Author: Ankita Singh

Actor Rajat Bedi, who has made a triumphant return with the Aryan Khan directorial ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, recently praised his co-actor Raghav Juyal during a conversation about the show’s success.

Raghav’s Outstanding Talent

Celebrating his comeback, Rajat expressed admiration for Raghav’s exceptional skills, remarking that he is one of those rare actors who can dominate the frame and outshine his co-stars. He stated, “Raghav is outstanding. I mean if you see Raghav’s story, he has worked so hard. What an actor! It was actually my first time working with Raghav. I didn’t have many scenes with him, but whatever I have performed with him, I can assure you, he is a gem of an actor.”

Unique Performer

When discussing what makes Raghav unique, Rajat highlighted that in his extensive career, he considers two actors as truly extraordinary: Govinda and Raghav. “Both of them belong to that category of actors who can single-handedly carry a scene. Raghav kha jata hai (Raghav eats up the entire scene). If the scene is yours, and he has a few lines in it, he will still steal your moment. Same with Govinda; if he has just a few lines and you have a whole page of dialogue, Govinda will eat the scene.”

Rajat also mentioned that Aryan Khan, the director of the show, along with his friends, are huge fans of ‘Koi Mil Gaya’. In ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, Rajat plays the role of a ‘has been’ star. The show, directed by Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, is available for streaming on Netflix.

Hollywood actress-singer Jessica Simpson recently shared her thoughts on her personal and professional journeys, revealing that becoming “single again as a mom of three” was something she never anticipated.

The 45-year-old star announced her separation from Eric Johnson in January after a decade-long marriage. Jessica candidly admitted she never imagined being single at this stage of her life. In a conversation with People, she stated, “I feel like we get caught up in numbers. Like, ‘Oh, at 45, would I think that I would be single again as a mom of three?’ Absolutely not. That was not how I planned it. But it’s just a part of what destiny holds for me.”

New Fragrance, New Insights

Jessica mentioned that her new fragrance, Mystic Canyon, symbolizes her journey of self-discovery. She explained, “This time in my life, I was meant to be independent in my self-discovery without anybody else’s critiques, judgments, or opinions. It was really about coming home to myself, being proud of that person, coming from a place of being just very honest and very vulnerable, and putting that into melodic form, but also using it in the brand. It has been really empowering.”

Ready to Date Again

In July, Jessica revealed her readiness to start dating again. When asked by Today show co-host Jenna Bush-Hager if she was interested in dating, Jessica responded enthusiastically, “I’d totally jump on that. Yes I’m single, very into like, very. I’m ready!”

Jenna then inquired about her preferences, asking, “What are you into so I can set my criteria?” Jessica explained, “My type of person is one of a kind. I don’t have a look or anything. I just like for somebody to be individually, who they are. And exude confidence without the ego.”

She added, “It’s hard to find but I feel like it’s out there. I don’t need somebody to be supportive of me all the time. I feel like the independence that I have right now, if I can have that and give it to someone else, that’d be cool.”

The festival of lights, Diwali, has recently begun, filling the country with joy, vibrancy, and happiness. In light of this festive occasion, television stars have opened up about their plans and what Diwali signifies for them.

Naman Shawarma’s Perspective

Actor Naman Shawarma expressed, “Diwali, the festival of lights, holds a special place in my heart, even though I am away from my family in Kolkata. I cherish the time spent with my small family—my wife, son, and niece—celebrating the festival with love and tradition.”

He shared that preparations for Diwali begin a week in advance, involving annual house cleaning, decorative lighting, and shopping for traditional attire. “On Diwali day, we light up the house, and I make it a point to introduce my four-year-old son to the beautiful traditions of the festival,” he added.

Naman is also committed to a Green Diwali this year. “I will be minimizing firecrackers and opting for a couple of phuljharis (sparkles) to reduce noise and pollution. This approach will not only protect the environment but also show consideration for elderly people and stray animals who are often distressed by loud noises.”

He elaborated further on his plans: “The day is filled with lighting diyas, decorating the house, and indulging in sweets. Post-puja, we head to a friend’s house for a fun card game session, celebrating the spirit of Diwali and cherishing friendships that feel like family in the city.”

Indira Krishnan’s Celebratory Spirit

Actress Indira Krishnan, currently portraying Durgawati in the TV show Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan, also shared her Diwali plans. “Diwali, the Festival of Lights, symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance,” she stated.

Indira emphasized the uniqueness of customs associated with different faiths during this festival, all aimed at themes of renewal, hope, and inner light. “It is one of my favourite festivals as it teaches us to look forward to new beginnings and coming out from the dark. It represents a profound journey inward, using external rituals to encourage inner awakening.”

She further noted, “A significant part of the celebration involves reflecting on the blessings in one’s life. The worship of deities, particularly Goddess Lakshmi, expresses gratitude for prosperity, wealth, and the wisdom to use it ethically.”

Though she is currently away from home and family, shooting in Chandigarh, Indira remains committed to her celebration plans. “I am missing them and preparing for the festival. But I have been taught to stand firm on commitment. My family will celebrate the festival and perform rituals at home, while I will offer my prayers from here. I am also looking forward to enjoying Punjab wali Diwali with my colleagues.”

Indira reflected on the importance of Diwali, stating, “Beyond its spiritual aspects, Diwali strengthens community bonds and promotes a culture of generosity and gratitude. Diwali teaches the joy of giving and sharing happiness with others. I request everyone to extend generosity to those less fortunate, embodying the compassionate spirit of the festival. Let’s all celebrate a green, safe Diwali.”

Indira will soon be featured in Bollywood films Ramayana and Jatadhara. She is well-known for her roles in various television series such as Krishnaben Khakhrawala, Krishnadasi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Rehna Hai Teri Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein, Yeh Hai Chahatein, and Saavi Ki Savaari, among others.

Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt, who is set to star in the upcoming spy-action film ‘Jigra’, has recently shared a glimpse of her Diwali celebrations.

On Tuesday, she posted a series of pictures on her Instagram, showcasing moments with her husband, Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor, family, and friends.

Alia was seen in elegant traditional attire featuring pastel shades of pink and green. The snapshots included her daughter, Raha Kapoor, indulging in watercolors for her drawings. The caption read, “Dilwaali Diwali. Happy Diwali to you and yours.”

Earlier, Alia celebrated the auspicious festival of Dhanteras with her mother-in-law Neetu Kapoor and other in-laws. Neetu shared a peek into the Kapoor pre-Diwali festivities on her Instagram Stories. Alia looked stunning in a shimmery golden saree paired with a matching blouse, enhancing her ethnic look with a complementary choker and mangteeka.

She opted for open hair with a middle parting and golden-based makeup. The photo also featured Kapoor sisters Kareena and Karisma, both looking beautiful in their desi outfits, along with other ladies from the Kapoor family.

In a recent achievement, Alia won the Filmfare Award for ‘Best Actress’ for her role in ‘Jigra’. Sharing her thoughts on the honor, she expressed a desire to have been present at the ceremony and posted a heartfelt note on Instagram.

Alia wrote, “This one will always stay closest to my heart … not just for the story we told, but for the incredible people who gave it life. @vasanbala, thank you for seeing it the way you did. @vedangraina, #VivekGomber, #ManojPahwa, @rahulr_23, @yuvvrajjviijan, @dheerhira.. thank you for the honesty you brought to every frame. So grateful to @filmfare for the honour, and to everyone who found a piece of themselves in this film.”

Shah Rukh Khan, while explaining Alia’s absence at the awards, mentioned, “Alia couldn’t be here because she is currently shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s movie.”

Actress Chitrangda Singh, currently hospitalized, shared a picture expressing optimism for a swift recovery. She posted on Instagram Stories, showcasing her journey to wellness with a photo from her hospital bed. In the image, she is seen resting, with a medical drip attached to her hand, and wrote: “Hoping to be back running like a hare soon!” The actress did not disclose the reason for her hospitalization.

Chitrangda’s latest film, “Housefull 5,” features a star-studded cast including Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Sonam Bajwa, Nargis Fakhri, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Nana Patekar, Fardeen Khan, Chunky Pandey, Johnny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Dino Morea, Ranjeet, Soundarya Sharma, Nikitin Dheer, and Akashdeep Sabir. The storyline centers on multiple imposters claiming to be the son of a recently deceased billionaire as they compete for his fortune aboard a luxury cruise ship.

The “Housefull” franchise kicked off in 2010 with its first installment, loosely based on the 1998 Tamil film “Kaathala Kaathala.” The sequels, “Housefull 2,” “Housefull 3,” and “Housefull 4,” were released in 2012, 2016, and 2019, respectively.

Looking ahead, Chitrangda will star alongside Salman Khan in “Battle Of Galwan,” a film inspired by true events and rich in military history. Discussing the project, she mentioned, “It’s a story of bravery and courage. Coming from an army background, I remember this event being spoken about in our circles. So to be part of this film feels very personal.”

She emphasized that “Battle Of Galwan” is not merely focused on grand spectacle but carries significant meaning. “It’s meaningful. It’s rooted. It’s real,” she stated, reflecting pride in her role and the opportunity to honor real heroes while bringing lesser-known stories to light.

Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty Kundra recently shared glimpses of her Diwali celebrations with her family, offering fans an intimate look at the festive warmth and traditional rituals in her home.

Family Celebrations

The actress posted photos and videos on her social media featuring her husband, Raj Kundra, and their children, Viaan and Sameesha, as they performed Diwali puja together. In one of her stories, Shilpa shared a playful picture with Raj, captioning it, “You are the haldi to my kumkum.”

Dressed in vibrant festive hues, Shilpa wore a striking red saree, while Raj complemented her in a bright yellow kurta, creating a picture-perfect “haldi kumkum” moment. In her main carousel post, she extended heartfelt Diwali wishes to her fans, sharing a family photo taken in front of their home temple. The image showed Shilpa, Raj, and their children seated before beautifully decorated idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha.

Festive Wishes

She captioned the post, “Happy Diwali from our family to you all.” The family coordinated their outfits in red and white festival attire. Shilpa also posted a reel featuring her and her younger sister, Shamita Shetty, creating rangoli designs together.

The video, aptly titled “Rangoli Time,” showed the sisters working on a lotus-shaped rangoli made of bright pink and green hues. Shilpa looked stunning in a beautiful white kurta adorned with leaf motifs. Currently, Shilpa is also busy judging the dance reality show, India’s Best Dancer, balancing her personal and professional commitments.

A Note of Reflection

The actress and her family celebrate every festival with great pomp and glitz. However, this year, due to a family emergency, Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra were unable to celebrate the Ganpati festival, which they typically observe with love and warmth.

Bollywood star Kajol recently shared a lively video on her social media account, showcasing fans celebrating and dancing joyfully at Maratha Mandir while enjoying the rerelease of her iconic film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ).

30 Years of DDLJ

In her post, she noted, “Still rocking it 30 years later…” while tagging Maratha Mandir. For those unfamiliar, DDLJ holds the record as the longest-running film in Indian cinema history, having been screened at the legendary Maratha Mandir in Mumbai since its release on October 20, 1995.

On the film’s 30th anniversary, which fell on October 20, 2025, Kajol expressed her gratitude with a heartfelt message. Sharing a poster of DDLJ, she wrote, “DDLJ completes 30 years today in time, but the way it has spread around the world and through everybody’s hearts and minds simply cannot be counted… Thank you all for loving it in this phenomenal way! (sic)”

Distant Love and Popularity

Reflecting on the film’s enduring appeal, Kajol also posted a picture of a promotional poster for a burger shop, which had been placed at a Swiss train station. The poster humorously depicted, “Shah Rukh told Kajol in the ear, Let’s go and eat some burgers.” She added, “Slide to see how far it really has gone … (Beaming face with smiling eyes emoji) @iamsrk #AdityaChopra.”

For context, a significant portion of DDLJ, directed by Aditya Chopra, was filmed in Switzerland. The narrative follows Raj (played by Shah Rukh Khan) and Simran (played by Kajol) as they fall in love during a trip across Europe with friends.

Raj makes numerous attempts to curry favor with Simran’s family to win her hand in marriage, but fate takes a turn, as her father (played by Amrish Puri) has already promised her to his friend’s son from Punjab.

Recently, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol thrilled audiences by performing the timeless songs from DDLJ at the recently held Filmfare Awards in Ahmedabad. The film also features Karan Johar in a cameo as Raj’s friend.

It has been over 112 years since Indian cinema began, yet we have not won an Oscar for any of our feature films. This year, optimism is high with ‘Homebound’ as India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. Filmmaker Kiran Rao believes that while there may not be a conscious bias in the West towards Indian films, the perspective from which they view our cinema is significantly different.

Celebrating Success

In a recent conversation, Kiran celebrated the triumph of her directorial project ‘Laapataa Ladies’ at the Filmfare Awards, where it won 13 accolades. When asked about potential biases held by the West regarding Indian cinema, she said, “I don’t know about a conscious bias. But I feel that for every country, when they (the Academy) award a film, they look at it roughly through their own lens. While there is an appreciation for Indian cinema, perhaps a lot of the time it just doesn’t tick the boxes of many of the voters there. It’s almost as if they might not automatically gravitate towards that kind of cinema.”

Diverse Indian Cinema

Kiran pointed out that India produces a wide range of films. She firmly believes that at some stage, an Indian film will make the country proud by winning an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. She expressed her hopes for ‘Homebound’, stating, “I think it’s a great choice of film to have sent. A film that would resonate with the voters. There’s a whole ecosystem around the Oscars, and for us to actually plug into that, we need a certain understanding of distribution and how films go through the Oscar route. We don’t make films with that in mind; we create them for our audience and the ideas we want to share.”

Looking Ahead

Kiran added, “I think that convergence will happen someday. In general, awards will come only if there’s natural recognition from the audience watching your film. For instance, we received an Academy Award from an International Academy in Japan, which was unexpected. I was delighted to hear it, as it demonstrates that even if a film isn’t commercially the biggest in that place, there can still be appreciation for the work. Therefore, I don’t believe that awards will always reflect what audiences think. It’s a combination of factors. But I do think the day is not far.”

Popular Telugu actor Varun Tej Konidela recently delighted his fans by sharing pictures of his family’s Deepavali celebrations, featuring his newborn son, Vaayuv Tej.

Celebrating the First Diwali

On his Instagram page, Varun posted, “About last night! Our lil man’s first Diwali! Hope you all had a great time with your family and friends. Lots and lots of love!” Along with this heartfelt caption, he shared a series of joyful family pictures from their Deepavali festivities.

Introducing Vaayuv Tej Konidela

It’s worth mentioning that Varun Tej and his wife Lavanya Tripathi had recently revealed the name of their first child, Vaayuv Tej Konidela. This announcement was made during the auspicious occasion of Vijayadasami.

In his Instagram announcement, Varun expressed, “Our greatest blessing now has a name,” and shared a video clip where the couple introduced their son. “We introduce our beloved son Vaayuv Tej Konidela – a name that embodies unstoppable force, devotion, courage, and spiritual radiance. Carrying the spirit of Lord Hanuman,” they stated.

Joyful Arrival

The child was born on September 10 this year, bringing immense joy not just to the family but also to Varun’s fans. Megastar Chiranjeevi publicly welcomed the little one to the Konidela family with a warm message: “Welcome to the world, little one! A hearty welcome to the newborn baby boy in the Konidela family. Heartfelt congratulations to Varun Tej and Lavanya Tripathi on becoming proud parents. So happy for Nagababu and Padmaja, who are now promoted to proud grandparents.”

Chiranjeevi wished the baby all happiness, good health, and abundant blessings, emphasizing the love and support that would always surround the child. His heartfelt post included a photo of him holding the newborn, with Varun standing beside them.

Family Background

For those unfamiliar, Varun is the son of Chiranjeevi’s younger brother, Nagendra Babu. Varun Tej and Lavanya celebrated their wedding on November 1, 2023, in Tuscany, Italy.

In May this year, the couple shared the joyful news of their first pregnancy through a sweet Instagram post, featuring a monochrome photo of their hands alongside a baby shoe in the background, captioned, “Life’s most beautiful role yet – Coming soon.”

Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston has revealed that her father, John Aniston, advised her to consider a different career path.

The 56-year-old actress, known for her impactful roles, shared this insight during her appearance on the podcast “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard.” She reminisced about her father’s words: “My dad was telling me, please don’t do this. You’re just going to suffer rejection.”

John Aniston, who had a long-running role as Victor Kiriakis on the iconic soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” initially studied at a medical school in Greece before turning to acting. Jennifer playfully recalled her father’s paternal advice, saying, “Yeah. You’re gonna end up in Greece anyway. Go get a real job. All the cliché things.”

John’s remarkable career on “Days of Our Lives” spanned an impressive 37 years until his passing in 2022. Jennifer mentioned, “He was on that show forever. In fact, the last episode he shot aired like a week after he died. So he worked right up until that was it. That was literally a wrap on John.”

In other news, Jennifer recently expressed her desire to return as Dr. Julia Harris from the “Horrible Bosses” movies. She believes “comedy is a necessity” in life and considers the “Horrible Bosses” franchise to be her top choice for a revival.

When discussing potential projects to revisit, Jennifer told people.com, “Horrible Bosses. Jason Bateman and I were talking about that, and Charlie Day has been talking about it a lot too. So that’s something that we think would be super fun.”

She emphasized the need for comedy, saying, “The characters are hilarious, and we need comedy. I personally think comedy is a necessity. That’s one that we would have a really fun time, I think, going back to seeing where those crazy cats are today.”

Jennifer also mentioned her aspiration to perform in a Broadway play, stating, “That’s on my bucket list, but it’s finding the time and finding the right piece, the right material. But I absolutely have to do a play on Broadway.”