Entertainment Highlights: Kangana Sparks Dating Rumours; Merry Christmas Takes Low Opening

Kangana Ranaut took to her Instagram to react to the rumours surrounding her dating a mystery man after her picture holding his hand went viral. Clarifying that he is a friend and they are not dating. Kangana revealed that he is a hairstylist and has been working with her for years now. She wrote, “I am getting a lot of calls and messages about the mystery man I often hangout with outside a salon… Whole filmi/Bolly media is salivating and coming up with all kinds of erotic fantasies, well a man and a woman walking together on a street can be many possiblities not just sexual, they can be colleagues, siblings, work friends and at times simply wonderful courteous hairstylist with a friendly client of many years.”

Director Hansal Mehta has responded to National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah's criticism of the filming of Huma Qureshi’s web series, Maharani in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly complex, saying that such an "unwelcoming attitude" is the reason why India is considered an "unfriendly shooting location." Abdullah, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J&K, had on Friday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir administration for allowing the shooting of "Maharani" inside the assembly complex and called it an “absolute shame." Mehta replied to Abdullah's post on X and wrote, "Why is it a shame? How is filming of a drama demeaning democracy or the ‘mother of democracy’? Every body on a film set including actors, background actors(called ‘extras’ by you) are all citizens of this country and have every right to work with dignity and deserve respect and understanding- at least from somebody as educated as yourself," the filmmaker said. In countries around the world, filmmakers and actors are allowed to use public places, government buildings and council halls for shooting, Mehta added. "It is because of this unwelcoming attitude that India is considered an unfriendly shooting location and we often prefer shooting abroad. I have great respect for you but this feels very disrespectful, regressive and myopic," the filmmaker said.

Shah Rukh Khan gave a loud shout-out to Mahesh Babu on the release of Guntur Kaaram on Saturday. He took to his X page and penned a sweet note praising the film and the actor. He wrote, "Looking forward to #GunturKaaram my friend @urstrulyMahesh!!! A promising ride of action, emotion and of course…. Massss!!! Highly inflammable!" Along with the post, Shah Rukh also shared the trailer of the film. Mahesh Babu quickly replied, saying, "Thank you for all your support @iamsrk !! Love to you and all at home!"

Days after Nayantahra’s Tamil movie Annapoorani was released on Netflix, the film was pulled down from the platform after being accused of hurting religious sentiments. Reacting to the development, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt told Zoom, “We globally live in very sensitive times and people who are in connection with the business of mass entertainment, are compelled to reach out to to the optimal number of people. Only then can you get what you call resounding success. Over the years, the world has drastically changed and earlier the responses of our movies would come to us filtered through the gatekeepers – the mainstream media.” He continued, “Now, in this digital age, each individual has access to exhale and express without any inhibition with her or her responses to anything more popular. Any entertainer or a storyteller a filmmaker has never been more vulnerable, at any point in history, as it is today. To impose the world should be like this is a utopian idea. The question is not should it be this way. The question is what are we dealing with? They’re dealing with responses which can flare up emotions and then what you have spent a sizeable amount of your time on your life making is knocked off the air right now. Whether that should be done or not be done. That’s for the esteemed judges of the courts to decide,” he concluded.

Teja Sajja's movie "Hanu Man" hit theaters on January 12, coinciding with Vijay Sethupathi's "Merry Christmas." The Telugu superhero film, written and directed by Prasanth Varma and produced by Niranjan Reddy Kandagatla under Primeshow Entertainment, reportedly garnered nearly Rs. 8 crore on its opening day. According to Sacnilk.com, the film achieved a total of Rs. 7.56 crore nett in India on its first day across all languages. In specific languages, it earned Rs. 5.50 crore nett in Telugu and Rs. 2 crore nett in Hindi. The cast includes Teja Sajja in the titular role, supported by Amritha Aiyer, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Raj Deepak Shetty, and Vinay Rai.

Bigg Boss Kannada 10, hosted by actor Kiccha Sudeep, kicked off its broadcast on October 8, 2023, introducing a daily dose of intrigue, conflicts, and challenges for the housemates. Presently, the focus is on the high-stakes Ticket To Finale task, in which actress Sangeetha Sringeri is said to have clinched the initial victory. Her success is attributed to an exceptional performance in the task and the support of votes from her fellow housemates. In an unexpected turn of events, Drone Prathap, initially considered a formidable contender for the finale, reportedly faced defeat in this pivotal task, eliciting a range of emotions.

The action choreographer duo Anbariv has enlisted cinema icon Kamal Haasan for their debut directorial venture. Haasan announced the project, which will mark his 237th film, on his official social media accounts on Friday evening. The 69-year-old actor expressed his pride in adding the two proven talents in their new role as directors for #KH237. He welcomed Anbariv to Raaj Kamal Films International again, stating, "Slay it, Masters Anbariv. #ActioninAction."

Dr. Prabha Atre, the distinguished classical singer, passed away at the age of 92 after experiencing a cardiac arrest at her residence in Pune early on Saturday, according to sources close to her. A representative of the Kirana Gharana in Hindustani classical music, Atre had received all three Padma awards from the Indian government. "Atre suffered a cardiac arrest during her sleep at her residence. She was rushed to a private hospital in Kothrud area of the city, where she was declared dead at 5.30 am," a source reported. As some of Atre's close family members reside abroad, her funeral will take place once they arrive, the source added.

On Saturday, Radhika Apte posted a distressing video depicting her confinement in an aerobridge at Mumbai airport. Alongside numerous passengers, she appears locked in as the flight experiences delays in taking off as scheduled. Radhika Apte shared the footage and images on her social media platform, prompting reactions from many fans who have also shared similar incidents. On her Instagram account, Radhika posted a video and images showcasing her waiting with friends. She wrote, "I had to post this! Today morning I had an flight at 8:30. It’s 10:50 now and the flight has still not boarded. BUT the flight said we were boarding and put all the passengers in the aerobridge and LOCKED IT! The passengers with small babies, elderly people have been locked in for over an hour. The security won’t open the doors. The staff has ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE! Apparently their crew hasn’t boarded. The crew had the change and they are still waiting for new crew but they have no idea of when they will arrive so no one knows how long they’ll be locked inside. I managed to escaped briefly to speak to the very stupid staff woman outside who kept saying there is no issue and no delay 🙂 now I’m locked inside AND they just told us that we will be here till minimum 12pm all locked in. No water no loo. Thanks for the fun ride!!"

Speculation surrounds Kangana Ranaut's romantic life as she was recently photographed in Mumbai holding hands with a mysterious man, sparking curiosity about her potential relationship with a foreigner. The actress was captured by paparazzi donning a printed blue dress and beige slippers, while her companion looked stylish in a black t-shirt, pants, and shoes. The image of the two holding hands as they approached photographers has quickly circulated on social media, generating widespread interest.

Pankaj Tripathi has chosen to resign voluntarily from his role as the National Icon of the Election Commission of India (ECI). This decision comes as the actor portrays the real-life political figure, former Prime Minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in the Ravi Jadhav-directed film Main Atal Hoon. Tripathi mentioned that he had decided to step down from the position before the release of the film's trailer. “It is a normal process. The news has come out now but I had written to the ECI before the release of the film’s trailer,” the National Award-winning actor told PTI.

While Manoj Bajpayee's passion project, Joram, may not have made significant waves at the box office, it garnered praise from critics worldwide. The film journeyed through various international film festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Sydney Film Festival, Durban International Film Festival, 28th Busan International Film Festival, and 59th Chicago International Film Festival. In a rare accomplishment, Joram has now found a place in the Oscar library. The Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences recently acquired the screenplay for its esteemed Permanent Core Collection. Sharing his reaction, Bajpayee told News18, "It's fantastic news, and I genuinely believe that we've come full circle with this. I don't work for validation; I work because this is what I wanted to do, and this is what I'm passionate about."

As per early estimates, Merry Christmas reportedly garnered Rs 2.55 crore nett on its opening day across all languages, according to Sacnilk. The movie was filmed in both Hindi and Tamil versions. In addition to Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif, the Hindi rendition includes Sanjay Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Pratima Kannan, and Tinnu Anand. Meanwhile, the Tamil version features Radhika Sarathkumar, Shanmugaraja, Kevin Jay Babu, and Rajesh Williams playing identical roles.