Entertainment Highlights (October 12): Aishwarya’s B’day Wish For Big B; Kangana’s Cryptic Post For Alia

On the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, the makers have dropped the spine-chilling first-look of Jackie Shroff's villainous avatar from Varun Dhawan's 'Baby John'. In the video clip, Jackie can be seen flaunting his rugged prisoner look with long grey hair.

Actor-producer Sohum Shah on Saturday announced that his upcoming film "Crazxy" will be released in theatres across the country on March 7, 2025. Sharing the news on social media while celebrating the sixth anniversary of his 2018 hit "Tumbbad", Sohum wrote, "Doston, aaj Tumbbad ko release hue 6 saal hogaye hai… aapne itna pyaar diya ki film re-release bhi hogayi aur humaara #Tumbbad ka circle complete hua :) And, after 6 years, we are presenting to you the motion poster of our new film, #CRAZXY. In cinemas 7 March, 2025. GET READY FOR A #CRAZXY RIDE!"

"Gadar 2" director Anil Sharma's next feature film is titled "Vanvaas", the makers announced on Saturday. The film marks his latest collaboration with Zee Studios and comes after the blockbuster success of Sunny Deol-starrer "Gadar 2", the sequel to his 2001 movie "Gadar: Ek Prem Katha". The makers shared an announcement video on social media, offering a first glimpse of "Vanvaas", which features Nana Patekar and Sharma's son Utkarsh Sharma.

Saira Banu, who was hospitalized following a minor heart attack three days ago, has now been moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. A family friend confirmed this update to the news agency Asian News International (ANI). It is worth noting that her late husband, Dilip Kumar, who passed away on July 7, 2021, was also admitted to the same hospital, where he ultimately breathed his last.

In the ongoing dispute between Divya Khossla and Alia Bhatt regarding their respective films, Savi and Jigra, Divya has escalated tensions by targeting Alia in a recent Instagram post. She shared an image of a vacant theater and specifically criticized Alia, asserting that the screenings of Jigra are drawing minimal audience attendance. She wrote, “Went to Citi Mall PVR for Jigra show. Theatre was totally empty … all theaters going empty every where. #Aliabhatt me sach mein Bahut #Jigra hai.. khud hi tickets kharide aur fake collections announce kar diye. Wonder why paid media is silent. #weshdnotfooltheaudience #truthoverlies #HappyDussehra Х (sic)."

In addition to her acting career, Alia Bhatt has frequently displayed her musical abilities in various films, including Jigra. She first impressed audiences by singing a version of Samjhawan in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya, and later lent her voice to Diljit Dosanjh’s Ik Kudi in Udta Punjab. Despite her singing endeavors, Kareena Kapoor recently questioned Alia about her musical talents and playfully asked if she had any plans to release her own single. Talking about the same, she said, “No, not at all. Vedang can sing and he actually plays so he can cut an album. I can sing in my bathroom and then with a little bit of help of some individuals in the recording studio.” Kareena asked, “So, you’re not going to cut a single?” Alia replied, “Once upon a time I had some plan but that’s it. It ended there only.”

Rajinikanth's latest action-thriller, "Vettaiyan The Hunter," has defied initial expectations to emerge as a box office success. Despite a lack of pre-release hype, the film has captivated audiences and garnered critical acclaim, reaffirming Rajinikanth's enduring star power. The film's opening weekend collections have been impressive, surpassing initial projections. The strong performance, driven by both positive word-of-mouth and the Dussehra holiday, has solidified "Vettaiyan The Hunter" as a significant commercial success. The film has not only outperformed other recent releases but has also set a new benchmark for Rajinikanth's box office performance.

Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video generated a respectable net collection of Rs 5 crore on its opening day in India, surpassing the earnings of Jigra, which brought in Rs 4.25 crore. However, given that Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video had a larger release and more screens, the producers should exercise caution before fully celebrating this achievement.

According to early estimates from Sacnilk, the Alia Bhatt film grossed Rs 4.25 crore on its opening day across all languages in India. The majority of this revenue came from the Hindi version, which earned Rs 4.2 crore, while the Telugu version contributed a modest Rs 5 lakh. On its opening day, the Hindi occupancy rate stood at 20.13%. Sacnilk's data reveals that the night shows attracted the highest attendance, boasting an occupancy of 32.19%. In contrast, morning shows recorded a 10.48% occupancy, afternoon shows achieved 19.17%, and evening shows had an occupancy of 18.66%.

Alia Bhatt recently shared a heartwarming gesture by her RRR co-star, Ram Charan, who adopted an elephant in her daughter Raha’s name. During a conversation, Alia expressed her gratitude for this thoughtful act. She also mentioned that while she, Jr NTR, and Ram Charan didn’t get to spend much time together during the shoot, their bond grew stronger during the film's promotional events. Alia told Suresh Productions in a recent chat, "Tarak, Ram Charan, and I, we couldn’t spend a lot of time together on the sets of RRR due to different schedules, but around promotions, we became very close. This is a very funny story. A month after Raha was born, I had stepped down to walk for a bit. Suddenly, I had someone coming and telling me, ‘Ma’am, Ram Charan sir has sent an elephant.’ I was stunned. I was like, ‘Anything can happen: I might have a giant elephant walking in my building right now.’ It wasn’t a real elephant. It was a wooden elephant he sent after he adopted an elephant in the wild in Raha’s name. It was such a sweet gesture by him."

Kangana Ranaut has once again stirred attention with a fiery and cryptic Instagram story, seemingly taking a dig at Alia Bhatt's latest film, Jigra. Released on October 11, the movie had a modest opening, reportedly collecting Rs 3.58 crore (net) across all languages in India on its first day, according to Sacnilk. With the film's slow start, Kangana’s post has sparked renewed conversation about the box office performance of female-led films. Though Kangana didn’t mention anyone directly, the timing of her post has led fans to speculate that it’s a subtle jab at Jigra, especially given the film’s theme and Alia Bhatt’s significant role in it. Kangana posted, “When you destroy women-centric films and make sure that they don’t work, they don’t work, even when you make them. Read that again. Thanks.”

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wished Amitabh Bachchan a happy birthday by sharing a heartwarming throwback photo of him with her daughter, Aaradhya. The picture captures a sweet moment between the two, with Amitabh, dressed in a white hoodie, smiling as he holds Aaradhya, who looks adorable in a floral dress and headband. She is seen clutching a flower and cuddling up to her grandfather, making for a truly endearing scene.