Making the world dance to her tunes
Actor Tamannaah Bhatia’s dance number Aaj Ki Raat from the horror-comedy Stree 2 (2024) has crossed a major milestone, clocking over one billion views on YouTube. The song, widely regarded as one of the film’s biggest highlights, had earlier surpassed 500 million views. Celebrating the achievement, Tamannaah took to Instagram on Friday (January 16) and wrote, “From first view to one billion views! Thank you for all the love.” She also shared behind-the-scenes clips from the shoot. Sung by Madhubanti Bagchi and Divya Kumar, the track is composed by Sachin-Jigar.
In a new avatar
Bhumi Pednekar in ‘Daldal’
Actor Bhumi Pednekar’s upcoming crime thriller series Daldal will start streaming on January 30. The makers, on Friday (January 16), unveiled a dark and unsettling teaser that promises a gritty, psychologically charged narrative set in the heart of Mumbai. Based on author Vish Dhamija’s bestselling novel Bhendi Bazaar, the series has been developed for the screen by filmmaker Suresh Triveni, who rose to fame with Vidya Balan’s Tumhari Sulu (2017).
Secularism is a way of life
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar, the 80-year-old lyricist and writer often goes viral for the statements he makes. Here are his recent words of wisdom: Secularism can’t be taught through crash courses, it’s a “way of life” that comes naturally, the lyricist and writer said at the inaugural day of the 19th Jaipur Literature Festival in Rajasthan. Akhtar said secularism, in recent times, has been reduced to a “four-letter word” but secular values do not take root through formal instruction or theoretical lessons. “Secularism should be a way of life because everyone around you is living like this, and then it comes to you automatically. If one day you are given a lecture and you remember points A, B, and C after listening to it, that is fake, that
is artificial. It can hardly last.”
Slow work flow
AR Rahman
Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has said that work from Hindi cinema has slowed down for him over the past eight years, which he attributes to a shift in power within the industry and possibly “a communal thing”, though not overt. “People who are not creative have the power now to decide things,” Rahman said, adding that such decisions often reach him as “Chinese whispers”. Reflecting on his journey, he noted that Taal (1999) made him a household name in North India, despite earlier successes. Rahman also said he avoids films “made with bad intentions”, stressing the importance of integrity in his work.
