jr ntr donates 12.5 lakh to a temple in andhra pradesh; here's what we know

Actor Jr NTR has made a massive donation to the Sri Bhadrakali Sametha Veerabhadra Swamy Temple in Cheyyeru, Andhra Pradesh. The actor, along with his family, donated ₹12.5 lakh towards the temple's construction. A fan first shared the news on X, writing, “Tarak donated 12,50,000 to Sri Badrakali Sametha Veera Badra Swami Vari Alayam.” 

Jr NTR’s donation

Jr NTR’s team also confirmed to Hindustan Times that the actor made a sizeable donation. A source close to the actor said, “It’s true that Tarak made this donation ahead of his birthday. He made it in his mother (Shalini), wife (Lakshmi Pranathi) and children’s (Abhay, Barghav) names. He doesn’t like to publicise about his philanthropy much. People only found out because fans from East Godavari shared pictures online.”

Fans did share pictures of the temple on X and Instagram to which he donated, apart from a sign at the temple etched on stone, which also confirms that he donated ₹12,50,000. This is not the first time Jr NTR has made such donations. He previously contributed ₹25 lakh to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to aid flood victims, ₹25 lakh to the Corona Crisis Charity to support daily-wage workers in the film industry, apart from several such donations.

Upcoming work

On the work front, Jr NTR will soon be seen in Koratala Siva’s Devara: Part 1 with Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan in their Telugu debuts as his co-stars. The film will release in theatres on October 10 this year. He will also debut in Bollywood soon with Ayan Mukherji’s War 2 with Hrithik Roshan. Recently, there was buzz that the actor might relocate to Mumbai to pursue a career in Bollywood, though his team is yet to confirm the same.

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Injured aishwarya rai heads to cannes film festival with daughter aaradhya, fans wonder why her arm is in a sling

Cannes Film Festival regular Aishwarya Rai is all set to walk the red carpet this year as well. On Wednesday evening, Aishwarya was seen at the airport with daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, heading for Cannes. But, it was her right arm, cast in a sling, that raised concern among many fans. Although the actor seemed tight-lipped about any injury, fans took to social media to raise concern in the comments. 

Aishwarya heads to Cannes

In a video that was taken and shared on Instagram by a paparazzi account, Aishwarya was seen getting out of her car with daughter Aaradhya along with her. The actor had her right arm in a sling, with a white cast that was visible around the wrist. She paired a knee-length blue coat with a black outfit, and kept her hair untied. Aaradhya was seen in a light blue hoodie and black pants. Aishwarya waved at the media for a few seconds and then entered the Mumbai airport.

Fan reactions

Reacting to her injury, several fans raised concern in the comments. One fan said, “OMG she will walk Cannes with injured hands, God bless!” A second fan commented, “I hope she is fine and well. The most gorgeous graceful person Aishwarya. Cant wait to see her at cannes. Love her so much.” A comment read, “The way she is taking care of her daughter. Wow!” “Looking forward to her Cannes look,” read another comment.

Aishwarya Rai made her first appearance on the red carpet in a Neeta Lulla saree, with heavy gold jewellery, at Cannes Film Festival 2002. It was the year when her film Devdas had premiered at the festival. She was present with actor Shah Rukh Khan and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Since then, the actor has graced the festival almost every year. She will once again mark her presence at the gala as one of the brand ambassadors for L'Oreal Paris.

Apart from Aishwarya, actors Aditi Rao Hydari, Shobita Dhulipala, and Kiara Advani will also be seen at Cannes. Urvashi Rautela had already debuted her pink look at Cannes, and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah star Deepti Sadhwani has already walked the red carpet so far.

5 iconic roles played by madhuri dixit: tezaab to devdas

 Madhuri Dixit – dancer extraordinaire, the OG Dhak Dhak girl, and one of the most celebrated actors of the 90s. There are so many ways one can try to define the effect of the star in the film industry. As Madhuri turns 57 on May 15, let us take a look at 5 of her most iconic roles. 

Beta

With Madhuri's captivating performance as Saraswati in Beta, the film could have just been renamed Beti. It is the headstrong Saraswati who drives the narrative forward in this Indra Kumar directorial, as wife to Anil Kapoor's Raju, who is devoted to his step-mother to a fault. With Dhak Dhak Karne Laga a blockbuster hit among audiences, there was no stopping Madhuri's star power.

Dil

Madhuri won her first Filmfare in the Best Actress category for Indra Kumar's Dil, a film where she was paired opposite Aamir Khan. Her Madhu Mehra is impulsive, hot-headed, vivacious but also gracious and deeply caring. Madhuri aced it like never before.

Hum Aapke Hai Koun..!

Sooraj Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hai Koun..! had Madhuri play one of the most memorable roles of her career. As Nisha, a woman who falls in love with her sister's brother-in-law. Charming and affectionate, Madhuri wowed audiences across the nation. Her purple embellished saree from the song, Didi Tera Devar Deewana became the most talked-about fashion moments on screen at that time.

Devdas

Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai were the main stars in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas, playing the doomed couple from the beginning. Yet, it was Madhuri as the courtesan Chandramukhi who stole the show. Now, that is a deadly combination of star-power and talent! Madhuri fiery and thunderous monologue in the second half, that ends in that slap to Kalibabu is perhaps one of her finest moments on screen.

Tezaab

The film that turned Madhuri Dixit into an overnight star. Released in 1988, Tezaab starred Madhuri as Mohini Dhanyekar, who is forced to dance in nightclubs order to support her father. Madhuri's Ek Do Teen track from the film received massive popularity, and is still considered on her best songs.

Mr. and Mrs. mahi song dekha tenu - rajkummar rao and janhvi kapoor's romantic journey unveiled through soulful rendition

Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Mahi's first song is out, and it's none other than the much-anticipated track. Yes, we're talking about Dekha Tenu, a rendition of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham's Say Shava Shava track. The song is based on the lead actors, Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor, showcasing their love story. 

Delving into film's plot through Dekha Tenu

After the trailer, which almost gave away what to expect from the film, Mr. and Mrs. Mahi and the song Dekha Tenu also get a little deeper into the film's plot. The song opens with Mahis, Mahendra, and Mahima getting into an arranged match and tying the knot in no time. They are then in the honeymoon phase of their marriage, where they discover things about each other and land on their common love, cricket. The song then shows how their love deepens over time, and all they have is support and adoration for each other.

Check out the video below:

Jaani composed and penned Dekha Tenu, a song that Mohammad Faiz crooned. Udit Narayan sang the original track, with music by Aadesh Shrivastava and lyrics by Sameer Anjaan.

Overview of Mr. and Mrs. Mahi

Mr. and Mrs. Mahi is a film presented by Zee Studios and Dharma Productions. Sharan Sharma directed the film, which stars Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor. The film is produced by Karan Johar, Zee Studios, Hiroo Yash Johar, and Apoorva Mehta. Nikhil Mehrotra and Sharan Sharma wrote the screenplay.

The essence of the film

The film marks the second outing of Rajkummar and Janhvi on the big screen after the horror-comedy Roohi. In the film, Rajkummar assumes the role of a coach for his wife, Janhvi, who aspires to become a cricketer and represent the country. Although the film initially shows that both are into different professions, the game of cricket brings them together like never before. In the film, cricket serves as the backdrop for the love story. 

Mr. and Mrs. Mahi will hit the big screen worldwide on May 31, 2024.-

Aditi rao hydari credits sanjay leela bhansali for helping her get the viral gaja gamini walk in heeramandi right

Actor Aditi Rao Hydari’s sensual ‘gaja gamini’ walk from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s web series, Heeramandi, has become the talk of the town, with a clip of the same going viral on social media. The actor says she was not anticipating this reaction to the walk, and thanks Sanjay for helping her ace the move. 

From the world of Heeramandi, myriad things have emerged and caught the attention of audiences. And Aditi’s ‘gaja gamini’ walk, which is also known as the swan walk, is one of them. Social media users are praising Aditi for the same.

Aditi floored by the reaction

In a recent interview with Connect Cine, Aditi reflected on the viral moment, and said Sanjay was very involved in it along with choreographer Kruti Mahesh.

“I am thanking everybody. That walk, just that little tukda from thumri, it is all over the internet. I really didn’t expect that and Sanjay sir did say, ‘Ye chaal bahut important hai (This walk is very important).’ He has so much knowledge so he was very much involved in the making of the song,” she said.

She went on to talk about Sanjayi’s passion to chase perfection, saying he was focused on capturing every nuance right. She said, “Kruti Mahesh was there choreographing but he was completely involved in every detail of the choreography and he was very particular about this walk and how it should happen, how will the dupatta fall, how will the waist move, exactly when will the ‘chan’ sound will be heard…it was quite incredible”.

About the clip

The clip is part of the song, Saiyaan Hatto Jaao, where Aditi’s character Bibbojaan is performing for Nawab Wali, played by Fardeen Khan. During her performance, she does the ‘gaja gamini’ walk. She looks back with seduction, and starts walking like that again. Her grace in the video left social media users in awe.

One person wrote, “This walk, as described in the Kamasutra, is supposed to be the peak of seduction”, while one shares, “The usual kinds of seduction we see in songs are over the top like twerking with skimpy clothes but in Bhansali films, it is always subtle and coy”. Another user commented, “It’s the way she turns back and does those neck and face movements.”

One comment read, “I’m in a trance, can’t stop watching her in this. It’s the graceful walk off-beat with the music but still perfectly in rhythm with the sheer subtlety of her waist movements that’s sheer chef’s kiss”, with one writing, “She was INCREDIBLY SEDUCTIVE in this 5-second bit!!!. Such an immensely sexy bit”.

Heeramandi buzz

Set against the backdrop of pre-Independence Lahore, the show, which was released on May 1, explores troubled lives of courtesans who join the freedom struggle. The show opened to mixed response, but is being lauded for its larger than life canvas, attention to details and opulent visuals. Sanjay’s debut web show became the most-viewed Indian series on Netflix in the first week of release.

Alia bhatt drops pics from gucci event; soni razdan calls her a ‘little doll’

Actor Alia Bhatt took to her Instagram on Tuesday evening to share a new set of pictures she clicked at the Gucci Cruise 2025 show in London. Being the brand ambassador of Gucci, she attended the event on Monday evening and returned to India afterwards. 

Alia drops new pics

Alia shared pictures on her Instagram, dressed in a black strapless dress. She pulled her hair back in a bun, completing her look with a Gucci bag and a matching pair of heels. She looked gorgeous as ever and even her mom Soni Razdan and mother-in-law Neetu Kapoor agreed. A few of the pictures also saw her with Thai actor Davika Hoorne and American singer Debbie Harry sitting at the front row of the show.

As soon as she shared the pictures, Neetu dropped a red heart emoji in the comments section, while Soni wrote, “Hello little doll,” with three red heart emojis. Earlier in the day, pictures of her with actor Demi Moore and singer-actor Debbie Harry surfaced on social media. In a clip, Alia and Thai actor Davika Hoorne posed and smiled for the camera. In another video, they were seen laughing and sharing a conversation. Alia also posed for the camera with South Korean actor Park Gyu-young.

Upcoming work

Alia will soon be seen in Jigra, a film which also stars Vedang Raina. She’s producing the film with Karan Johar and it will release in theatres on September 27. Alia is also set to star in Farhan Akhtar’s Jee Le Zara with Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif. However, there has been no update on the film, leading to rumours that it has been shelved. She will also be headlining a film in YRF’s Spy Universe, apart from starring in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love and War with her husband, Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.

Bollywood's summer sizzle turns to fizzle: industry worried with box office woes

The recent downturn in Bollywood's box office fortunes has left industry insiders and fans scratching their heads. Following the failure of big-budget releases such as Akshay Kumar's Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Ajay Devgn's Maidaan, theatres are continuing to feel a pinch, with no big release lined up, and shows being slashed due to lack of content. 

In fact, the absence of good content and lack of footfall have led the multiplexes and single-screen theatres to reduce the number of screenings, or run theatres on limited screens over full capacity.

Theatres struggle to draw audiences

According to trade expert Atul Mohan, the shows are being cancelled because “the business is very slow”. “Several shows have been cancelled as cinema halls don’t have content to show. What will they show? They decided to decrease the number of shows and screens to cut down on the expenditure. At the moment, they are running on limited shows and screens because of limited content,” he said.

Talking of the year so far at the box office, 11 feature films from the industry minted approximately ₹700 crore at the box office in India -- which is a drop of around 12 percent from the first quarter in 2023. The films which managed to draw audiences to the theatres include Fighter, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, Article 370, Shaitaan, Madgaon Express, and Crew.

According to trade expert and producer Girish Johar, the business of the first four months is less than the past few years. In 2018, the box office business was around ₹1275 crore, in 2019 it was ₹1685 crore, in 2022 it was ₹1290 crore, in 2023 it was ₹1175 crore and in 2024 it stands at ₹1085 crore.

This excludes the years when box office business faced a slump due to the pandemic. In 2020, the business was Rs.790 crore, and in 2021 it was ₹55 crore.

When it comes to releases, films such as Ruslaan, Main Ladega, The Sabarmati Report and Srikanth also released. Kalki was slated to release in May, but it was postponed. What was missing was the big Bollywood entertainers.

“It is a worrisome situation. Films are not doing well at the box office. The business is not good so far," says Girish.

Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi agrees to it, and shares, “It is because of lack of relevant content. At the moment, films which are releasing are for niche audiences, and working in sections of the country… A big ticket film is missing at the moment”.

Reason behind the low phase

Typically, summer months in Bollywood are marked by blockbuster releases and box office hits. But things are different because of multiple reasons.

“Bollywood makers have strategised their release schedules to avoid direct clashes with the elections, opting instead for later half of the year to launch their films. Then the ones which are releasing are not able to attract the audiences,” says Girish.

To this, Crew producer Ramesh Taurani adds, “Makers are not releasing films due to the election season and IPL fever. Everyone’s focus is on these two big events. When it comes to films not faring well, the projects which didn’t work were bad films. Crew also worked because of its music. The makers need to put focus back on the music of a project too along with the storyline”.

Lull before the storm

Now, the experts are anxiously eyeing the horizon for signs of improvement. With hopes pinned on upcoming releases, June promises to be a crucial month for Bollywood's recovery. Films such as Chandu Champion and Kalki 2898 AD are lined up.

Trade expert Taran Adarsh says, “It is lull before the storm. Bollywood is going through a low phase, and scarcity of releases is making everyone worried. That being said, we all are counting on the coming months for the business to pick up, starting with the release of Mr & Mrs Mahi. The momentum is expected to rise from the last week of May.”

Here, Raj Kumar Mehrotra, general manager at New Delhi’s Delite Cinema, shares, “At the moment, we are having limited shows, and screens have been curtailed. But things will be better from May 1 as there are major films lined up”.

Trade expert Joginder Tuteja is also confident that Bollywood is not dying at the box office. “Two films can’t decide the fate of the whole box office business. Bollywood will be back at the box office, and will work its magic again in theatres. That’s because people are not shying away from going to the theatres. All we are waiting for is a good film to release”.