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Mrunal Thakur joins EBG Group as ambassador for Carlton Wellness platform

EBG Group, a fast-growing Indian conglomerate with diversified interests spanning mobility, health, realty, lifestyle, food, services, technology, and education, today announced the onboarding of acclaimed Indian actor Mrunal Thakur as brand ambassador for its project, Carlton Wellness. The association marks a key milestone in EBG Group’s vision to build India’s most credible, regulated, and premium wellness-hospitality ecosystem. Effective from FY 2025–26, the partnership will see Mrunal Thakur headline Carlton Wellness’s brand films, digital storytelling initiatives, experiential wellness campaigns, flagship property launches, and brand programs, to be rolled out in a phased manner across India. Commenting on the announcement, Dr Irfan Khan, Chairman & Founder, EBG Group, said, “Mrunal Thakur was chosen for her authentic alignment with wellness, balance, and mindful living. Known for her modern grace, discipline, emotional strength, and understated luxury, she embodies values th...

Hamnet review – Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley beguile and captivate in audacious Shakespearean tragedy

Chloé Zhao’s film version of Maggie O’Farrell’s myth-making novel powerfully reimagines the agonising loss of a child as the source of Hamlet’s grand stage drama ‘The joys of parents are secret, and so are their griefs and fears …” This is Francis Bacon’s essay Of Parents and Children; maybe they were more secret in his day than ours. This kind of secrecy and revelation is part of Chloé Zhao’s deeply felt romantic fantasy about the origin of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. It locates the play’s beginning in the imagined anguish of Shakespeare and his wife Agnes (or Anne) Hathaway at the death of their son Hamnet at the age of 11 in 1596, a few years before the play’s first performance. The nearness of the names is not supposed to be some monumental Freudian slip; there is linguistic evidence that the two could be used interchangeably. The movie is inspired by Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel of the same name – Zhao co-wrote the screenplay with O’Farrell – as well as the 2004 essa...

Salman Khan in talks with Raj & DK for action-comedy, reveal reports

Salman Khan, who is currently occupied with the upcoming war drama Battle of Galwan, is reportedly in discussions with filmmaker duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK for a potential new project. While details remain tightly under wraps, industry buzz suggests that the film being discussed is an action-comedy — a genre Salman is expected to revisit after several years. According to a report by Pinkvilla, the collaboration is still in its early stages, but the prospect itself has generated significant interest. Raj and DK, known for blending sharp humour with stylised action, are said to be keen on mounting a large-scale entertainer if the alignment works out. If finalised, the project would mark Salman Khan’s first-ever association with the director duo, making it a notable collaboration in Bollywood’s commercial space. A source was quoted telling in these reports, “Salman Khan has heard the basic idea and has shown interest in it. It’s an action-comedy, but it will also present Khan in a ...

Dreams Travel With the Wind review – communing with the spirits to preserve Indigenous culture in Colombia

This intensely personal film follows Colombian director Inti Jacanamijoy’s grandfather to the ancestral lands of the Wayuu people Spirituality and history collide in Inti Jacanamijoy’s debut documentary, shot among the rugged, enigmatic terrain of La Guajira, Colombia, the birthplace of his grandfather, José Agustín. Now in his 90s, the older man muses on the inevitability of death, all while looking back on his painful upbringing as a Wayuu Indigenous person . His voiceover, laid over the sight of lush forest and babbling brooks, recalls a cruel separation from his mother and his ancestral land, forced by Catholic invaders. This sense of fracture resonates throughout the family lineage. Jacanamijoy too speaks of his feelings of loss caused by generational trauma. Against such emotional and geographical disconnects, the film looks to dreams – and even the afterlife – as a possible space for reconciliation and healing. José Agustín’s mother has long passed, yet he often sees her in hi...

Farhad Samji switches gears; writes screenplay and dialogues for film adaptation of Safed Khaki; based on police inspector Subhash Shinde and his cricket achievements

Farhad Samji is known for directing mass-appealing and often comical films like Bachchhan Paandey (2022), Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023), Housefull 4 (2019), etc. and writing (along with brother Sajid) memorable films like Singham (2011), Bol Bachchan (2012), Housefull 2 (2012), Chennai Express (2013), etc. However, with his next project, he is all set to switch genres. It has come to light that Farhad has written a film on Senior Inspector Subhash Shinde who contributed to cricket. The film in question is an adaptation of the book 'Safed Khaki' written by Atharwa Shinde, daughter of Subhash Shinde. In an interview to Mid-Day in November 2025, she revealed that Nishikant Kamat of Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008) and Drishyam (2015) fame was impressed by the story and wanted to make a film at one point. But the project was stalled after his demise in 2020. But later, Farhad Samji came on board and he, along with Piyush Singh, has now written the screenplay and dialogues. Atharwa told...

Jay Bhanushali and Mahhi Vij confirm separation after weeks of rumours: “We choose peace over drama”

After weeks of speculation surrounding their marriage, popular television actors Jay Bhanushali and Mahhi Vij have officially confirmed that they are going their separate ways. The couple, who tied the knot in 2011 and share three children, addressed the ongoing rumours by issuing a detailed and heartfelt note on social media, putting an end to conjecture around their relationship status. Taking to their Instagram Stories, Jay and Mahhi clarified that while they have decided to part ways as partners, they will continue to remain united as co-parents. Stressing that their decision is rooted in peace, maturity and mutual understanding, the duo urged fans and the media to refrain from attaching negativity or assigning blame to their separation. “Today, we choose to part ways on a journey called life, yet we continue to have each other's back. Peace, growth, kindness, and humanity have always been our guiding values. For the sake of our children Tara, Khushi, Rajveer, we commit to be...

We Bury the Dead review – Daisy Ridley tackles the undead in solid zombie twist

Star Wars alum gives an impressively modest performance in this slightly smarter-than-average survival tale Unlike some other less resilient horror subgenres, the zombie movie is, fittingly, never going to really die. Neither will film-makers attempting to add their own twist, understandable given how repetitive the die, wake up, lumber, bite and repeat formula has become. Australian director Zak Hilditch’s attempt, the rather buried We Bury the Dead, is therefore not quite as striking as it might have seemed a decade and change ago. Using words such as “contemplative” and “mournful” to describe a film that includes its fair share of gnarly head-smashing has become something of a cliche, so much so that last month’s meta-comedy Anaconda reboot had its characters joke that these days, even a film about a giant snake needs “intergenerational trauma” to work. But Hilditch mercifully avoids drowning his film in drab self-seriousness. Yes, it’s a zombie survival thriller that’s also abo...

SCOOP: Anil Kapoor buys rights to his cult film Nayak; aspires to make its sequel

Anil Kapoor has had an illustrious career and has delivered several memorable films. One film that stands out in his filmography is Nayak (2001). The political drama didn’t work in cinemas but became a cult film later on. Fans have long demanded a sequel to Nayak and Bollywood Hungama has learned that the plan might finally materialize. A source told Bollywood Hungama, “Producer Deepak Mukut of Sanam Teri Kasam (2016) fame held the rights to Nayak. It is said that Anil Kapoor has bought the rights from him. He plans to hold the rights as it’s a film close to his heart. Also, he aspires to make a sequel to it. He is fully aware of the love he has garnered for the film over the years and he also is of the belief that the subject of Nayak has tremendous potential for a second part.” We contacted Deepak Mukut to find out if he has sold the rights of Nayak to Anil Kapoor but he was unavailable for comment. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama in March 2024, Deepak Mukut told ...

Universal Studios invests in Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment to scale up Indian productions: Report

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s production powerhouse Excel Entertainment has entered into a strategic partnership with Hollywood giant Universal Studios, signalling a new phase of global collaboration and scale-up for Indian content. Universal Studios has acquired a minority stake in Excel, while the larger share remains with the Indian banner, according to a report by Mid-Day. What the Partnership Means Insiders tell Mid-Day that Universal’s minority acquisition is aimed at scaling up Excel’s production capabilities and bringing “big ideas” to life with broader global reach. “Excel wants to expand the scale of its productions going ahead,” shared a source. “There are big ideas in the pipeline.” Excel Entertainment’s 2025 slate included a diverse mix of films such as 120 Bahadur, Ground Zero, Superboys of Malegaon, and the digital release Songs of Paradise. While these projects garnered critical acclaim, several did not see major box-office success — prompting strategic reasses...

‘Suspension of entry into the US’, paparazzi – and wine: three other reasons George Clooney moved to France

A UK government warning that Amal Clooney risks US sanctions over her role in the issuing of an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister is key among reasons the couple have sought French citizenship The exodus from Hollywood to shores not presided over by Donald Trump has been busy and loud. Ellen DeGeneres, Robin Wright and Courtney Love moved to England; Rosie O’Donnell opted for Ireland; Eva Longoria, Spain. Other Trump critics, including Richard Gere, Lena Dunham and Ryan Gosling, have upped sticks without citing the re-election as a motivating factor. In the case of Clooney, however, there has appeared little doubt that his decision to gain French citizenship was primarily because of Trump, whose re-election he energetically campaigned against. Yet amid the heat and headlines generated by the pair’s war of words, some of the actor’s reasons for relocating may have flown under the radar. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/GULvaWe via IFTTT