Darlings fame Jasmeet K. Reen replaces Nupur Asthana as director of The Royals Season 2: Report

Netflix India's romantic comedy series The Royals is going to have a big change in its second season. Variety India has reported that filmmaker Jasmeet K. Reen will be directing the next season of the show, which stars Ishaan Khatter.

 Nupur Asthana directed the first season along with Priyanka Ghose. She has left the project because of other commitments and is currently working on another Netflix series produced by Ekta Kapoor's company. Priyanka Ghose is expected to stay involved with the show.

Pre-production for the second season is already happening, and filming is planned to start in July 2026.

This change comes after it was reported that Bhumi S. Pednekar, who played the female lead in the first season, will not be coming back for the next season.

 It's thought that her leaving is part of a larger creative change for the show.

Jasmeet K. Reen's film Darlings, which featured Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, and Vijay Varma, was praised a lot by critics.

 She is also set to direct a period drama about the life of Madhubala, a famous actress. This project is supported by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and will star Sara Arjun in the lead role.

According to reports, Reen will finish filming for The Royals Season 2 before starting work on the Madhubala biopic later this year.

Vashu Bhagnani recalls gifting cars to Govinda and David Dhawan after Coolie No 1; pledges to share future royalties with creative contributors

Veteran producer Vashu Bhagnani has spoken out about his long time work with producer Ramesh Taurani.

 He says even though he helped build important relationships and played a big part in his own success, he later felt let down by the Taurani group.

 

In a detailed statement, Bhagnani talked about his many years in the entertainment business, his work with filmmaker David Dhawan, and his belief that success should be shared with those who contribute to it.

He remembered a big moment in his career when he gave a car to David Dhawan and Govinda before the release of the big hit Coolie No 1 (1995) as a thank you for their help in making the film a success.

 According to Bhagnani, Tips was a 50 percent partner in the project, but when he suggested making the gesture together, Ramesh Taurani did not agree to take part.

"I believed that success should be shared with those who create it.

 When I suggested that we jointly gift cars to David Dhawan ji and Govinda ji, Ramesh ji did not want to be part of it. I therefore did it on my own because I felt it was the right thing to do," said Bhagnani.

He talked about how his connection with Taurani started during his time in the audio cassette business before he moved into film production.

"Before entering films, I had already built a successful audio cassette manufacturing business and had strong relationships in the entertainment industry.

 My association with the Taurani family started through the music business, especially with Kumar Taurani. Later, I entered film production through Pooja Films and Pooja Entertainment, building my projects, partnerships, and productions on my own," said Bhagnani.

He also addressed some misunderstandings about the history of the industry.

 "People can check the records themselves. I worked with David Dhawan ji from the start of my production journey and built several successful films together. Ramesh Taurani took 31 years to sign David Dhawan for his own first direct venture, which itself shows the timeline of our journeys," he said.

Bhagnani also said that some events over the years made him feel let down and betrayed by people he once considered close friends.

 "There comes a time when not speaking up is mistaken for agreement. I am only sharing my side of the story and the facts as I experienced them. Some actions over the years felt like a betrayal of trust, and I believe it’s important to put my perspective on record," he said.

In his statement, Vashu Bhagnani said that if any meaningful royalty or future revenue is ever generated from the music he created and produced, he would like a share of it to go to the actors, directors, writers, and actresses who helped bring those stories to life.

 He specifically mentioned David Dhawan, the late Satish Kaushik and his family, Rumy Jafry, Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Tabu, Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Sushmita Sen and many others who have been part of his cinematic journey.

"The film industry is one big family, and Pooja Entertainment has always been a family.

 Together, we have celebrated successes, faced failures, and created memories that audiences still remember. If there is ever any royalty or benefit from these songs, I would like it to reach the actors, directors, writers and actresses who stood by me and helped build these films. I have always believed that success should be shared. Appreciation should not just be spoken about; it should be shown," Bhagnani added.

He clarified that his remarks are not related to any ownership disputes or legal cases.

 He said his statement should be seen as one of gratitude, ethics, and responsibility toward the people who helped shape his cinematic legacy. "Cinema belongs to a team. If the films continue to create value, the people who helped create that value should never be forgotten," he concluded.

Bhagnani ended his statement by honoring the artists, technicians, distributors, exhibitors, and creative professionals who have been part of his journey, while also offering a final salute to PVR INOX Pictures.

Chand Mera Dil Box Office: Stays steady, scores over Rs. 2 crores mark on Sunday

Chand Mera Dil had a steady second weekend at the box office. On Saturday, the movie made almost Rs. 2 crores, and on Sunday, it crossed that amount. It earned Rs. 1.80 crore on Saturday and Rs. 2.20 crores on Sunday, which was more than the Rs. 1.30 crore it made on Friday.

The film could have done better on each day, but the IPL playoffs and finals were happening during the weekend, which affected the numbers a bit.

 Without that competition, the movie might have made at least Rs. 1 to 1.50 crore more. The movie has been mostly watched by urban youth, and they are expected to come in numbers this week as well.

There are BOGO offers and cheaper ticket prices that have helped the movie keep its popularity.

 This could continue until the end of its run.

So far, Chand Mera Dil has made Rs. 23.60 crores and is aiming to reach Rs. 30 crores by the end of the second week.

 That would be a good total for this romantic drama directed by Vivek Soni. Any extra money made in the third week would be an added bonus.

Bobby Deol REACTS to rumours of clash with Alia Bhatt on Alpha set: “Log itne velle hai ki…”

 In recent weeks, social media has been filled with stories saying that Bobby Deol and Alia Bhatt had an argument while filming the upcoming Yash Raj Films spy movie Alpha. These rumors spread quickly online, and fans started guessing if there was any tension between the two actors. But Bobby has now talked about the rumors and said there was no problem on set.

When asked by India TV, Bobby said he was also surprised when he saw the rumors.

 “Mujhe bhi ek dost ne bheja uss rumour ka snapshot. Main bhi hairaan ho gaya. Log itne velle hai ki kuch bhi likh ke bana dete hai,” Bobby Deol said.

He also praised Alia Bhatt and talked about her hard work on the physically challenging action scenes.

 “Alia is a very good actress and she is very professional. She works very hard. Alia was also prepared for all the fight sequences that she had to do. Toh mujhe nahi samaj mein aaya kisne kya soch ke ye sab rumours likhe. I can't go around proving the point to anybody. So it is not true. Log Instagram se influenced rehte hai lekin uspe 90 per cent kahaniyaan sahi nahi hoti hai,” he added.

Talking about the film, it stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in the lead roles, with Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor playing important characters.

 Details about the plot have not been shared much, but the movie is expected to add to the spy genre, which includes successful films like Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, War, Pathaan and Tiger 3.

Alpha has had several changes in its release date since it was announced.

 The film was first planned for an earlier release but was later set for July 10, 2026. Recently, Bollywood Hungama reported that the makers might move the release date forward by a week to July 3, 2026, after Dhamaal 4 was postponed to July 17.

When Shah Rukh Khan CONFRONTED Gulshan Grover after he called his villainous act in Baazigar a “SHORTCUT to grab popularity”

Shah Rukh Khan started his Bollywood journey with the movie Deewana in 1992. Just a year later, his career took a big leap with the release of Baazigar in 1993. In this thriller, SRK played an anti-hero, which was not common at that time. Many actors had refused to take on this role because they thought it was too unusual. But Shah Rukh decided to accept the challenge, and this decision changed things for him. However, this choice also created some awkward situations in the industry.

Mayank Shekhar, in his Mid-Day column, shared one such incident.

 He had a chat with Gulshan Grover, who is known as the Bad Man due to his villain roles. Gulshan is now getting attention again because of his role in the Amazon Prime Video series Matka King, where he plays a negative character. While praising his performance in the series, Mayank revealed that Gulshan once told him about an event from the early 90s.

At the time, Gulshan was shooting an action scene with stunt director Veeru Devgan at Filmistan Studio.

 Suddenly, Shah Rukh Khan arrived and ran straight towards him. Gulshan said that both of them got into a strong argument. The people around them were worried they might get into a fight, but nothing like that happened.

According to the column, SRK was upset with Gulshan because the actor had criticized him for taking on the villain role in Baazigar.

 Gulshan called it a "shortcut to gain popularity." After reading the interview, SRK went to talk to Gulshan and explained that he was in Bollywood as a hero for the long term. He said he chose the villain role as a "personal challenge." Gulshan accepted this explanation.

Interestingly, just a month after Baazigar was released, SRK played another villain in the movie Darr (1993).

 He also played a negative role in Anjaam (1994). But he also won over audiences with his romantic role in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994). After delivering a powerful romantic performance in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), there was no looking back for the superstar.

Coming back to Gulshan Grover, Mayank Shekhar mentioned that Gulshan had concerns about heroes playing villains, a role he was known for.

 Gulshan recalled that some actors, who were not working much but still had a fan base from older generations, would take on villain roles. These characters did bad things, but the actors usually avoided getting hurt or humiliated. Gulshan didn't have such worries, but the heroes would not want that and, according to Gulshan, they ended up changing the film's ending to make it acceptable.

Mukesh Ambani’s praise for Jio Studios’ success with Dhurandhar franchise is a reflection of Jyoti Deshpande’s remarkable transformation of the banner

Over the past few years, Jio Studios has become one of the biggest names in the Indian entertainment world. At the center of this growth is Jyoti Deshpande, who leads the studio's operations. The studio's huge success has now been noticed by Mukesh Ambani, the head of Reliance Industries. In a letter to his shareholders, Ambani talked about Jio Studios and its popular Dhurandhar series.

Ambani praised the Dhurandhar franchise, saying, “It achieved an unprecedented 40%+ of India's box office.”

 He also mentioned that Jio Studios has been the highest-grossing film for three years in a row — Stree 2 in 2024, Dhurandhar in 2025, and Dhurandhar The Revenge in 2026. This shows that the studio is consistently doing well and leading the market.

Ambani highlighted the scale of Jio Studios' achievements, saying, “In FY 2025-26, the studio released the record-smashing spy action thrillers Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar The Revenge, creating new benchmarks in box office, release strategy, monetisation, and customer engagement, globally.”

What made the Dhurandhar franchise special was the way the studio planned its release.

 The first movie came out in December 2025, and the sequel followed just three months later in March 2026. Ambani called it a first of its kind, saying, “Never before in the world, let alone India, had a film franchise been conceived, financed, and shot as two parts and released so close to each other.”

Ambani said the gamble worked out well.

 The first movie became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time. It broke records with a 15-week run before the sequel came out, which created even more excitement.

The Dhurandhar success also reflects Jyoti Deshpande's vision since she started building Jio Studios from scratch.

 In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, she said the studio always believed in the film's potential. She explained, “When you greenlight a film, you want to keep the economics in mind. I don't make films focusing on the downside. I always play for the upside. So we thought even if it made Rs. 400-500 crores, we would be happy.”

The results far exceeded those expectations.

 Dhurandhar and its sequel became box office hits and cultural events.

Deshpande credits the success not to one big hit, but to a consistent strategy.

 She said, “The fact that Stree 2, Dhurandhar, and Dhurandhar The Revenge have been the top films for three years shows it’s not an accident. It’s not a one-trick pony.”

Deshpande also talked about the principles guiding her work.

 She mentioned a line from Dhurandhar — “Nazar aur sabr” — and said, “Along with that, you need rigour. You can’t greenlight something just because an actor is available. You need to spend time getting the story right, and make sure all departments are working well together.”

She admitted that discipline sometimes means turning down projects.

 She said, “Saying no to a lot of films is tough. You’re tempted to say yes to a weak story and try to fix it along the way. That discipline of saying no unless you have full confidence is hard.”

She explained what she looks for in a project: “The uniqueness of the premise, how different and fresh it is.

 The conviction and intent of the filmmaker. I like to see most of the budget used on the screen, not on other things.”

The recognition from the Ambani family has meant a lot to Deshpande, who has run the studio since its start.

 She said, “They are incredibly proud. From 2018, I created this studio from the ground up. It’s a baby. We reached this far because of their support. They gave us wings to fly. They are extremely proud of our success. The fact that Jio Studios made it to the RIL investor presentation shows how much they believe in us.”

With three years of top-grossing films and the impressive success of the Dhurandhar franchise, Jyoti Deshpande’s leadership has taken Jio Studios from a new player to a major force in Indian cinema.

 The support from Mukesh Ambani himself is a strong sign of how far the studio has come and its growing influence on the global entertainment scene.

Deepak Tijori shuts down rumours surrounding Rahul Roy’s well-being: “He is perfectly safe and fine”

Actor Deepak Tijori has come forward to support his close friend and former co-star Rahul Roy, refuting recent rumors about Rahul's health and well-being.

Deepak Tijori has denied the rumors saying, "He is perfectly safe and fine."

Rahul Roy has been in the news lately because some videos of him went viral on social media.

 These videos caused mixed reactions online—some fans worried about his health and how he speaks, while others criticized the content. The discussions grew more intense because Rahul had a brain stroke in 2020 and has been recovering since then.

Speaking to IANS, Deepak said, "I keep in touch with Rahul.

 He is still my brother and friend, and he is perfectly safe and fine. People are just making up news for no reason. Nothing like that has been written about him."  

This statement comes after Rahul himself addressed the rumors on social media.

 He rejected claims that he had been left behind or was facing serious personal problems.

Rahul explained that he lives with his sister and brother-in-law in Madh Island and gets full support and care from them.

 He also clarified that his choice to travel by auto-rickshaw or not use private security is a personal choice, not because he can't afford it.

He also mentioned that he is still dealing with legal costs from court cases that happened before his 2020 stroke.

 However, he emphasized that he is committed to staying professionally active.

Rahul said that working helps him feel useful and supports his recovery.

 He also asked people who are worried about him to help find meaningful work instead of spreading false information.