Released in December last year, Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, became a massive box-office success and continues to generate conversation months after its release. Now, Swara Bhasker’s mother, film scholar Ira Bhaskar, has criticised the film’s political messaging. She said that the film is very violent, adding that its portrayal of Muslims and Pakistan reinforces stereotypes.

She said, “There are filmmakers, for instance, let me give the example of the Dhurandhar, which is earning crores at the box office… This is an example of a film made by a filmmaker who is ideologically convinced by Hindutva and the ideology of Hindutva. A competent filmmaker and a very well-made film. But how is technique to be divorced from content?”

Ira continued, “It’s extremely violent. And its violence is at the service of a belief structure of an ideology that Muslims are very violent people. Pakistan is a very violent nation. You don’t see any normal Muslim (person) there. Everyone is a terrorist or a gangster. These kinds of perceptions about Muslims… It’s propagating this. It is being reproduced again and again. It’s ridiculous because it uses makeup in such a way that the character, the individuals who are playing those parts, look like the original (people). It’s a fiction film based on true events, supposedly. And it is selective as all these films are. It’ll only selectively choose what to put together in order to serve the ideology.”

After its release in December last year, Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar went on to make history, becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time. Despite the wide acclaim, the Aditya Dhar-directed spy thriller also sparked intense debate online, with some viewers branding it a “propaganda film.”

Several celebrities from the industry had also come forward at the time to defend the film. Filmmaker Karan Johar said that the film’s politics did not offend him; in fact, he thoroughly admired it. Shatrughan Sinha also quashed claims that Dhurandhar is a ‘propaganda film’ and called it an ‘absolute masterpiece.’ Anurag Kashyap also dismissed those calling Dhurandhar propaganda. He said that calling films ‘propaganda’ or ‘promotion’ is itself a form of propaganda. Equating such films with Marvel’s blockbusters, the filmmaker added, “Hollywood’s Marvel films propagate American supremacy, but no one criticises them from that perspective.”

Released on December 5, the film collected over ₹1300 crore worldwide and became the first Bollywood film to cross ₹1000 crore at the domestic box office. Its sequel is slated to release on March 19.

Actor Hansika Motwani has been in the news for a turbulent chapter in her personal life after finalising her divorce from businessman Sohael Khaturiya, nearly three years after their marriage. Now, it appears that Hansika’s former sister-in-law and actor Muskan Nancy James has indirectly reacted to the development, seemingly taking a dig as she remarked that she does not want to be associated with “someone’s absolutely fake world.”

She wrote, “Requesting a few social media platforms to please keep me away from someone else’s life.”

“You have always been supportive and understanding, and I truly appreciate that. Kindly don’t associate me with someone’s absolutely fake world. I don’t have Paid PR-let time reveal the truth. ‘Sab Samay ka khel Hai’ (It’s all a matter of time). Peace, Love & Karma,” Muskan added.

While she did not name anyone in her post, social media users were quick to connect the dots, with many wondering if the remark was aimed at Hansika. It is worth noting that Muskan and Hansika are not known to share a cordial relationship.

Last year in September, more of Hansika’s legal woes came to light. It was reported that the Bombay High Court dismissed her petition to quash an FIR filed by her estranged sister-in-law, actor Muskan Nancy James, who was married to her brother Prashant Motwani. The FIR accused Hansika and her mother, Jyoti (also known as Mona), of cruelty and other criminal charges.

In December 2024, Nancy had filed an FIR against Hansika and her mother under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 498A (dowry-related cruelty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 352 (criminal intimidation and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).

In her complaint, Nancy alleged domestic violence that she claims caused Bell’s palsy, and detailed demands for expensive gifts and money from her in-laws. Nancy has also complained that undue interference from Hansika and Jyoti during her marriage to Prashant led to marital discord. Nancy also said she was pressured by the Motwanis to sell her flat. In February last year, Hansika and Jyoti had secured anticipatory bail from the Mumbai Sessions Court. In April, they approached the Bombay High Court to quash the FIR. In her petition, Haniska had said that she was shocked to find her name in the FIR.

Adnan reportedly told the court that Hansika and Sohael lived together for a short period but realised there were differences in their temperaments, opinions and lifestyles, which led to disagreements. “The divorce was granted by mutual consent after both parties acknowledged that the marriage had irretrievably broken down,” said the lawyer in a statement.

Hansika reportedly approached Sohael seeking an amicable separation, and the businessman also consented to the dissolution of the marriage. “It is pertinent to clarify that our client has made no claims whatsoever for alimony or maintenance, as her sole intention was to bring a dignified and peaceful closure to the marriage. Our client now wishes to move forward with her life and professional commitments,” said the lawyer.

Hansika tied the knot with Sohael on December 4, 2022, in a grand ceremony at the historic Mandota Fort in Jaipur. Just a month before the wedding, Sohael had proposed to the actor in a dreamy setting at the Eiffel Tower in Paris in November 2022. Their lavish celebrations later became the subject of a reality show, Hansika’s Love Shaadi Drama, which premiered on Disney+ Hotstar in 2023.

Actor Aamir Khan won the hearts of fans with his thoughtful gesture while attending the opening ceremony of the Red Lorry Film Festival in Mumbai. Aamir Khan takes off his shoes before lighting lampThe actor, who was among the celebrity guests at the traditional inauguration ceremony at the festival, was invited on stage to light the ceremonial lamp at the ceremony. The acor, dressed casually in a checked shirt, jeans and boots, was seen stepping up to participate in the customary ritual to mark the beginning of the festival. However, the viral clip shows the actor reaching down to untie his boots before stepping forward to take the dia in his hands and light the lamp. The moment caught the attention of fans, who hailed the actor for the thoughtful and respectful gesture. Fans took to the comments to post heat emoticons and praise the actor for his humility. Aamir Khan on the filming of ‘Lagaan’At the festival, the superstar revealed that before the cameras rolled on the sets of ‘Lagaan’, the film’s cast would start each day with the Gayatri Mantra. He shared, “Akhilendra Mishra (who played Arjan) would play Gayatri Mantra when we would travel in the bus. There were some people who wanted to listen to English songs but I insisted we listen to Gayatri Mantra. For six months we would listen to it every day before reaching the shoot location. And that helped us in a meditative state of mind. When you go to work, it’s important to understand to know the state of mind we are in. In the bus, it would be dark, as we would travel before the sun would rise, and we would listen to Gayatri Mantra.“Aamir Khan on ‘Lagaan’s Oscar runSpeaking about the film’s Oscar campaign, the actor said, ‘In terms of hustle, all we could do is do screenings. So, our hustle was, we felt, whether people will turn up or not. A couple of screenings were not for the academy but for friends and other people to come and watch the film. So, we would call parking staff, or whoever we could spot, we would urge them to attend the screening. Our idea was whoever will watch the film, they will like it, our job was to get people to screening.“

On Thursday, Anurag was discharged from the ICU. Rohit had posted his picture of Anurag while giving an update on his condition. The selfie showed the YouTuber lying on a hospital bed, smiling and flashing a peace sign. Along with the picture, he wrote, “Update: Anurag Bhai is out of the ICU. We are with him 24×7. Pray for his speedy recovery.”

(Trigger warning: suicide, reckless driving, violent threats)

Days after that, Anurag crashed his car during a live and was hospitalised. Kalam claimed that after this, the YouTuber’s fans had gathered outside their house and threatened to ‘burn them alive’. Reacting to this, Anurag’s manager wrote: “At this point in time, our priority is Anurag’s health and recovery, as well as Ritika Bhabhi’s wellbeing since she is almost nine months pregnant. We will not pass any comment on any video or statement since this is not the appropriate time. Let Anurag Dobhal recover, and we will then issue a statement.”

Kalam also claimed that Anurag had filed cases against him and his family that were later withdrawn.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to a mental health professional. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +91 44 2464 0050; Sanjivini Society for Mental Health: 011-24311918.