Amitabh Bachchan recalls Dharmendra’s “open-door” hospitality on KBC 18: “He had such a massive heart

Amitabh Bachchan recently talked about a nice memory of his late friend and long-time acting partner, Dharmendra, while hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati 18.He remembered how Dharmendra was very kind and down-to-earth, and how his home was always open to people, including those who traveled from his village in Punjab.

According to Bachchan, Dharmendra's hospitality was so open that people would often just walk into his house and feel at home.

This story gave a peek into Dharmendra's character, especially his connection to his roots and his way of welcoming others with love.

He shared a story about one such time: "Let me tell you another thing about his house.

Their home was a 'free for all'—whenever someone came, it was like it was their own house!I remember one day Dharam ji came home and saw 4-5 men walking up the stairs.So he asked them, 'Who are you?What are you doing here?' They said they had come from the village."

Bachchan explained that Dharmendra thought his wife must have invited the visitors.

But he himself wasn't aware of how many people came and went through his house."Dharmendra assumed that his wife had probably invited them!He himself didn't even know how many people were coming and going in his house and always welcomed everybody with love and warmth.He had such a massive heart," Bachchan said.

Amitabh Bachchan remembered Dharmendra's simplicity.

After Dharmendra passed away, Bachchan wrote a heartfelt message remembering his friend not just for his acting but also for his simple and warm nature.

He called him "the epitome of greatness" and praised the "largeness of his heart" that was a big part of his personality.

Bachchan also remembered how Dharmendra stayed connected to his Punjabi roots even after spending many years in the Hindi film industry.

"He brought with him the earthiness of the village from Punjab he came from, and remained true to its temperament, unsoiled throughout his glorious career, in a fraternity that witnessed changes every decade.The fraternity underwent changes, not him," he wrote.

He also remembered Dharmendra's "smile," "charm," and "warmth," describing the way he shared this affection with everyone as "a rarity in the profession."

Bachchan ended the tribute with the words, "The air about us swings vacant, a vacuum that shall ever remain vacuus."

Vikrant Massey reveals his WhatsApp and car number were leaked after The Sabarmati Report was released: “People threatened me openly”

Vikrant Massey has opened up about the online abuse and threats he faced following the release of The Sabarmati Report.

In a recent conversation with Shekhar Suman on his YouTube show Shekhar Tonite, the actor recalled how the backlash surrounding the film affected him personally, particularly at a time when he had recently become a father.

  

The Sabarmati Report, released in 2024, was based on the 2002 Godhra train fire.

Massey played one of the lead roles in the film, which drew strong reactions after its release, with some critics and viewers describing it as propaganda.

Recalling the response he faced, Massey said he remained proud of being part of the film despite the criticism.

"I did a film called The Sabarmati Report, and I am extremely proud of that film.When I did that film, people used the word you used: propaganda.People called that film propaganda.We made it on the Godhra train burning.We made it on the burning of the Sabarmati Express," he said.

The actor then spoke about the extent of the abuse he allegedly faced online.

According to Massey, his personal information was circulated, and he received direct threats."I had to listen to a lot of abuse.My WhatsApp number was leaked.My car number was leaked.People threatened me openly," Massey recalled.

The situation became particularly difficult because his son had been born around the same period.

Massey said his baby was only six months old when he was dealing with the backlash and admitted that the experience had a significant emotional impact on him."My son had just been born then.He was just six months old.I was heavily impacted and I openly said this in the media," he added.

Vikrant Massey on choosing family over career  

Massey also reflected on his decision to take a break from acting after a successful period in his career.

He said, "I had a great run in 2023 and 2024 due to 12th Fail, Sector 36, The Sabarmati Report.Around this time, I was away from my house and my son was born.I was finally feeling the fame, but there was a void.I was missing my family and my son," he said.

Massey also recalled the emotional conflict he experienced as his career reached a high point.

He said, "I was having an unbelievable stage.I was recognised by the PM.He watched the film.I was overwhelmed with the entire experience.When my son started to say 'Papa', and I couldn't be there, I would cry and think, 'I did wish for success, but at what cost?'"  

Reflecting on the online criticism, Massey said his perspective eventually changed.

"However, over time, I realised that they are all cowards and it doesn't matter to me what people talk about me.What matters is that my own people are my responsibility."

"He is responsible to them," he added.

Massey had taken a break from acting in December 2024, saying he needed to adjust his focus.

He has since come back to acting and was last seen in the Netflix show Musafir Cafe."

Batwara 1947 Box Office Estimate Day 1: Sunny Deol starrer takes a slow start; Collects Rs. 5.50 crores on Friday

The reunion of Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi in Batwara 1947 hasn't started off well at the box office.Early numbers show the film has made between Rs.5 crore and Rs.6 crore on Friday, which is lower than the industry's expected Rs.9 crore.

The film has earned around Rs.

3 crore from the top three national chains – PVR Inox and Cinepolis – which account for 55% of the total earnings.The start is slow, but the reports so far are positive, giving the film some hope of doing better over the weekend.

There's also the Independence Day holiday on Saturday, which might help the film gain more at the box office.

If it doubles its earnings and stays at a similar level on Sunday, it could do decent business.However, its overall success will depend on how it performs during the weekdays.

Awarapan 2 Box Office Estimate Day 1: Emraan Hashmi starrer opens with a BANG; Collects Rs. 20 crore on Friday

Emraan Hashmi and Disha Patani's movie Awarapan 2 has done really well at the box office, beating all the expectations people had before it came out.Early numbers suggest that the film, directed by Nitin Kakkar, is expected to earn between Rs.19 crore and Rs.21 crore on a non-holiday Friday.

This is Emraan Hashmi's best opening day so far, and the movie is likely to become his biggest hit overall.

The film is expected to see a big jump in earnings on Saturday because of the Independence Day holiday, and then continue to do well on Sunday.The first weekend for Awarapan 2 is expected to reach around Rs.80 crore, which is really impressive.

After that, the movie is expected to cross the Rs.

100 crore mark in less than a week and move towards the Rs.150 crore mark.Awarapan 2 has already made around Rs.10 crore net in the top three national chains, which makes up about 50% of the total earnings.

The film is a big hit right from the start, and we will have to wait and see how big of a hit it becomes in the coming days.

It faced some competition from the movie Batwara, which hasn't really done well, but still affected Awarapan 2's business because of the competition between PVR Inox and Pen Marudhar.

Batwara 1947 Movie Review: BATWARA 1947 is a wellintentioned and moving tale of humanity.

Batwara 1947 Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating  

Star Cast: Sunny Deol, Preity G Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal, Karan Deol  

Director: Rajkumar Santoshi  

Batwara 1947 Movie Review Synopsis:  

BATWARA 1947 is the story of a man who goes to extraordinary lengths in the name of humanity.

On the eve of Independence, Meerut-based Sikandar Mirza (Sunny Deol) is celebrating India’s freedom from British rule.Communal riots have broken out in several parts of the country, but Sikandar believes that the violence will soon subside.However, as India attains Independence at the stroke of midnight, the situation spirals dangerously out of control.Sikandar is advised to leave Meerut and migrate to Lahore, Pakistan.Left with little choice, he, along with his wife Hamida (Preity G Zinta), son Javed (Karan Deol) and daughter Tanno (Khhushi Hajare), makes his way to the railway station.After a harrowing journey, the family reaches Lahore and takes shelter in a relief camp.Following several hardships, they are finally allotted a haveli called Durga Nivas.Their relief, however, is short-lived when they discover that an elderly woman (Shabana Azmi) is living on the top floor of the mansion.She reveals that she is the original owner of the haveli and has no intention of leaving her home.Sikandar and his family try to persuade her to migrate to India, but she firmly refuses to budge.What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Batwara 1947 Movie Story Review:  

BATWARA 1947 is adapted from Asghar Wajahat’s acclaimed play Jis Lahore Nahin Dekhya.

The story is compelling and has all the ingredients for a hard-hitting yet deeply emotional film.Rajkumar Santoshi’s screenplay is powered by strong drama and heartfelt moments, though it falls short when it comes to delivering enough massy sequences.Rajkumar Santoshi and Asghar Wajahat’s dialogues are sharp and impactful.However, they don’t quite match the searing, whistle-worthy one-liners associated with the earlier collaborations of Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi.

Rajkumar Santoshi's direction is simplistic.

His biggest strength is that he tells a story that celebrates humanity.While doing so, he handles the religious sentiment very sensitively and in such a manner that viewers of all faiths will appreciate it.The situation that the Mirza family finds themselves in is one of a kind.They are puzzled as to how to solve the problem at hand.Meanwhile, the manner in which Mai accepts them despite it being her house is sweet.The action moments will impress the masses.The climax is quite moving.

On the flipside, the film has been promoted as a mass entertainer replete with action.

Those expecting Sunny Deol bashing up baddies at regular intervals will be disappointed.This is because there are very few action moments.The ones before the interval are thanda.Secondly, Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi have delivered films like GHAYAL [1990], DAMINI [1993] and GHATAK [1996].In these films, action and emotion went hand in hand and moreover, it had power-packed dialogues at regular intervals.There was a potential for the same even in BATWARA 1947, but the makers let go of the opportunity.The length is another issue.The film drags in the middle of the second half.

Batwara 1947 Movie Review Performances:  

Sunny Deol, as expected, rocks the show.

Like always, the film goes to dizzying heights in action scenes.But watch out for him when he breaks down and also in the climax.It's sure to touch the viewers' hearts.

Shabana Azmi is next, and her acting is very heartfelt, making it easy for the audience to connect with her from the very start.

Preity G Zinta gives a great performance, and it's nice to see her back on screen.Karan Deol and Khushi Hajare both perform reliably.Ali Fazal, who plays Habib Anwar, does a very good job in a supporting role.Abhimanyu Singh, who portrays Yakub Khan, is perfectly cast as the villain.Kanikka Kapur, who plays Nishat, makes a late appearance but supports the film well.Ira Sandhir, who is Tabassum, is not given enough to do and her role feels underused.Rukhsar Rehman as Savitri, Khalid Siddiqui as Ratan, Pankaj Raina as Zafar, and Vishnu Sharma as Maulvi all do well in their small roles.

In terms of music and other technical areas of Batwara 1947, A R Rahman's music is not very impressive.

The song 'Tabassum' is forced into the film, while 'Kahaan Chale Gaye Ho Ram' is well shot.The other songs don't make much of an impact.A R Rahman's background music fits well with the film's tone.

Santosh Sivan's cinematography is decent, while Ravi Verma's action sequences are entertaining for a mass audience.

Maxima Basu's costumes and Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray's production design are reminiscent of a bygone era.Shyam Salgaonkar's editing could have been more polished.

In conclusion, Batwara 1947 is a thoughtful and emotional story about humanity that greatly benefits from the strong performances by Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi.

However, the film lacks regular action and powerful mass moments, and the second half is quite long.These factors prevent it from being a strong entertainer.As a result, the film has not performed as well as expected at the box office and will need strong positive reviews to improve its performance in the coming days.

Awarapan 2 Movie Review: AWARAPAN 2 is a massappealing action entertainer.

Awarapan 2 Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating  

Star Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Disha Patani, Shabana Azmi  

Director: Nitin Kakkar  

Awarapan 2 Movie Review Synopsis:  

AWARAPAN 2 is about a man on a mission.

It has been nineteen years since the story of the first movie.Shivam Pandit (Emraan Hashmi) has survived and still feels the loss of Aaliyah Hamid (Shriya Saran).He takes in an abandoned child and names her Aaliyah (Myrah Shivan).When the girl gets into trouble, Shivam brings back his old, brave self.He goes to Bangkok and faces a dangerous gang to help Aaliyah.Along the way, he meets Zara (Disha Patani), who gives him some comfort.The rest of the story follows what happens next.

Awarapan 2 Movie Story Review:  

Vishesh Bhatt's story keeps the same spirit as the first movie.

The screenplay by Bilal Siddiqi and Vishesh Bhatt is engaging and has some emotional and exciting parts.However, the writing could have been more focused and less predictable.The dialogues, with some additional lines by Sanjay Masoom, fit well with the film's tone.

Nitin Kakkar's direction is fun and can appeal to a wide audience.

He uses the sense of nostalgia well and makes the main character very likeable.Because of this, audiences care about Shivam from the start.The story of the villain and his relationship with his siblings is a powerful part of the film that audiences will enjoy.There's a lot of action which will please fans of big movies and people who like single-screen films.Some scenes are so exciting that they might cause applause and cheers.

On the other hand, the film doesn't quite reach the level of the original AWARAPAN [2007], which became a cult favorite.

The romance between Shivam and Zara doesn't work as well as it should.Some twists are easy to guess, which takes away from the surprise.A few scenes are a bit silly, like the villain letting Shivam live instead of killing him, which doesn't make much sense given how ruthless he is.Lastly, the ending might leave people feeling divided.

Awarapan 2 Movie Review Performances:  

Emraan Hashmi is in a role that is very popular and should be well received.

Many fans are excited to see him in this kind of character, and it's been a while since he did something like this.Disha Patani looks great and gives an excellent performance.Shabana Azmi (Nafisa Nawaz) is charming and the audience would love to see her on screen more.Puran Gabbi (Zorawar) is a pleasant surprise and does a great job.Aniruddh Rawal (Sikandar) is also good and deserves praise.Suvinder Vicky (Jaideep), Vijayant Kohli (Mehmood), and Atul Kumar (Samarth) all support the story well.Myrah Shivan acts confidently.Shriya Saran and Shaad Randhawa's cameos are decent.

Awarapan 2 movie music and other technical aspects:  

The music is okay but not as strong as the original.

The best songs are 'Tera Mera Rishta Continues,' 'Toh Phir Aao,' 'Yeh Awarapan,' and 'Ve Junoon.' Songs like 'Tumhare Liye,' 'Piya Ghar Aaya,' and 'Laado' don't stand out much.Raju Singh's background music is good.

Vishnu Rao's cinematography is impressive.

The locations in Rajasthan and Bangkok are beautifully shot.The action by Aejaz Gulab and Kawee Sirikhanaerut is intense.Shiraz Siddique and Maxima Basu's costumes are stylish.The production design by Sunayana Sabherwal and Tarpan Shrivastavaa is elegant.Devendra Murdeshwar's editing is clear, but it could have been more polished in the second half of the film.

Awarapan 2 Movie Review Conclusion:  

Overall, AWARAPAN 2 is a mass-appealing action movie that works well with Emraan Hashmi’s likeable performance, the use of nostalgia, emotional moments, and exciting scenes.

It is expected to have a great start at the box office and a strong weekend, potentially becoming one of the biggest hits of the year.

Toxic is 3 hours 14 minutes long; passed by CBFC with an ‘A’ certificate

The movie "Toxic" starring Yash is ready to come out on August 26.After a big trailer event in Bengaluru on August 8 and a music event today, August 13, the film has now got its censorship certificate.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has approved the Kannada version of the film with an 'A' certificate.

The Bengaluru regional office of CBFC gave the certificate to the makers of Toxic today.The film's runtime, as stated on the certificate, is 194 minutes and 12 seconds.That means Toxic is 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 12 seconds long.

Interestingly, Bollywood Hungama was one of the first to report back in March 2026 that the film's runtime would be over three hours.

At that time, the release was planned for March 19, which would have clashed with "Dhurandhar The Revenge." That film was also over three hours long.This caused problems for the exhibitors, especially those with single-screen cinemas, who worried about how to manage the showtimes between the two long films.

But soon after, the makers of Toxic decided to delay the release because of a conflict in the Middle East.

The film was first rescheduled to June 4, but then moved further back to August 26.

Toxic features Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, Akshay Oberoi, Balaji Manohar, and Sudev Nair.

It is directed by Geetu Mohandas and produced by Venkat K Narayana.

At the trailer event in Bengaluru, Yash responded to many rumors that had been going around about the film over the years.

He said, "Nowadays, I see this a lot.Every time a big film starts, there are stories about it being shelved on the 10th or 20th day!I don't know where these stories come from.It's not easy for producers, actors, or directors.Making a film is like fighting a war against the whole world!You don't know what the actor's mood will be that day or if they will have enough dates.There are so many issues."