Pop Artiste Nanku, known for viral hits like Crazy and Kamikaze, released his fifth album Pyar N’ Stuff last month, and he is revelling in the love it has received. “This album is snappy, witty with back-to-back bangers. Every song has its own vibe, and I just want people to have fun with it,” he says.

Having started his music journey with the group Teesri Duniya, Nanku understands the value of collaborative efforts. But that is one thing he feels is lacking in today’s indie music scene. “Some people frown upon collective writing in music. It’s like if we do not follow this strict structure, if we don’t write our own lyrics, then we cannot be an artiste. But I wish that Indie musicians start to write collectively more often as the quality of song-writing can be vastly improved by it.”

Reflecting on his own experience, the artiste asserts that collaborative efforts help in individual growth too: “I used to be part of a collective but our process in making music back then was also individualistic. I embrace music as a form of entertainment,” he says.

Nanku has been mentored by rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh, and he agrees that working with him helped him get better in his craft and also in life. “It’s been an extraordinary journey and I’ve learned a lot from him, not just in music but also in life,” he says.

Ananya Panday recently opened up about the mistakes she made in her past relationships, admitting that she often changed herself to ensure her partner stood out more. The actor, who was last seen in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri alongside her ex-boyfriend Kartik Aaryan, spoke candidly about how her understanding of love and independence has evolved over time.

Ananya Panday recently opened up about the mistakes she made in her past relationships, admitting that she often changed herself to ensure her partner stood out more. The actor, who was last seen in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri alongside her ex-boyfriend Kartik Aaryan, spoke candidly about how her understanding of love and independence has evolved over time.

‘I’d change myself a lot’

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Ananya revealed that she would frequently alter her personality in relationships, often at the cost of her own individuality.

“In past relationships, I’d want the other person to shine more than me,” she said. “At the cost of putting myself down or making myself smaller, I’d change myself a lot, become more like the other person. I wish I’d learned earlier not to let someone change me or affect me so much. I felt like I had to be less of something, and that’s something I wish I had realised sooner.”

‘I couldn’t be alone even for 10 minutes’

The actor also shared how she once struggled with being alone and always needed someone around her.“I used to be someone who couldn’t be alone at all. I’d be scared to sit alone for even 10 minutes. I always needed someone around me—my partner, my parents, my friends,” she admitted.However, moving into her own space changed that perspective significantly.“But when I started living alone, even though I’m in the same building as my parents, that little bit of space changed everything. Building your own environment and doing things your own way shifted my love for space. I just love being alone now,” she added.

Rumours about her current relationship

Ananya was earlier in a relationship with Aditya Roy Kapur. She is now rumoured to be dating Walker Blanco, a former model who reportedly works with the Vantara wildlife initiative in Jamnagar.The rumours first surfaced after she was seen spending time with Blanco during the wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai in July 2024. She was also later spotted wearing a pendant featuring a star along with the initials “AW” and a heart, further fuelling speculation about the relationship. On the work front, the actor will next be seen in Chand Mera Dil, where she stars opposite Lakshya in the lead role.

Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar believes romantic films could soon return to the forefront of Hindi cinema, as storytelling trends tend to cycle. According to her, genres often go through phases of saturation before audiences rediscover their appeal, which is why she feels love stories may be due for a revival.

“See, I don’t function that way. Like, I don’t know, ‘Oh, now they’re looking for this, so let me write this.’ I don’t think that way. But if you look at it over the past 10, 15 years, it changes. Everything gets saturated, everything changes. So, I mean, if you look at it cyclically, maybe love stories will come back,” she said.

The filmmaker, known for projects such as Luck By Chance, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Gully Boy, emphasised that she prefers writing from instinct rather than trying to anticipate what the industry is looking for at any given time. The session, conducted by veteran screenwriter Anjum Rajabali, featured an in-depth conversation with Zoya about her career choices and creative process. During the discussion, she also shared updates on the projects she is currently working on.

During the interaction, Zoya was also asked about the long-standing buzz around a possible sequel to Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Responding with a smile, the filmmaker chose not to reveal much, saying that any official update would only come when the time is right. For now, she maintained that there is nothing to announce and added that if a sequel ever takes shape, it will be shared publicly. “When it happens, I’ll announce it,” she said.

Since then, Zoya said she has adopted a more structured approach to writing. She now begins with a detailed outline of the story and refines it before expanding it into a full screenplay, a process that helps her keep the script focused and manageable.

Several members of the Screenwriters Association were present at the session, including writers Manisha Korde, Mitesh Shah, lyricist Ginny Diwan and Siddhant Makkar. The discussion offered aspiring writers a closer look at Zoya’s storytelling philosophy and her evolving approach to screenwriting.

Filmmaker Priyadarshan has spoken about Hindi and Malayalam cinema and how they are different. Speaking with news agency PTI, Priyadarshan said that Bollywood films stick to the format that has proved successful. He added that Malayalam cinema “believes in content.”

“They have to listen to the ideas of many people, the producer, the actor, everybody interferes mostly… So the directors and writers are forced, their hands are tied, they have to make what others want, this is the situation,” he added.

The main issue with Malayalam cinema is quite different. Filmmakers don’t have budgets. “I always say this — we have shoestring budgets, and our immediate competitor is Steven Spielberg. We don’t have money, so what we do is we believe in content,” he said.

“I always put my foot down (and say) that this is the only way I want to do it. And the actors don’t have a problem with me. I have worked with everybody, and I was very comfortable, even with actors like Govinda. I finished Bhagam Bhag in one schedule. I never had an issue, though I had heard that he doesn’t come on time, he will never honour his dates and all that… It all depends on how you handle them, what confidence you give them,” he said.

“I basically don’t believe in these double-meaning comedies and all because a family should be able to sit together without embarrassment and watch films, so that’s the way I make my films mostly. It is most difficult to make comedies and creating new situations, I think I’m almost exhausted, because nothing more is left,” Priyadarshan further said.

It’s the first Hindi film since 2021’s Hungama 2 for the filmmaker, who has also directed several Tamil films. The film will release in theatres on April 10. It is produced by Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Motion Pictures and Akshay’s Cape of Good Films.

After Bhoot Bangla, Priyadarshan will direct Haiwan. It stars Akshay alongside Saif Ali Khan, Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar. Priyadarshan has also announced that his 100th film will be with Mohanlal.