Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, a remake of Vijay’s Theri, both films set to release on March 19 with paid previews on March 18. #From Hindustan Times