Madhuri Dixit becomes brand ambassador for Madhusudan Frozen; actress to front frozen foods brand for two years

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Madhuri Dixit has added a new brand association to her portfolio. The actress has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Madhusudan Frozen, the frozen foods arm of the Madhusudan brand, for a two-year association. Through the partnership, the company plans to build awareness around its range of frozen vegetables and ready-to-cook food products.

The association sees Madhuri lend her name to a category that is increasingly becoming part of urban household cooking, with convenience emerging as one of the key factors driving demand for frozen and ready-to-cook foods. Madhusudan Frozen offers farm-picked, rapidly frozen vegetables as well as ready-to-cook options, with the company following a farmer-to-freezer approach that involves working with farmers and processing produce soon after harvest.

Speaking about the collaboration, Madhusudan Frozen managing director Amit Aggarwal said the company sees the frozen foods category as the next step in its expansion beyond its established dairy business. He highlighted quality and convenience as the key areas of focus and said Madhuri’s connect with Indian households and enduring popularity made her a suitable choice for the association. He added that the company hopes the two-year partnership will help introduce more consumers to its range and the convenience it offers for everyday meals.

Madhuri, meanwhile, highlighted the journey of the produce before it reaches consumers. According to the actress, what appealed to her about the association was the brand’s focus on working closely with farmers and processing vegetables soon after harvest. She noted that the combination of produce sourced at the farm level and the convenience of ready-to-cook formats is relevant to the way families cook today. Madhuri added that she was looking forward to helping consumers discover the ease, variety and flexibility that frozen foods can offer.

As part of its ready-to-cook range, Madhusudan Frozen also offers Chaaps, positioned as a protein-rich option that can be prepared quickly. The company has entered the category at a time when India’s frozen foods market is expanding. According to IMARC, the market was valued at Rs 21,659 crore in 2025 and is projected to reach Rs 64,364 crore by 2034, with changing lifestyles and demand for convenient meal solutions among the factors contributing to the growth.

For Madhuri, the new association comes amid her continued presence across films and streaming projects. On the work front, the actress was last seen in Maa Behen, which also starred Triptii Dimri, Dharna Durga and Ravi Kishan. The film premiered on Netflix on June 4.

Also Read: Madhuri Dixit turns host for Kon Honar Crorepati; actress unveils first promo in Maharashtrian avatar

Hanuman Ansh producer Anupriya Nagar reveals she wanted to return to Zurich after film was declared flop: “I thought this industry was not meant for me”

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Producer Anupriya Nagar, who is just 21 years old, has opened up about the initial struggles faced by Hanuman Ansh after its release. In an interview with Siddharth Kanan, Anupriya recalled how the film’s declining screen count and lack of support left her questioning whether she wanted to continue in the film industry.

Speaking about the film’s early box office performance, Anupriya said, “It was disheartening to see that the film was not doing well at the box office. I wasn’t disheartened because we weren’t making money. I was disheartened because people weren’t watching the film. I couldn’t understand whether devotees were not going to watch it or whether they were going and not enjoying it. We simply didn’t understand what was happening. That was one of the most difficult times,”

She revealed that she decided to personally step in and create awareness around the film. “I thought, I am one of the producers of this film, and I have invested my hard-earned money in this project so that people watch it and know about Maharaj Ji. I couldn’t just sit with my hands folded,”

Anupriya travelled to Delhi, met leaders and devotees and also turned to podcasts and interviews to generate word of mouth. “I went to Delhi and thought I would meet whoever I could. I met top leaders, I met a lot of his devotees and tried to get them to post something from their handles, so that there could be some word of mouth. I wanted some kind of movement to happen. I thought, let me do podcasts. Honestly, at that time nobody knew me. Nobody knew that Hanuman Ansh was coming or that it was about Maharaj Ji. I also want to thank those podcasters and interviewers who gave me the opportunity to speak through their channels at that time,”

The situation became even more difficult when the makers were informed that the film’s screen count had fallen sharply. “We got a call on the eighth day saying, ‘Your film has gone from 300 screens to 30 screens. Maybe tomorrow your film will be out because two more films are coming.’ We were told that perhaps only a miracle could save the film and that it might be out of theatres the next day,”

Recalling the uncertainty within the team, she added, “There were people in the team who were thinking that everything was over and that perhaps we should get a good OTT deal so that we could recover the money. That was the most difficult time we saw,”

Anupriya admitted that the experience even made her consider leaving the industry. “When the film was declared a flop, I thought maybe I would pack my bags and go back to Zurich. I thought this industry was not meant for me. I had reached that stage where I was thinking I would leave the industry and go back,”

She also recalled how difficult it had been to find investment for the film during its initial stages. “Since the beginning, even before I came on board, the Hanuman Ansh team had gone to many people for investment for post-production, but nobody agreed to invest, even though it wasn’t a very big investment.”

According to Anupriya, the film was initially viewed as a small-budget project without established names. “Before the release, there were a handful of people who supported us, but many people didn’t believe in the project. They thought it was a small-budget film, the director was making his first film, and the actors were also new. They thought the film would come and go. People didn’t have that belief.”

However, she says the perception around the film has since changed. “I am so glad the industry’s thought process has now changed. Everyone in the industry is supporting us,” she said.

She further revealed that several producers have since reached out to congratulate the team and acknowledge their initial doubts. “Lots of producers have reached out and it is very sweet. They have congratulated us. Some of them have actually come to me and said, ‘First of all, I apologise because this film had come to us. We are sorry we couldn’t join you. That was the biggest mistake I made.’”

“They said, ‘You have made us realise that a small film can do so much. You have given a lesson to the industry.’ They told us, ‘Whatever you want, we are with you.’ It is very sweet. I don’t blame them because it was a very small film,” she added.

Hanuman Ansh is a biographical drama directed by Vishal Chaturvedi and based on the life and teachings of Neem Karoli Baba. The film stars Shobhinaw Satyaa, Vihaan Shedge, Chandan Anand, Purnima Tiwari, Anil Rastogi and Gulshan Pandey in key roles. Hanuman Ansh released in cinemas on August 7, 2026

Also Read: Hanuman Ansh Box Office: Film collects Rs. 3.43 cr on Day 48, takes total closer to Rs. 280 cr

Shah Rukh Khan leads India’s richest actors with Rs 10,000 crores net worth; despite Rs 2,490 crores drop in estimated wealth

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Shah Rukh Khan has retained his position as the richest Indian actor in the Hurun India Rich List 2026. According to the latest ranking, the actor’s estimated net worth stands at Rs 10,000 crores. His wealth includes his business interests, including production company Red Chillies Entertainment and his involvement with Knight Riders Sports.

While Shah Rukh Khan continues to lead the list, his reported net worth has declined compared to the previous year. The Hurun India Rich List 2025 had estimated his net worth at Rs 12,490 crores. This marks a drop of Rs 2,490 crores, or around 20%, in the latest estimate. Earlier this year, the Hurun Global Rich List had placed his net worth at Rs 10,800 crores. A significant part of Shah Rukh Khan’s wealth is linked to his business ventures. Red Chillies Entertainment, which he runs with his wife Gauri Khan, is among his key business interests. The company has been involved in film production as well as visual effects through its associated ventures. The actor is also associated with Knight Riders Sports, the group behind cricket franchises including Kolkata Knight Riders. His involvement in the sports business forms another part of his overall financial portfolio. Shah Rukh Khan has been away from the big screen since 2023, when he starred in Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki. All three films were released in the same year and marked his return to leading roles following a period away from the big screen. The actor is now preparing for his next theatrical release, King. The film is directed by Siddharth Anand and stars Shah Rukh Khan alongside his daughter Suhana Khan. King is scheduled to release on December 24. With his latest reported net worth of Rs 10,000 crores, Shah Rukh Khan remains at the top among Indian actors featured in the Hurun India Rich List 2026. His reported wealth, however, is lower than the estimate recorded for him in the previous edition of the list.

Also Read : SHOCKING: Sameer reveals, “Nadeem Saifi heard Zamaana Deewana’s script and told Ramesh Sippy, ‘Aisi WAHIYAAD kahani maine nahin suni’!”

EXCLUSIVE: PVR INOX’s Kamal Gianchandani predicts a “MONSTROUS December” with Avengers: Doomsday, Dune 3, Jumanji and King; dismisses screen-sharing fears: “We’ll handle it easily…it’s a good problem to have!”

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This year, December is going to be a treat for moviegoers. Shraddha Kapoor’s much-awaited period drama, Eetha, will release on December 4. Two weeks later, December 18 will witness the epic clash between Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three. A week later, on December 24, Jumanji: Open World will clash with Shah Rukh Khan’s highly anticipated flick, King. While there’s tremendous excitement among audiences to watch these four diverse films during the holiday season, there’s also concern over how screen-sharing will play out. Many expect an intense tussle for screens, especially at single-screen cinemas.

Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke with Kamal Gianchandani, Chief Business Planning & Strategy at PVR INOX Limited and CEO of PVR INOX Pictures Limited, about this aspect. When asked whether he expects screen-sharing problems to arise, he replied, “It’s a good problem to have! We have a very experienced team who have been doing it for ages. We’ll handle it. There’s no problem with respect to capacities. In India, we have enough and more capacity to now handle 2 or 3 big releases in the same week. We’ll handle it easily.”

Two days from now, on Friday, September 25, Avengers Endgame: Encore will release and is expected to open with a bang. Kamal Gianchandani predicted, “The advances are fantastic. It’ll smash all re-release records without a doubt.”

Interestingly, the hype surrounding the re-release of Avengers Endgame: Encore also indicates the enormous anticipation for the next film in the franchise, Avengers: Doomsday, which is expected to put up a huge number on its opening day.

Kamal Gianchandani agreed, “It’s a foregone conclusion. If Endgame is having this sort of a response, you can imagine the response that Doomsday will have. It’ll be a monstrous December with Doomsday, Dune: Part Three, Jumanji: Open World and King. December is shaping up to be absolutely massive this year.”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: PVR INOX’s Kamal Gianchandani on Hollywood’s record-breaking India run: “People are tired of consuming films at home”; predicts Avengers Endgame: Encore will “SMASH all re-release records”; CONFIRMS India releases of Godzilla Minus Zero, Artificial

Aditya Dhar hopes to return to the National Film Awards with Dhurandhar next year: “Today, it is all about Article 370”

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Filmmaker Aditya Dhar attended the 72nd National Film Awards with wife and actor Yami Gautam, as their 2024 film Article 370 emerged as one of the major winners at the ceremony. The film won Best Feature Film, while Yami was honoured with Best Actress for her performance. Article 370 also won Best Music Direction for Shashwat Sachdev.

However, when Aditya Dhar was asked about his much-anticipated film Dhurandhar during a red carpet interaction, the filmmaker kept the focus firmly on the film being celebrated that evening. Aditya Dhar says, “Today, it is all about Article 370” During the interaction, Aditya Dhar was asked about making what was described as one of the biggest films in the Indian film industry. While the question referred to Dhurandhar, Dhar pointed out that the occasion was about Article 370 and its National Award recognition. “We are here for Article 370, we will discuss Dhurandhar hopefully if we come next year also. But, today, it is all about Article 370,” he said.

The comment comes as Dhurandhar continues to remain a major talking point around Dhar’s upcoming work. Since the current National Film Awards recognise films from the 2024 eligibility cycle, Dhurandhar is not part of this year’s awards. The film could be considered for a future edition, subject to the applicable eligibility rules.

Watch | We will discuss Dhurandhar if we come next year also, but today it's about Article 370: Dhurandhar Maker Aditya Dhar at Ektanagar in Gujarat for National Film Awards with his Actress Wife Yami Gautam pic.twitter.com/AxsgUcaMBV — DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) September 22, 2026

Yami Gautam Dhar calls National Award the “biggest validation” For Yami Gautam, the evening marked a major milestone as she received her first National Film Award for her performance in Article 370. Speaking about the honour, the actor said, “It feels great. We were just discussing, this is the biggest validation for any artist. I think it is the highest honour presented to you by your country. I don't think I will be able to express right now. I am smiling, but from inside I am feeling like an energy of a newcomer for whom everything is so big, everything is so new and special,” Yami said.

The actor's win came alongside Article 370 being named Best Feature Film and Shashwat Sachdev receiving the award for Best Music Direction. Article 370’s National Film Awards recognition Directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, Article 370 was among the films recognised at the 72nd National Film Awards. The ceremony was held on September 22, 2026, in Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat. It marked the first time the National Film Awards ceremony was held outside Delhi.

Also Read: Aditya Dhar teases wife Yami Gautam over Nayyi Navelli poster; says, “So this is what i married into”

Richa Chadha praises Salman Khan for speaking against body-shaming on Bigg Boss 20: “Trolls cannot exist without us”

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Richa Chadha has praised Salman Khan for speaking out against online trolling and body-shaming during the latest Bigg Boss 20 Weekend Ka Vaar episode. Salman’s remarks on age, weight, appearance and motherhood have sparked conversations about the scrutiny faced by women, particularly new mothers, over their bodies.

Salman addressed the issue without naming anyone. Speaking about the tendency to troll people over different aspects of their lives, he said, “Why do you want to troll? Uske wazan par, uske looks par, uske khaandaan par, kisi ke smile par, kisi ke flop par, kisi ke maa banne par, aap apni upbringing dikha rahe ho."

His comments came amid online discussion around the trolling faced by Katrina Kaif following her appearance at the Ambani family's Ganpati celebrations with husband Vicky Kaushal. Katrina, who recently became a mother, was subjected to comments about her postpartum appearance and weight. Richa Chadha REACTS to Salman Khan’s comments Reacting to Salman’s remarks, Richa Chadha told News18 that she welcomed the actor addressing the issue. She also spoke about the role of men in online trolling and the scrutiny directed at women's bodies. “I didn’t know he spoke about it but it’s great! It’s a magnanimous thing to do. One shouldn’t pay heed. Poor men are so limited in their thinking capacities and they’ll never have the profound experience of giving birth," Richa said.

The actor also criticised people who mock women, particularly mothers, over changes in their bodies after childbirth. “They cannot exist without us. All of them came from a womb. In the natural order of things, if you start to make fun of mothers, it backfires very badly. Every single individual, who sat with a stupid paunch and a receding hairline and made comments on women’s bodies, is unhappy with their own body."

Richa's comments come from her own experience of dealing with body image pressures in the film industry. The actor has previously spoken about facing body-shaming and battling an eating disorder amid pressure to fit the conventional image associated with a Bollywood heroine.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Richa Chadha reveals how Musafiri evolved from being festival-centric to Mumbai-centric: “I realized there are a lot of topics to cover”

“Raazi characters aren’t any less patriotic than Dhurandhar’s,” says Meghna Gulzar; explains the difference

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Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar has opened up about how films portray patriotism differently, comparing her 2018 directorial Raazi with the more action-driven Dhurandhar. According to Meghna, the difference lies in the stories being told rather than the level of patriotism displayed by their characters.

The filmmaker discussed the subject during her appearance on the podcast Learn By KK Create. Asked about Dhurandhar and whether her approach to patriotism differs from that seen in other films, Meghna said that the characters in Raazi are not less patriotic simply because their patriotism is expressed differently on screen.

“The difference is in the story. I don't think Raazi's characters aren't any less patriotic than Dhurandhar's characters. It is their actions because of the way the story is. That is how they are depicted. One does not have to be right, and the other has to be wrong. Patriotism and prayers don't need volume. And they aren't expressed in one particular way. Every individual has their own way of expression,” she said. Meghna Gulzar on patriotism and moral choices in Raazi Released in 2018, Raazi starred Alia Bhatt as Sehmat, a young Indian woman who is recruited as an undercover operative and sent to Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The film explores her mission through personal relationships, sacrifice and the moral consequences of her actions.

For Meghna, the character's patriotism does not necessarily translate into an absence of moral conflict. When asked whether there was a limit to the kind of patriotism she would portray on screen, she said the character's own boundaries were what mattered. “There is no limit. If the character does not have a limit, how will I have a limit? And there was no limit of Raazi's character's patriotism. She had a limit when it came to her moral compass,” Meghna said.

On the professional front, Meghna Gulzar is currently gearing up for her latest directorial, Daayra, which stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: “Meghna Gulzar gave me a character that had real weight; sharing screen space with Kareena Kapoor was an experience,” says Upendra Chauhan on Daayra