Preity Zinta BREAKS SILENCE on Batwara 1947’s box office performance: “You can’t control what happens”

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After several years away from the silver screen, Preity Zinta returned to acting with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Batwara 1947. The period drama, which also stars Sunny Deol, was released theatrically on August 14, 2026, during the Independence Day weekend. However, despite its ensemble cast and the significance of its subject, the film received decent-to-mixed reviews and did not make a significant impact at the box office.

Speaking exclusively to Mid-Day, Preity opened up about the film’s performance and whether its box office underperformance affected her. The actor maintained that she remains proud of the project and believes an actor can only control the effort they put into a film, rather than its eventual reception.

She said, "First of all, I am very proud of the film, and it's a very overwhelming experience. And as an actor, I am always managing expectations. Once I am working, I put in my 100 per cent. As I said earlier, I believe in karam (deed). You do your karam and then leave the rest to god. You can't control what happens. So, you work as hard as you can on every film; I give my 1000 per cent and then leave the rest to God."

 

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What is Batwara 1947 about? Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Batwara 1947 is set in Lahore during the Partition of British India. The film is adapted from Asghar Wajahat’s acclaimed play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai and centres on a Muslim refugee family that moves from India to Lahore after Partition.

Sunny Deol plays the head of the refugee family, who is allotted a haveli in Lahore. However, the family discovers that an elderly Hindu woman, played by Shabana Azmi, continues to live in the house. The story explores how the two communities navigate their circumstances, while focusing on humanity, empathy and resilience amid the upheaval caused by Partition.

 

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The film features Preity Zinta, Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol and Abhimanyu Singh, who plays the antagonist Yaqoob Pehalwan. The music has been composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, while Santosh Sivan serves as the cinematographer.

Also Read: Preity Zinta on working 16-18 hour shifts for Vibe amid 8-hour workday debate: “I wanted to finish my work and go back to America to be with my kids…didn’t go out even for one evening”

Nora Fatehi sued for Rs 3 crores by aviation company over alleged “toy” and “Lego airplane” comments: Report

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Actress Nora Fatehi has reportedly landed in a legal dispute after aviation company Dunes Aviation filed a Rs 3 crores civil defamation suit against her at a Gandhinagar court over comments she allegedly made about one of its chartered aircraft on social media.

According to a PTI report, Dunes Aviation has accused Nora of making “derogatory and reckless” remarks after she shared videos from inside the company’s aircraft during a Mumbai-Jaipur flight in December last year. The company has alleged that the actress referred to the aircraft as a “miniature”, a “toy” and a “Lego airplane” in the videos posted on her Instagram account.

The matter is reportedly scheduled to come up before senior civil judge R Agarwal on September 25. Dunes Aviation claims social media posts affected business In its suit, Dunes Aviation has reportedly claimed that Nora’s remarks reached a substantial audience because of her social media following, which the company puts at more than 4.6 crores followers.

The aviation firm has alleged that the posts caused reputational and commercial damage, including booking cancellations and a decline in business. According to the company, its bookings dropped by 15 to 20 per cent following the controversy, while cancellations increased.

Dunes Aviation has described Nora’s alleged comments as “reckless, irresponsible, and made without any technical knowledge, verification or factual basis”. The company has further claimed that the remarks resulted in “serious reputational damage, loss of goodwill and adverse commercial impact”. Company defends aircraft’s certification and operation Dunes Aviation has also addressed the comments about the aircraft itself. According to the suit, the Cessna Citation CJ2 used for the Mumbai-Jaipur journey was a standard aircraft and appropriately sized for the flight.

The company has stated that the aircraft was fully DGCA-certified and airworthy and was being operated legally under a valid Non-Scheduled Operator’s Permit (NSOP). What Dunes Aviation has sought from Nora Fatehi Apart from Rs 3 crores in damages, Dunes Aviation has reportedly asked the court to direct Nora to remove social media posts and other online content containing the alleged remarks or references to the aircraft.

The company has also sought a public clarification from the actress over the comments.

Also Read: Guru Randhawa supports Nora Fatehi after podcast comments: “So many young kids are inspired from you on a daily basis”

Birth Anniversary EXCLUSIVE: “Asha Bhosle aatya did a brilliant job as an actor in Mai,” recalls niece and veteran actor Padmini Kolhapure

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Legendary singer Asha Bhosle passed away earlier this year on April 12 at the age of 92. Today happens to be her 93rd birth anniversary. She left behind a legacy which will be celebrated for eternity. But apart from singing thousands of songs in various languages, Bhosle also acted in the Hindi film Mai, where she played the titular role.

Interestingly, the movie starred Bhosle’s niece and veteran actor Padmini Kolhapure as her daughter. Kolhapure spoke about Bhosle and her experience of acting with her in an exclusive interview she gave Bollywood Hungama at the end of May this year.

Kolhapure shared why Mai means a lot to her. “Thanks to Asha aatya that I got my first film Ishq Ishq Ishq as a kid,” she said. “I came a full circle when I did Mai with her. We worked together. She said that she will only work in that film if Padmini is a part of it. We interacted so much. She was very close to my father. So, she would tell me all those wonderful stories of their young and masti days. So, whether it was her or Lata (Mangeshkar) ji, they would just keep telling me all those wonderful stories.”

She added, “It was great working with her. If you see the film, she has done such a brilliant job.”

Kolhapure said that Bhosle and Mangeshkar are always going to be immortal. “When I think of Asha aatya, so many things come to my mind. There’s not just, 1, 2, 20 or 50 things. When we say she is not with us, it just doesn’t seem real. The persona and work of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, who have been my aunts, has been so great that it’s just going to be there for eternity. For me, they are like living legends only because we still hear their songs every single day.”

Sharing an example, she said, “I met Ashutosh Gowariker recently and he said my mornings begin with Asha ji’s and night ends with Lata ji’s songs. He said that is there and that’s never going to change.”

Shortly after the passing away of Asha Bhosle, Bollywood Hungama spoke with Mahesh Kodiyal, the director of Mai, on his experience of directing the singing legend in her first and only film. After narrating how he cast Bhosle, he said, “At times, Asha tai used to feel how she would enact such an emotional scene. At that time, I used to ask Padmini to make her comfortable. She used to give a fantastic take. But still she didn’t used to be happy with it. She used to say, ‘Nahin re, maine barabar nahin kiya’. I used to say just that she did is a big thing.”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Mahesh Kodiyal on approaching Asha Bhosle to act in Mai, “She looked sternly and asked, ‘Gana gaane bulaya tha na?’”; director also shares why it wasn’t challenging for the late legend to act

SCOOP: Karan Johar-Shanaya Kapoor’s Student Of The Year 3 gets a BOLD makeover; web series to be a Class-meets-Euphoria youth drama

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After impressing audiences in Tu Yaa Main (2026), Shanaya Kapoor will next be seen in Student Of The Year 3. Bollywood Hungama has now learned some interesting details about the upcoming venture, backed by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment.

A source told Bollywood Hungama, “To begin with, while Student Of The Year (2012) and Student Of The Year 2 (2019) were films, the third installment of Student Of The Year will be a web series. Secondly, the first two parts were candyfloss and light-hearted entertainers. Student Of The Year 3, meanwhile, is in an altogether different space.”

The source explained, “Student Of The Year 3 is darker, edgier and far more intense than the previous two instalments. Tonally, it is being envisioned as a Class-meets-Euphoria kind of show — blending the privileged, high-pressure world of young students, complicated friendships and relationships seen in Netflix’s Indian series Class with the bold, provocative and emotionally turbulent treatment associated with the globally popular Euphoria. Viewers will be pleasantly surprised by the conflicts, relationships and overall genre of the third part. Moreover, this kind of youth-driven, edgy content has an audience across markets, which could further widen its appeal and viewership.”

The source also stated, “Student Of The Year 3 is expected to release this year, on JioHotstar.” There were also reports that Student Of The Year 3 will be called Student Of The Year 3 – After The Dark but the source said that it may or may not be the final title. The official announcement will give a clearer idea about the same.

Student Of The Year 3 is directed by Reema Maya. As per reports, Shanaya Kapoor will be seen in a double role. The first part marked the debut of Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra, and was directed by Karan Johar. Student Of The Year 2, on the other hand, starred Tiger Shroff and launched Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria. It was helmed by Punit Malhotra. Alia appeared in a song in the second part.

Also Read: Shanaya Kapoor to make Telugu debut with Zombie Reddy 2 opposite Teja Sajja; Suparn Varma directs franchise sequel: Report

Masaba Gupta calls Bipasha Basu “last of the OGs,”; her muscle remarks draw attention to Mrunal Thakur’s old statement

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Masaba Gupta has praised Bipasha Basu after the actress featured as Elle India’s Digital Cover Star, calling her one of the last original stars of her generation. However, a portion of Masaba’s post has caught the attention of social media users, with several interpreting her comments about Bipasha’s muscular physique as an indirect response to remarks previously made by Mrunal Thakur.

Re-sharing a post featuring Bipasha, Masaba wrote, “I am very happy to see Bipasha on a cover. You see, she is the last of the OGs.” She went on to praise the actress for standing apart from what she described as increasingly similar beauty and fashion standards.

“There won't be another Bipasha because everything is a cookie cutter template today,” Masaba wrote. She also compared Bipasha with actresses from the current generation, describing some of them as “boring and dull” and saying that the present generation “does not inspire one bit of confidence.” Masaba Gupta’s comment about Bipasha’s physique goes viral Masaba’s remarks about Bipasha’s fitness, however, became the most discussed part of her post. Praising the actress for her athletic build, she wrote, “And @bipashabasu- I love your athletic build. I love the muscle- and I want more thanks to the standard of fitness you set.”

She added, “Too bad if someone doesn't see that as feminine.”

While Masaba did not mention Mrunal Thakur by name in the post, her reference to Bipasha’s muscular physique led some social media users to connect the remarks with an old interview featuring Mrunal. Why are netizens linking Masaba’s post to Mrunal Thakur? The conversation stems from a throwback interview from Mrunal’s television days, when she appeared alongside her Kumkum Bhagya co-star Arjit Taneja. During a discussion about fitness and the kind of physique one might prefer in a partner, Mrunal referred to Bipasha and said, “Do you want to marry a girl who is manly with muscles? Go marry Bipasha. Listen, I am far better than Bipasha, ok.”

The clip resurfaced online in 2025 and drew criticism, with several social media users accusing Mrunal of body-shaming Bipasha. Later, Mrunal issued an apology for body-shaming Bipasha.

Also Read: Mrunal Thakur issues heartfelt apology over resurfaced Bipasha Basu comment: “I truly wish I had chosen my words differently”

Hand chains are back! Rashmika Mandanna, Sonam Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor and more show how to style the trend!

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There is something entirely royal about hand chains, those that are making a strong comeback now. Whether in western or traditional outfits, hand chains are becoming a staple accessory, adding a statement touch to both basic outfits or elevated ones. And Bollywood is defining this comeback trend once again! Take a look:

Diana Penty: Diana Penty elevates a ribbed saree with contemporary, minimal jewellery, where the dainty golden hand chain with minimal charms places itself as a scene-stealer.

 

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Sonam Kapoor: Sonam Kapoor brings a royal touch to her ensemble by donning an embellished, encrusted hand chain with multi-coloured gems and floral patterns, leaning heavily to the ethnic side.

 

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Shanaya Kapoor: Shanaya Kapoor makes her ethnic ensemble even more dazzling by donning a silver hand chain with beaded patterns that make it a standout.

 

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Rashmika Mandanna: Rashmika Mandanna brings golden power to her ensemble by donning a golden hand chain with stacked beaded patterns, bringing contrasting styles to the accessory and her ensemble.

 

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Manushi Chhillar: Manushi Chhillar taps into golden aesthetics by donning a dramatic hand chain that aligns with the mood of her overall jewellery.

 

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Handchains are making a comeback, and these actresses are leading the trend.

Also Read: Kroll Celebrity Brand Valuation 2025: Nearly half of the Top 25 are actresses; no South male star in rankings

Director Oni Sen on making Operation Safed Sagar: “We wanted the audience to feel the grit, the danger and the raw physics of combat”

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Making Operation Safed Sagar was not simply a matter of recreating the 1999 Kargil War on a large scale. For director Oni Sen, the challenge was to make the audience believe what they are watching might have actually happened. And that meant pushing the production far beyond conventional filmmaking.

So how did they achieve it? By simply keeping it real, says Sen. “We wanted the audience to feel the grit, the danger, and the raw physics of combat. Every visual choice had to be rooted in ground truth,” the director says to Bollywood Hungama. “So, when it came to conceptualizing and executing our sequence architecture, whether complex aerial action scenes or high-stakes ground engagements, my discussion with our cinematographer, Setu (Satyajit Pande) and the entire VFX team was simple: 'Let's keep it real.’”

That philosophy shaped everything from the way aircraft were filmed to the texture of a cockpit and even the movement of sunlight at 30,000 feet. “Setu and our visual effects team executed it with extraordinary craft. They seamlessly blended practical footage with visual effects, creating a unified visual language where, while we stayed 'real,' we managed to make our viewers 'feel,'" Sen adds.

The ‘make it real’ rule was approached even to bring the aerial action to the screen, which is inherently difficult to dramatize because much of it happens at enormous distances and incredible speeds. Every ground scene involving jets, including actual taxiing, takeoffs, and landings, featured real aircraft on real airfields. For the high-octane flying sequences, the makers developed exhaustive animated previsualisation scenes that were reviewed and approved by aviation experts.

“To capture the raw physical intensity inside the cockpit, our production design team built a photorealistic MiG-21 cockpit,” reveals the director. “We mounted this cockpit onto a high-grade motion base, custom-programmed to mimic the exact motion of the aircraft based on our previous sequences. We synchronized this with programmable lighting rigs that dynamically simulated shifting sunlight as the jet maneuvered through the sky.”

Actors also underwent rigorous training under the guidance of active fighter pilots. They learned the physical strain of flying, breathing techniques, and operational controls to make their performance convincing. Preparing the cast was an extensive journey in itself. Several of them had the profound privilege of meeting directly with the actual individuals or their families, while for characters based on political figures or Pakistani leadership, where direct access wasn't possible, the makers established an exhaustive archive of archival video footage, news broadcasts, and historical records.

“Historical research was only the foundation. I worked closely with each actor to map out their character’s emotional graph across the entire series, carefully calibrating their psychological trajectory from scene to scene,” adds the filmmaker.

Operation Safed Sagar was an exceptionally ambitious production from its inception. Long before Oni Sen came on board as a director, its showrunner Abhijeet Singh Parmar and his dedicated research and writing team had spent a few years laying a rock-solid foundation. They didn't just study the details of the IAF’s role in the Kargil war; they absorbed the lived reality of IAF pilots — their interpersonal dynamics, their subtle behavioural traits, their daily routines, and the intricate science of combat flying. Every page of the script was meticulously examined by Air Force consultants, including decorated veterans who had personally flown missions during the actual operation.

Every single day on set meant coordinating with actual fighter jets, transport aircrafts, attack helicopters, ordnance, and complex radar systems. To ensure absolute precision, the makers worked hand-in-hand with IAF technical experts and consultants who guided every move on the tarmac.

“From day one, our team carried a deep sense of responsibility to respect the history we were bringing to life. We were exceptionally fortunate that the Indian Air Force placed their trust in us, graciously opening their doors and granting us unprecedented permission to film within real and active Air Force installations,” Sen signs off.

Created by Abhijit Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava, and starring Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Varma, Dia Mirza, Mihir Ahuja, Adil Hussain and Prajakta Koli, Operation Safed Sagar is streaming on Netflix India.

Also Read: The Making of Operation Safed Sagar: How director Oni Sen turned a war epic into an intimate human story