Actor and filmmaker Sayani Gupta has filed a Rs 9 crores defamation suit before the Mumbai City Civil Court against filmmaker Vinita Negi over allegations surrounding her directorial debut, the short fiction film Aasmani. The case, titled Sayani Gupta v. Vinita Negi & Ors., has also named Meta, Reddit and Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited as defendants.

An application seeking an urgent hearing and interim relief was likely to be listed before additional sessions judge Shudhirkumar Murlidharrao Bukke on September 3.

The dispute began after Negi, an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), accused Gupta of copyright infringement and breach of trust. Negi had alleged that Aasmani drew substantially from her unfinished documentary Prabha, with both projects featuring an elderly woman and a vintage car.

Gupta has now denied the allegations and claimed in her suit that they were false, misleading, unsubstantiated and defamatory. Her plea argued that copyright law protects original expression rather than broad or abstract ideas.

“The mere presence of an elderly woman, a car, a driver or any other generic element in a creative work does not confer upon Negi a monopoly over such ideas or concepts,” the suit stated.

According to Gupta’s plea, Negi approached the Screenwriters Association (SWA) with a complaint in April 2026. While the proceedings were pending, Negi allegedly circulated a “Statement of Support” on WhatsApp and social media seeking backing from members of the film fraternity. The suit claimed that the campaign received more than 250 signatures.

Gupta further alleged that the controversy resulted in professional damage, including the withdrawal of Aasmani from the Indian Film Festival of New Zealand (TIFFNZ).

She has sought Rs 9 crores in damages, along with directions to Meta, Reddit and Deccan Chronicle to remove allegedly defamatory content. She has also sought an unconditional apology and public retraction from Negi.

Also Read : Sayani Gupta’s directorial debut Aasmani pulled from Indian Film Festival of New Zealand amid copyright dispute

Before she became an overnight sensation with Mohit Suri’s romantic blockbuster Saiyaara (2025), actor Aneet Padda had already quietly wrapped another project—the socio-thriller Hunkkaar. Long delayed behind studio doors, the series is now finally gearing up for a high-profile digital release, with its official teaser slated to drop today.

Industry sources reveal that Hunkkaar was shot and completed well before Saiyaara vaulted Padda into mainstream stardom. However, the decision to hold the project was purely strategic. Studios waited until the actor’s box-office clout and market appeal surged, transforming a shelved project into a commercially viable, headline-worthy event release.

Contrary to the perception that Hunkkaar was offered to Padda following her breakout, the project was actually born out of her long-standing professional proximity to directors Nitya Mehra and Karan Kapadia. It was Padda’s deep-rooted creative trust with the duo—combined with her post-Saiyaara box-office heat—that ultimately catalyzed the show’s revival and distribution path.

With the teaser landing today, Hunkkaar represents an intriguing career milestone for Aneet Padda. Besides Aneet, the show will also star Fatima Sana Shaikh, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and Arjun Mathur in the lead.

The socio-thriller brings together a formidable lineup of backing studios: it is produced by Birla Studios and Applause Entertainment, in association with Purple Pebble Pictures, while Mangata Films serves as the primary production house. The highly anticipated series is set to premiere globally on JioHotstar.

Also Read: Aneet Padda approached for crucial role opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Brahmastra 2

Rapper-singer Badshah and Punjabi actress Isha Rikhi have confirmed that they are parting ways. The couple made the announcement on Monday evening, August 31, months after their marriage became public and weeks after speculation about trouble in their relationship gained momentum. Badshah shared a joint statement on his Instagram Story, saying that the decision was mutual and made with respect. He also requested fans and the media to give them privacy as they move forward separately.

“I and Isha Rikhi have mutually decided to part ways and move forward on our separate paths. This decision has been made with mutual respect, and we request everyone to kindly respect our privacy during this time,” Badshah wrote.

The couple further made it clear that they do not wish to discuss the matter publicly. “This will be our only statement on the matter. We sincerely request that there be no further speculation or assumptions regarding our relationship,” the statement read.

View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Bollywood Hungama🎥 (@realbollywoodhungama)

Isha Rikhi’s emotional post had sparked speculation The announcement comes weeks after Isha shared an emotional note on social media that led to questions about the status of her marriage. In the post shared in July, the actress spoke about staying silent because of fear and said she felt overwhelmed by what she described as her husband’s “influence, power, and resources.”

“There are battles that leave no visible scars. For a long time, I remained silent because I was afraid. I felt overwhelmed by the influence, power, and resources I believed my husband had, and I convinced myself that staying quiet was the safest thing to do,” she wrote.

Isha further said that her silence should not be seen as acceptance. “Silence was never acceptance. It was survival. Today, I'm choosing courage over fear. I may not be ready to tell the whole story, but I'm finally ready to stop pretending that everything was okay,” she added.

View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Isha Rikhi (@isharikhi)

Badshah’s second marriage The separation marks the end of Badshah’s second marriage. He was previously married to Jasmine Masih. The two reportedly met on Facebook and got married in 2012. Badshah and Jasmine welcomed their daughter, Jessemy Grace Masih Singh, in 2017. The couple later separated and finalised their divorce in 2020. Badshah has continued to co-parent their daughter following their separation.

Also Read: Isha Rikhi breaks silence on separation rumours with Badshah with cryptic post: “Silence was never acceptance”

The month of August turned out to be a miraculous one thanks to Hanuman Ansh. Released on August 7, the film collected just Rs. 1.07 crore in its first week. The collections slipped to just Rs. 50 lakhs in its second week. After collecting a mere Rs. 5 lakhs on Thursday, August 20, Hanuman Ansh surprisingly collected Rs. 15 lakhs the next day, on August 21. While it earned Rs. 95 lakhs on August 22, the earnings zoomed to Rs. 2.58 crores on Sunday, August 23.

Since then, there has been no looking back for the film. Its third-week collections were Rs. 11.09 crores, while in its fourth weekend it earned Rs. 30 crores, shocking the trade and industry. Hanuman Ansh has earned approx. Rs. 42 crores to date and it seems like it now has a shot at crossing the Rs. 100 crore mark if it holds in the weekdays and the coming week. For a film made in a few crores and made in just Rs. 10 lakhs, this is a historic feat and it has been possible due to positive word of mouth and marketing.

Interestingly, audiences who ventured out to watch Hanuman Ansh have realized that the film ends with the promise of a sequel. A slate at the end mentions that the story of Neeb Karori Baba is yet to be completed. Over the weekend, the team of the film visited a multiplex in Agra, where they interacted with the viewers. Later, speaking to the media, writer-director Vishal Chaturvedi revealed that work has begun on the sequel.

Vishal also revealed that the second part will focus on Neeb Karori Baba’s life in his birthplace, Firozabad, and will then explore his life in Agra, Mathura, etc. Interestingly, Neeb Karori Baba’s family was based in Agra. Lead actor Shobhinaw Satyaa was also present alongside Vishal Chaturvedi at the interaction in the Agra theatre.

Hanuman Ansh was officially announced on February 20 this year, and the makers had revealed at the time that it would be a trilogy. The spiritual trilogy is inspired by the book ‘Divine Detour’, which is incidentally written by Vishal Chaturvedi.

On Saturday, August 29, Bollywood Hungama was among the first to inform readers that Mirzapur The Movie has been passed with an ‘A’ certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). We further revealed that the run time of the film exceeds 3 hours. We now exclusively bring you the cuts given to the gangster-drama.

The CBFC asked for several cuts before handing over the censor certificate to the makers. To begin with, cuss words were muted at 4 places, while at 6 places, the abuses were replaced with ‘appropriate’ words. The dialogue ‘Galey se lag gar’ was also modified.

In the first half of the film, a word was replaced with 'kamar'. Meanwhile, in the post-interval part, the word 'lanth', which means idiot, was asked to be modified. A caste reference was also asked to be modified.

As for the visual cuts, the makers were asked to reduce intimate scenes by 50% through suitable modifications in visuals and sound. This was done in two scenes, one in first half and one in the second half. As a result, 35 seconds of intimate scenes were deleted.

Interestingly, not a single violent and gory scene was censored by the CBFC. Once these changes were made, the censor certificate was given to the makers of Mirzapur The Movie. The length of the film, as mentioned on the certificate, is 197.19 minutes. In other words, it is 3 hours, 17 minutes and 19 seconds long.

The censor certificate also mentions that Mirzapur The Movie was passed by the Revising Committee of the CBFC. Usually, the Examining Committee is the first to view the film, and when it asks for several modifications, the makers can approach the RC. The Revising Committee then reviews the film and makes the final call on the certification and suggested modifications.

Mirzapur The Movie releases on September 4 and stars Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Jitendra Kumar, Abhishek Banerjee, Rasika Dugal, Mohitt Malik, Sheeba Chadha, Rajesh Tailang, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Harshita Shekhar Gaur, Shweta Tripathi, Sonal S Chauhan, Anangsha Biswas, Shaji Choudhary, Sushant Singh and above all, Ravi Kishan.

Also Read: Mirzapur: The Movie teaser out – Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi return ahead of September 4 release

Actor Chandrachur Singh has approached the police over a long-running family inheritance dispute, alleging that his grandfather’s will was forged to prevent his late father from receiving his rightful share of the family property. According to PTI, Singh has named his aunt Gaytri Devi, two cousins and four other family members in the FIR.

The complaint was registered at Rorawar police station in Aligarh on Friday. Singh has alleged that the signature of his grandfather, Thakur Harender Pal Singh, was forged on a will in 1997, at a time when his grandfather was seriously unwell and, according to the actor, was not in a condition to sign legal documents.

Singh has accused his uncle Ganga Singh and other relatives of being involved in the alleged forgery. He claimed that the disputed document resulted in his father, Captain Baldev Singh, being deprived of his share of the family inheritance.

The actor further alleged that his father was not present in Aligarh when the will was purportedly prepared. He also claimed that another uncle, Puniya Pratap Singh, had passed away before Harender Pal Singh.

According to the complaint, several valuable properties mentioned in the disputed will were subsequently sold over the years. Singh said on Friday evening that he had collected sufficient evidence to back his allegations. He also confirmed that he recorded his statement before the police following the registration of the FIR.

Gaytri Devi Had Earlier Rejected Allegations

The family dispute had come into the public domain last year when Gaytri Devi denied the allegations against her. She had accused Chandrachur Singh of attempting to falsely implicate her and maintained that the will was genuine.

Singh’s father, Captain Baldev Singh, was a former Congress MLA from Aligarh city and died a few years ago.

The police have now registered a case and begun investigating the allegations. The claims made by Chandrachur Singh in the FIR are allegations at this stage and have not yet been established.

Chandrachur Singh’s Film Career

Chandrachur Singh has worked in Hindi cinema for several years and is known for films such as Maachis, Kya Kehna and Josh. He starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai in Josh. His filmography also includes Cuttputlli and several other projects.

Also Read : Chandrachur Singh interacts with officials during Gurugram demolition drive outside his residence

Sonam Wangchuk has reacted to Aamir Khan’s statement that he had never met the innovator before making 3 Idiots and that his character Phunsuk Wangdu was not inspired by Wangchuk. Responding to Aamir’s claim during a podcast with Prakhar Gupta, Wangchuk recalled their meeting and funnily suggested that the actor may have forgotten the interaction.

“He said we had never met. Then some videos emerged in which he was watching my speech in his Ghajini outfit. As he was in the Ghajini look, maybe he would have suffered short-term memory loss. He must have forgotten after 15 minutes. I am not shocked. We had a detailed meet,” Wangchuk said.

Wangchuk also took a dig at Aamir’s reputation for immersing himself deeply into his characters. “We have heard that he enters deeply into his characters. Maybe he was so deeply into his Ghajini character that he forgot that he attended the award function where I was awarded. We had a detailed meet and we discussed a lot of ideas,” he added.

Wangchuk also explained why he believes their interaction could have influenced certain elements of Aamir’s character in 3 Idiots and it not necessarily would have been his direct biography or based completely on him. “This is what is called influence and inspiration. Maybe he would have taken some parts (of his life) and added in the script. Maybe he didn’t tell his team that he saw all this and spoke with me. He would have said he has added these things just like that. So, the writers and the director wouldn’t have known that Aamir added these details after meeting someone and discussing with him. That’s why he must have forgotten. It doesn’t matter to me,” he said.

Wangchuk’s latest remarks have once again brought the debate into focus, with the innovator maintaining that he had met Aamir before the film and that the two had discussed several ideas during their meeting.

For the unversed, Aamir’s comments came in July shortly after Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur in 3 Idiots, said that the superstar’s character was inspired from Sonam Wangchuk. It was a period when Sonam was on a hunger strike during the students’ protest in response to the leak of NEET question paper.

Also Read: Reema Kagti scolded Aamir Khan for “4-5 hours” for landing up late on Talaash sets; actor had gone to attend Sachin Tendulkar’s party: “She hasn’t let me forget about it till today”

Rocking Star Yash’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is not your typical commercial entertainer. The gangster drama unfolds through a distinctive narrative style, combining action, romance, family dynamics, and layered character arcs to create a world that demands your attention.

From its powerhouse performances to its ambitious visual scale, here are five reasons why Toxic deserves to be experienced on the big screen.

1. A gutsy film that dares to tell its story differently Toxic doesn’t take the familiar route. It is bold in its storytelling and builds its narrative in a way that gradually reveals the many layers of its world and characters. The film moves beyond the conventional gangster drama, bringing together action, emotion, love, and family against a larger-than-life backdrop.

2. It’s a film you may want to watch twice There is plenty happening beneath the surface in Toxic. The storytelling is layered and deliberately complex, with details, character motivations and narrative threads that may reveal themselves differently on a second viewing. It is the kind of film that invites you to revisit its world and piece together the larger picture.

3. A performance-heavy film led by Yash and an impressive ensemble At its centre is Yash, and Toxic is very much a showcase of the actor. But the film also gives its ensemble plenty to work with. Nayanthara brings a fearless intensity to her part, Kiara Advani leaves a striking impression, and Huma Qureshi delivers a performance that is haunting and powerful. Meanwhile, Rukmini Vasanth emerges as one of the film’s biggest surprises.

4. A different and softer side of Yash While Toxic is packed with intensity and action, its romantic moments bring a different dimension to the film. Yash’s scenes with Kiara reveal a softer and more vulnerable side of his character, adding emotional depth to the larger narrative. The romance is handled with restraint, allowing the chemistry and emotion between the characters to speak for themselves.

5. International-scale action and striking cinematography The action in Toxic is mounted on an ambitious scale, complemented by cinematography that gives the film a distinct visual identity. From its expansive world-building to its action set pieces, the film aims for a cinematic experience that feels grand, immersive, and unlike the usual.

Also Read: Toxic – A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups BTS: JJ Perry reveals how Yash pulled off the vicious fight action sequence

Aamir Khan is reportedly set to join hands with Sidharth Malhotra and Tiger Shroff for the much-awaited Race Reboot. The upcoming project is said to be a fresh take on the popular action thriller franchise, which originally featured Saif Ali Khan in the first two instalments before Salman Khan took the lead in the third film.

The Race franchise has developed a cult following over the years, with the first two films starring Saif Ali Khan becoming popular for their high-octane action, twists and turns, and ensemble cast. Race 3, which arrived later with Salman Khan in the lead, took the series in a different direction.

Now, the reboot is reportedly being planned with an entirely new star cast. While Sidharth Malhotra’s name has been associated with the project for some time, Tiger Shroff has also recently been linked to the film. According to current reports, Aamir Khan is the latest major name to be added to the much-anticipated project. A source was quoted telling Pinkvilla, “Aamir has liked the script and is very involved in the writing process. He is working closely with the writers to develop the material further. He feels that the reboot can bring a completely new flavour to the Race franchise”

The source further revealed that the upcoming film is being envisioned as a thriller unlike anything previously attempted in India, with the makers looking to introduce a fresh perspective to the franchise. “It’s a thriller unlike anything done before in India. The idea is to take the franchise into a new space and create something that feels fresh for the audience. A strong ensemble will come on board the film, and the casting will be announced at the right time,” the source added.

Aamir Khan is reportedly taking an active interest in the development of the project and is said to be ensuring that the script reaches the desired level before making a final commitment. In a concluding statement, the source reportedly stated, “Aamir is very excited to embark on this journey of Race. He is taking his time to make sure the script reaches the level he wants before he commits fully. The idea is to make Race Reboot a big-screen thriller with a strong ensemble and a completely fresh flavour.”

Race Reboot is said to be directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, who has previously collaborated with Aamir Khan on two action thrillers — Dhoom 3 and Thugs of Hindostan. If Aamir comes on board, the project will mark their third collaboration in the action-thriller space.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Taurani of Tips Films has reportedly already begun pre-production on the film. With Sidharth Malhotra, Tiger Shroff and potentially Aamir Khan forming part of the ensemble, Race Reboot is shaping up to be one of the more anticipated projects in the action thriller space.

Also Read: Ramesh Taurani clarifies Akshaye Khanna won’t return for Race 4: “The work on the script is on”