Entertainment

Entertainment Home News and Gossip Andhra King Taluka to Nidhiyum Bhutavum: South Indian Christmas OTT releases perfect for… Here is a list of South Indian films releasing on OTT on or around Christmas. Read ahead to know more. South Indian film fans have got an exciting weekend of Christmas to look forward to, thanks to the list of excellent movies that are landing on OTT platforms, making it ideal to enjoy great cinema from the comfort of home. There is an interesting blend of romance drama movies, family movies, thriller movies, and an ample number of epic action movies that can be enjoyed on popular platforms. Some movies have been planned to release between December 24 to December 26, 2025. With so many interesting offerings, Christmas is on course to be a real treat for South Indian films. Entertainment Revolver Rita The Tamil dark comedy thriller Revolver Rita, featuring Keerthy Suresh in the main role, is slated to be available on the streaming platform Netflix from the 26th of December in the year 2025. The flick has been directed by JK Chandru, in which a woman’s life becomes a mess due to an accidental death, which involves a powerful gangster. Entertainment Andhra King Taluka The Telugu action, comedy, and drama series Andhra King Taluka will soon be streaming on Netflix. The series features Ram Pothineni and Bhagyashri Borse and is going to be available on the streaming platform on 25th December 2025. The series is helmed by Mahesh Babu Pachigolla. Entertainment Middle Class The Tamil family drama Middle Class, starring Munishkanth and Vijayalakshmi Agathiyan, is set to be launched on ZEE5 on December 24, 2025. The movie holds a heartwarming storyline based on a middle-class man named Karl Marx and his family and contains a mixture of comedy and emotional moments. Entertainment Ithiri Neram The Malayalam romantic drama, titled `Ithiri Neram’ and directed by Prasanth Vijay, starring Roshan Mathew, Zarin Shihab, will go live on Sun NXT with OTT Play Premium from 25th December, 2025. The movie revolves around the reunion of ex-lovers when they recall their past life on a single day. Entertainment Nidhiyum Bhoothavum The Malayalam mystery thriller, Nidhiyum Bhoothavum, will also be streaming on Sun NXT from the 25th of December, 2025, onwards. The movie will feature actors Anish G Menon, Ashwath Lal, and Mohammed Rafi, and will have a suspenseful plot. The narrative will also carry some creepy elements. Entertainment Rajni Gang The Tamil horror-comedy Rajni Gang, starring lead actor Rajni Kishan, will be streaming on Prime Video from December 24, 2025. The horror-comedy blends both horror and comedy genres, which makes it a light and fun film to watch during the festive season. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Read More

Entertainment Home News and Gossip ‘There was no…’: When Rasika Dugal OPENED UP about why intimacy coordinators are…, REVEALS…. Rasika Dugal once opened up about her experience while shooting intimate scenes for Mirzapur and the importance of having intimacy coordinators. Read ahead to know more about the same. A popular Bollywood actress, Rasika Dugal, achieved immense popularity through Mirzapur. In the web series, she had been involved in many intimate scenes with Kulbhushan Kharbanda. Rasika shared her views on the intimate scenes in the show. She talked about the importance of intimacy coordinators on sets. In an interview given to Bollywood Bubble, actress Rasika Dugal talked about the changing ways in which the shooting for intimate scenes has been happening. Entertainment Rasika Dugal on intimate scenes in Mirzapur Actress Rasika Dugal stated, “I had a lot of intimate scenes in Mirzapur. They were not so common at that point in time. Everybody on that set was my friend, so I had it very simple. When the role had come to me, I talked to Karan Anshuman about every scene. He had even told me that if I was feeling uncomfortable with someone’s presence on the set, he would make sure that person would not be there on the set. Fortunately, that was the environment that existed for me.” Entertainment When are intimacy coordinators important? The actress went on, “Agar ye situation kisi keliye na ho, toh tabhi intimacy coordinator ki bahut jaroorat hoti hai. I was lucky. There was no structure for such scenes, but now there is. So, I am very grateful for such things. Intimacy coordinators are very important now on the set to make actors feel comfortable doing such scenes.” Entertainment How is an intimate scene shot? When discussing the shooting of intimate scenes, Rasika said that the entire procedure is quite technical. She said that, just like the directors, intimacy directors have their own way of working. Actors need to undergo workshops and exercises to know each other’s comfort zones. There is a particular person who looks after all the requirements of the scene, like closing the set if it’s needed. She revealed that all the difficult scenes were rehearsed. She talked about how even the fight sequences were rehearsed and practiced. Entertainment Importance of filmmaking during these scenes When Rasika was questioned about whether she was comfortable with Kulbhushan Kharbanda in intimate situations, she stated that in Season 1 of Mirzapur, they had not had intimacy coordinators on set. However, she went on to say that this was exactly where the skill of filmmaking became important. She explained that they had shot the scene by working with silhouettes and technical angles and that this had been easier to handle. Additionally, she felt that it was not such a big challenge for them, as they had dealt with the situation with utmost professionalism. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Read More

Entertainment Home News and Gossip Avatar Fire and Ash Box Office Collection Day 5: James Cameron’s animated film MAINTAINS pace, mints… The first two instalments of the “Avatar” franchise came out in December 2009 and December 2023. The third movie in the series is the most recent release. Here’s a look at Avatar Fire and Ash box office day 5 collection. Avatar Fire and Ash Box Office Collection Day 5: Avatar Fire and Ash, one of the year’s most anticipated films, debuted in theatres on December 19. In India, the movie’s box office receipts have been consistent. The film failed to reduce the nation’s Dhurandhar fever, despite expectations to the contrary. James Cameron’s big sci-fi story may challenge the Bollywood espionage thriller, as the weekend receipts demonstrated, but the weekday revenues did not. The overall box office receipts have surpassed Rs 80 crore five days after the film’s debut. Entertainment Avatar Fire and Ash box office collection day 5 In comparison to its Monday profits, James Cameron’s complex endeavour saw a small increase in receipts. The Sacnilk report states that on Tuesday, Day 5, the film made Rs 9.25 crore at the box office. As a result, the third instalment of the Avatar series has brought in a total of Rs 85.50 crore. Entertainment Avatar 3 day-wise collection Avatar 3 showed very good day-wise performance at the box office. On its opening Friday, the film got Rs 19 crores, and weekend strong growth followed with Rs 22.5 crores on Saturday and Rs 25.75 crores on Sunday. There was a fall in collections during the weekdays, with Rs 9 crores on Monday and Rs 9.25 crores on Tuesday, which made the total collection in five days Rs 85.50 crores. Apart from the Indian box office numbers, which are not bad, the film has been hugely successful at the worldwide box office. Entertainment Avatar 3 theatre occupancy The report states that on Tuesday (Day 5), December 23, 2025, the James Cameron film had an overall English occupancy of 20.84%. The movie had an overall 20.51% Hindi Occupancy on Tuesday. Entertainment More about Avatar Fire and Ash The first two instalments of the “Avatar” franchise came out in December 2009 and December 2023. The third movie in the series is the most recent release. The fourth and fifth parts, which James Cameron has previously revealed, are reportedly now in separate stages of development. The following two sequels will be released in 2029 and 2031. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Read More

Entertainment Home News and Gossip Bharti Singh CRIES while holding her newborn for first time; fans react ‘Gola aur Kaju…’ [Viral Vi… In a recently uploaded YouTube vlog, Bharti shared the happy moment where she held her newborn son for the first time. Read ahead to know more about it. Comedian and actress Bharti Singh was blessed with her second son with Haarsh Limbachiyaa on Friday (December 19), and the couple is soaking in the wave of love and happiness. The good news was announced on social media, which instantly delighted fans and well-wishers. Bharti is one such celebrity who is critically known to share moments of her personal life through her regular YouTube vlogs, and she recently opened up about the emotional journey she encountered post-baby birth. In her Tuesday upload, Bharti revealed that for the very first time, she was able to hold her newborn after two days. She became quite emotional and broke down in tears of happiness just talking about it. Entertainment More about Bharti’s vlog Bharti mentioned that immediately after birth, the newborn gets taken away for routine tests and observation, which was the reason behind the brief but emotionally overwhelming separation. The comedian said that when, for the first time, the staff brought the baby to her room, she could not control her emotions. She asked the nurse to place the baby in her arms, and the moment became really emotional. Bharti called her newborn “Kaju” and was seen fondling it with love and affection, her feelings overcome with the long-awaited moment. Netizens congratulate the comedian Fans took to the comment section of the vlog to congratulate Bharti and Harsh and extend their well wishes to the newborn. One user said, “Gola and Kaju ko bahut bahut blessings. Dono hamesha khush rahe,” while another commented, “No nazar to Kaju and Gola.” Evil eye emojis and heart emojis filled the comment section of the YouTube video. Entertainment What did Bharti say in the vlog? In this vlog, Bharti exudes her happiness and says, “Kitna pyaara hai. Finally, Kaju mere haath mein aa chuka hai. Ekdum sundar aur healthy baby hai, Golle ki tarah. Bahut jaldi iski shakal hum aapko dikhayenge. Finally, mera Kaju mere haath mein hai. Do din baad baccha mila hai yaar. Khush rahe, baccha healthy rahe.” Her words reflected both relief and immense gratitude of a mother who had finally taken her baby close into her arms. Entertainment Bharti debunks rumours Earlier it was reported that Bharti was rushed to the hospital after her water broke while shooting for Laughter Chefs Season 3. However, Bharti later shared a post stating that the reports were not true. She revealed that she was at her Mumbai home when her water bag burst around 6 pm. On the doctor’s advice, Bharti, along with Haarsh, family members, and their son Laksh (whom they lovingly call Golla), reached Breach Candy Hospital to deliver the baby girl there. On December 3, 2017, Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa became husband and wife in a gala wedding event in Goa, after many years of dating. On April 3, 2022, the couple welcomed their first child, a boy named Laksh. Now, fans are excited for more pictures and glimpses of Baby Kaju. Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today! Read More

Entertainment Updated on :  23 Dec 2025, 4:52 pm Tyler Thomas Taormina’s Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point begins with the adage: “For the lost, may they find their way home on Christmas eve”. It’s a motif that holds true for almost every single one of the innumerable Christmas flicks flooding the OTT platforms this festive season. These cloying, Hallmark style, formulaic, feel-good family films are invariably about conversion of Santa Claus haters to staunch believers or single young men and women, with broken hearts, eventually finding their soulmates amid festival preparations. However, Taormina’s film, while focused on a large extended family, bucks the schmaltzy for the offbeat and the romantic for the real and relatable. Since its premiere in the parallel Director’s Fortnight segment at Cannes last year, it has begun finding its way into several Holiday Films guides and watchlists and is often described as a contemporary Christmas classic. Nothing much happens on the surface as an extended family gets together for the annual Christmas celebrations at the ancestral home in Long Island. While the rest adhere to the long-standing traditions and rituals, two teenage girls break away to mark Christmas their own new way with a bunch of friends. Taormina’s style is strikingly frenzied, especially at the start, with lights flashing past a speeding car in which Kathleen’s (Maria Dizzia) family, including her daughter Emily (Matilda Fleming), is rushing to her mother’s home. Things are just as frenetic inside the bustling house full of people. Cheerful welcomes, hugs and kisses, elaborate meal preparations, video games of the kids, raging hormones of the teens—a deliberate sense of chaos holds sway. The soundtrack is also suitably flush with many-splendored songs. Taormina strings together several moments. It’s all about incessant chatter as the camera moves from one set of random, banal, everyday conversations to the next. While parents worry about their kids locking themselves in their rooms and not getting outdoors enough, kids think their fathers are narcissists. The elders dutifully sing the carols, and the reckless youngsters dismiss the Christmas gifts as “capitalist propaganda”. The camera is like a fly-on-the-wall and as an audience it feels like we are peeping into the private space of a family, one that feels annoyingly like our own. In this visual pandemonium it gets difficult initially to get the broader family tree together. Who is related in what way to whom? You keep wondering. Not that it really matters. However, gradually the relationships—the aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces—start falling into place. Beyond the family is also the cozy community, gathered to watch the parade. There are the goofy cops and the hysterical diner lady, the firemen and the store attendant—in as much of a muddle as the family itself. Despite the huge, seemingly unwieldy ensemble, each of the characters manages to stand out as an individual even while merging in with the crowd. The not-so-well-known but talented cast includes Steven Spielberg’s son Sawyer and Martin Scorsese’s youngest daughter, Francesca. Her Michelle, along with Fleming’s Emily, stand out as the two rebellious teenagers. As Taormina frames the matriarch in solitude, a brooding, melancholic air descends. There is a definite movement of the mood and shift in tone. The rambunctiousness and loud cheer make way for sombreness and slowly fault lines begin to appear as siblings argue over the way forward in dealing with the mom’s deteriorating health and the possibility of selling the home. Just like any other family in any religion or culture and any part of the world. Old home videos ring in a flood of memories, alleviate differences and ring in reconciliations and harmony, at least at that moment in time. Who knows where they’d go from here? Taormina doesn’t offer any closures, the open-endedness reflecting the familial bonds that are constantly in a state of negotiation and renegotiation. Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point is essentially a nostalgic, bittersweet tribute to the power of continuities and togetherness of families. Read More

Entertainment Updated on :  23 Dec 2025, 3:49 pm The camera follows a high-end model car. An energetic, yet mysterious music from AR Rahman swells the scene. The camera angle shifts from bottom to top angle and the car door opens in a slightly forced manner. Enter: Ramya Krishnan as Neelambari in a black jacket and short white dress. The camera comes back down to the ground, signifying the first time she looks at a man who can match her ego. In front of the screens, the audience are seen hooting and screaming, for a female icon had for the first time, challenged a superstar, the man of the masses, and stood at the glorious reception of fans even after 26 years. The legend of Neelambari has surprisingly been passed down with pride and spoken about in high regard even after two decades. With Padayappa’s re-release ruling over the box office once again, gen-Z is looking up to their mother who slayed with her fashion choices and hairstyles that have served as lookbooks for crafting the ideal femme fatale. Commanding screen presence aside, she was the ‘It Girl’ of Tamil cinema before it even became a trend—the woman who had it all before her Id decided to take over. She makes no bones about revealing her innate primal desires, sensuality included, to Padayappa and goes one step further to remark, “Enakke unna pidichurukku, you’re very lucky.” Neelambari doesn’t believe in grounding herself and has both her legs up in the air, demanding that she needs him for “poovukkum thevaikkum sevaikkum”. In Freudian terms, she is a complete fascinating overlap of ego and id where the superego has no chatter in the picture. Tamil cinema and its fans are currently yearning for a supervillain to beat Neelambari, but decades of efforts have gone down in vain. The tempestuous storm cloud is bedazzling pop culture devouts with her rage in 2025. Some might call it unapologetic aura farming, but for Neelambari, 2025 is just another calendar year to throw away trends to the wind and reclaim her lost spirits. Theatres are currently in a festive fervour, celebrating two figures driven by starkly different ideals and ideologies, locked in a battle of pride and ego. Yet Neelambari cannot be read purely through the lens of idealism—nor would the present generation be willing to. She set the benchmark for a brave woman, wielding her unapologetic ego in the face of entrenched patriarchy. But in the end, it was her desperation, more precisely, the consuming fire to claim Padayappa at any cost, that overtook her entirely. Her independence came at the cost of her narcissism and her strength was built from stomping her foot on the working class.  Most importantly, she used her self-awareness to continue seeking revenge rather than peace. According to her, no man was a match for her beauty and talent and would shame them for not upholding gendered roles and ideals of a man. Yet, she herself did not hold the same yardstick for her character. She constantly defied patriarchal notions and rules, but that also doesn’t make her a feminist or an icon for heralding feminist ideas. Neelambari’s regressiveness is also rooted in her image as an oppressor to put Vasundhara (Soundarya), a maid, “in her place”. Neelambari’s privilege and classism blinds her from seeing Vasundhara as a fellow woman who is just as stuck in a patriarchal set-up as her. In fact, all the women in Padayappa are cause and effect of the same issues. Besides Vasundhara and Neelambari, Savithri (Lakshmi) is constantly instructed by Dharmalingam (Sivaji Ganesan) while Meena (Lavanya) agrees to Ramalingam’s (Manivannan) decision of getting her married to Surya Prakash (Nassar). Also, Neelambari’s toxic need to avenge her miseries refuses to leave her till the very end, extending even to her nephew Chandru (Abbas) and Padayappa’s daughter Anitha (Preetha), making her the last person to root for. Rage is beautiful, as Bharathiyar once said, “Rowthiram Pazhagu” (Practice Righteous Anger) and one can throw kilos of confetti on Ramya Krishnan for her gloriously unhinged, if I can say, portrayal as Neelambari. Yet, her rage stems from deeply ingrained insecurities, shaped by societal expectations and perhaps her own internalised standards. Instead of addressing these layered conflicts, the narrative is “enriched” by pitting one woman against another—a fiery, dominant lady against a meek and submissive woman, a classic internalised misogyny move. The latter was presented as an “ideal” green saree, while the former becomes the red saree (IYKYK) that comes with multiple warning signs. While the red-saree metaphor may hold some truth, reducing women to such extremes only confuses audiences into believing one version is morally superior to the other. In reality, women are flawed, complex individuals, often a blend of both Vasundhara and Neelambari, sometimes even within the same breath. However, like many others, Neelambari was a product of her time and era — where men wrote and showcased the definition and repercussions of being a strong woman in a male-dominated, morality-driven patriarchal society. A Gen-Z Neelambari—let’s call her Neelu—might have simply walked away after Padayappa rejected her proposal. A woman secure in herself would have prioritised choosing herself, practising self-love instead of waiting for a man to “serve” her. She may have sought therapy after her plans were repeatedly thwarted by the male hero. Perhaps—just perhaps—Rajarathnam (Radha Ravi) wouldn’t have rushed to Padayappa to “fix” his daughter after she has a rage-filled episode of throwing and breaking things. May be, in another world, Neelambari and Vasundhara might have been best of buddies, chasing Padayappa away, while audiences watched them build a life together, Netflix-and-chill included. Read More

Entertainment Updated on :  23 Dec 2025, 3:42 pm Actor Vinayakan has sustained an injury during the ongoing shoot of Aadu 3, according to a report by Manorama News on Tuesday. The actor suffered muscle and nerve damage while filming action sequences in Tiruchendur a few days ago. The injury reportedly occurred during the shoot of stunt scenes involving a jeep. Following continued physical discomfort, Vinayakan sought treatment at a private hospital in Kochi last Saturday. An MRI scan conducted subsequently revealed serious damage to his muscles and nerves, sustained during the shoot. Doctors have advised the actor to take six weeks of rest. Vinayakan plays the gangster Dude in the Aadu franchise, a recurring character who has featured in the first two instalments and is returning in the third film as well. There has been no official statement yet from the makers regarding whether the injury will affect the film’s shooting schedule. Headlined by Jayasurya, the Aadu franchise is written and directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas. Jayasurya reprises his popular role as Shaji Pappan, the short-tempered and swaggering tug-of-war team leader whose antics form the comic backbone of the series. The Aadu series began in 2015, with the first film initially failing at the box office before gaining a strong cult following through its home video release. This renewed popularity led to Aadu 2, which went on to become a commercial success. The third instalment is being mounted on a larger scale, with the makers describing it as an “epic fantasy” unfolding across multiple timelines. Aadu 3 is being co-produced by Friday Film House and Kavya Films, and features a returning ensemble cast that includes Vijay Babu, Saiju Kurup, Indrans, Aju Varghese, Srinda, Sunny Wayne, Bhagath Manuel, Sudhy Kopa and Bijukuttan. On the technical front, the film has cinematography by Akhil George, editing by Lijo Paul and music by Shaan Rahman. Vinayakan was last seen in the recently released Mammootty-starrer Kalamkaval, which is currently enjoying a successful theatrical run. Read More

Entertainment Screengrab from the Avengers: Doomsday teaser featuring Steve Rogers Published on :  23 Dec 2025, 3:24 pm Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers is officially returning to save the world once again in Avengers: Doomsday, which is set for a theatrical release on December 18, 2026. The makers of the Avengers franchise unveiled the first of the four teasers, which are set to be dropped one after the other this week, confirming Steve Rogers’ return. But it remains to be answered whether he will return as Captain America. The glimpse shows Rogers returning home on his motorcycle as the piano rendition of the Avengers theme plays in the background. The teaser proceeds with him taking out his Captain America suit in admiration, after which he also holds his baby in his hands. We need to wait for the film’s release late next year to see which timeline Rogers is in. The set of teasers, which began with Steve Rogers’ glimpse, will conclude with the one featuring Doctor Doom. The previous instalment, Avengers: Endgame, would have concluded with Steve Rogers passing the baton to Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) as the new Captain America, as he retires in peace with the love of his life, Peggy Carter, in another timeline. Directed by Russo Brothers, the upcoming film, written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, will feature heroes from the Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men joining hands to square off against Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr). The film’s star cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Channing Tatum, and Pedro Pascal. The two-part Avengers film, with the first being Avengers: Doomsday, hits theatres on December 18, 2026, while its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, is slated for a release on December 17, 2027. Read More

Entertainment Updated on :  23 Dec 2025, 3:18 pm On the surface, Patang might look like a frothy rom-com entertainer. But the element of sports—kite-flying— is very integral to the idea. In fact, that was the origin point for writer-director Praneeth Prattipati, who makes his directorial debut with the film. Praneeth recalls, “I was fascinated with kites, though I didn’t know how to fly one. One day, at a friend’s house on Sankranthi, I saw the sky was filled with kites. It was a vibe, and I thought, ‘Why haven’t we ever made a film on this? We watch it every year; it’s our sport, our culture. We make films on everything, so why not this?’ That’s how the idea kicked in.” At the same time, it’s the element of kite-flying competition as the backdrop that also brought so many challenges for the team to make the film in the first place. He adds, “My friend Vamsi Pujit (who also plays one of the leads in Patang) and I began pitching a film together. It was 2019. We pitched it to many producers, and everyone was gung-ho about the idea until we began discussing VFX budgets. After COVID came, there was greater worry among producers about giving considerable budgets to a film with newcomers.” Praneeth recalls how his friend Nani put together the project and got investors. “He didn’t compromise on anything, and we finished shooting in early 2024.” That’s when the real challenge began for Patang team, though, as Praneeth shares how he really underestimated the VFX process. “We didn’t know what we were getting into. Especially with the kites’ visuals, we had no reference point,” he adds. The overall VFX process took 14 months, Praneeth recalls, adding, “After seeing the footage, the studio doubled the quotation. We eventually hired Kishore, a freelancer from Vijaywada, who did the kite CG for us. Every time we faced a delay, we thought, ‘Okay, we will release it next month.’ But this pattern would happen every time, where at every stage of CG work, we underestimated the time required for the process. And yet, we didn’t compromise on anything. Until we were satisfied, we didn’t leave it. From Manja to kites, it is all CG in our film.” While the VFX challenges came as a surprise, there was one thing Praneeth was sure about: getting the female protagonist right. By a simple glance at the trailer, one can tell the film also explores a complicated love triangle, built around two lovers and a boy who cannot seem to understand that he has been rejected. Praneeth elaborates, “Preethi’s character will be a surprise. The best part is that the drama comes from the characters. That’s why they are tricky, and there’s a fine line that needs to be maintained while portraying them. I could’ve made a film like Baby with the same script, but I don’t want to, because we have to deal with it sensibly.” Praneeth explains further, “If we see a girl in an equation with two boys at once, we instinctively think negatively of her. However, people should empathise with her. That empathy comes from good writing and casting. You cannot hate the character.” The debutant director talks at length about why Aishwarya’s character was so crucial. “I kept rewriting some scenes, tweaking little things even after finishing the first schedule. There should be innocence in her character, and that was my priority.” Praneeth also talks about how they accidentally ended up making a ‘Gen Z’ film. He notes, “When I penned the script, it was in an experimental zone. My goal was always to show the journey of three flawed characters. Now, young people are more accepting of ideas like this, where they relate to their flaws, instead of labeling them as ‘negative.’ When I wrote the script, the term ‘Gen Z’ was not in vogue; now it has become more relevant. That’s an advantage for us.” Meanwhile, another tough road lies ahead for Patang, as it competes with half-a-dozen other films on the same weekend — Champion, Dhandoraa, Shambhala, Bad Girlz, and Eesha. Pointing out where Patang stands apart, Praneeth says, “We were aware of the competition. What reinstated our confidence in our film was its genre because there is no other fun entertainer this weekend. Even if all other films are great, we’ll have that edge. We just hope the word-of-mouth spreads well enough,” he says. Talking about his growing up years, Praneeth recalls, “Even in school, I just wanted to stay home and watch films. I didn’t have too many friends, and films were my escape. When I was in 10th grade, I would make short films with my cousin, using a Digicam.” Growing up as this introverted film buff, Praneeth was sure of becoming a filmmaker at that age itself, and didn’t have any backup plans. He did an animation course right after finishing school. “I could not see myself in a 9-5 job ever. So I began my pursuit of direction right there.” Being an introvert, Praneeth talks about how ‘people management’ was one of his major learnings as he went about making Patang. He adds, “I don’t like people calling me ‘sir,’ but sometimes people take you for granted otherwise. It gets tricky. However, one must be smart enough to understand people and deal with each of them accordingly. I sure hope to implement this in my next film.” And while it remains to be seen whether Patang stands out among a plethora of releases, Praneeth has already begun working on his next script, which is a pure comedy. Talking about his early years, Praneeth recalls enjoying comedy movies the most, especially many of the Kamal Haasan-Crazy Mohan collaborations. “I also picked up a bit of Tamil with these films. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen Panchathantiram and Michael Madana Kamarajan. If you think Patang is funny, I am sure my next film will be ten times funnier,” he concludes. Read More

Entertainment Home»News»Perfect Family: Pankaj Tripathi reveals the big reason why he didn’t choose OTT release for his production debut» Pankaj Tripathi turned a producer for his web series, Perfect Family and did it differently. Despite gaining fame for his OTT roles, the actor did not choose to release his own series on any conventional digital platform and opted for YouTube viewing instead. He experimented with the series by dropping two episodes on YouTube for free, and the other six on pay-per-view basis. Why did he do that though? The Mirzapur actor revealed the same during an interview with News18. Here’s everything he said… Entertainment Why Pankaj Tripathi chose YouTube over OTT for Perfect Family Pankaj Tripathi revealed during the interview that he decided to release Perfect Family on YouTube because it allows for higher creative freedom as compared to OTT. “Sometimes when the stakes are more and the investment is higher, too many creative minds get involved. That’s why I decided to put my first production venture on YouTube. We didn’t have to take permissions from any platforms, creative entities or legal teams. I endorse creative freedom. I want a creative person to translate their vision onscreen without any obstacles. It’s the audience who should decide if something is right or wrong,” the actor-turned producer shared. Pankaj Tripathi’s experience with OTT censorship Pankaj Tripathi Recalling how the essence of scenes were lost owing to censorship time-and-again on OTT, Pankaj shared how the creative team member kept running toward him asking him to cut off certain dialogues because they require go-ahead from the legal team. “While shooting for web shows when I improvise a certain line as an actor, I see a creative running towards me and asking me to not say the line as a pre-approval is needed from the legal team. I was confused and kept wondering if we really need to take permissions from our lawyers to even mouth a dialogue!,” Tripathi shared. The second instance, he recalled, was when he was reciting four lines from a poem. The actor was stopped when filming for the scene, and had to call up the poet’s son to request permission and being granted so easily. “I understand copyright issues when it comes to music. But such problems shouldn’t occur when it comes to poetry,” he stated. Perfect Family FAQs: Q: When is the Perfect Family web series releasing? A: Perfect Family released on November 27, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Q: Where can I watch the Perfect Family web series? A: You can watch Perfect Family exclusively on the JAR Series YouTube channel. It marks a unique distribution strategy for a long-format web series in India. Q: Who is in the cast of Perfect Family? A: Perfect Family features a robust ensemble cast including Neha Dhupia, Gulshan Devaiah, Manoj Pahwa, Seema Pahwa, and Girija Oak Godbole. Read More