Bollywood
Kunal Kapoor: Actors are ‘helpless pieces of puzzle’

He made his Bollywood debut in 2004 with ‘Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities’ opposite Tabu in a directorial by late renowned painter M.F. Husain. Kunal Kapoor has been in the industry for 17 years and has featured in popular Hindi films such as “Rang De Basanti”, “Bachna Ae Haseeno”, “Don 2”, “Dear Zindagi” besides “Raag Desh” to name a few.
Between 2018 to 2020, he has only featured in a handful of Hindi movies like “Gold” and “Koi Jaane Na’ before entering the OTT space with “The Empire”.
Talking to IANS about whether it was a conscious choice to take it slow, the actor explains.
“As an actor, unless you are not right at the top,… I feel like… actors are very helpless pieces of the puzzle,” Kunal, who served as an assistant director on the sets of the 2001 film ‘Aks’ said.
The 43-year-old said: “People feel that actors are very powerful but I don’t think that’s true because someone writes the content for you and comes to you with a script, then someone produces, directs and gives music… which might be successful or not successful.
“Then somebody releases and finally audiences like it or don’t like it… The only thing which you make is the choices that you make at a script level.”
Kunal, who “loves” being on film sets, shared the reason why he is not seen much on the big screen.
“Unfortunately the scripts that I have been getting have not been exciting because these are roles I have either played before or very similar sort of roles or I have not been excited about the content so if I had a choice I would be on a film sets 24×7 because I love films sets and I would be acting everyday,” he said.
“But unfortunately the content that has been coming my way are not the sort of content I enjoy.”
Close to two decade his Bollywood journey is an “interesting” one, is how Kunal likes to call it.
“There have been ups and downs like there are in every actor’s career. There have been some great opportunities and then there have been some mis-opportunities. There’s been times where you have felt a great amount of success and there have been times of failures as well but I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” said the actor.
Kunal, who trained for an acting career under British-born Indian theatre director and teacher Barry John, simply loves being in the movies.
“This is the place that I enjoy the most. I love being in the movies. I love telling stories. Whether it is an actor, writer, producer and hopefully a director — this is the place that I want to be and tell the stories,” said the actor, who is seen playing the role of Babur in “The Empire”.
‘The Empire’ streams on Disney+ Hotstar.
Bollywood
Indian cinemas biggest stars rally behind WAVES 2025 event in Mumbai

Mumbai, April 19: The who’s who of the Indian film industry are set to attend the WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) in Mumbai.
On Saturday, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Railways of India took to his X, formerly Twitter, and shared a promotional video featuring the biggest stars of Indian cinema including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Vikrant Massey and Nagarjuna.
In the video, the actors talk about the upcoming event, and also reveal that the conversation will be taken forward by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
It’s also revealed in the video that the event will see thought leaders from the entertainment industry, and pioneers across the industries lending their inputs to the event.
The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) is a global platform that unites pioneers, visionaries, and aspiring creatives from the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry.
The event is organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Create in India Challenge, and is poised to be a groundbreaking forum for discussions, collaborations, and transformative innovations.
It is sponsored by Netflix and orchestrated by Reskilll, and is set to redefine the future of storytelling, filmmaking, and digital content creation.
Waves Summit 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary. With over 3,000 applications, only the top 600 candidates were meticulously selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The ‘Trailer Making Competition’, the event’s crown jewel, saw an overwhelming 134 entries, showcasing an array of creative talents eager to make their mark in the industry.
The event has seen over 3,000 applications, of which top 600 candidates have been selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The event is set to be held in Mumbai from May 1 to May 4 in the BKC area of Mumbai.
Bollywood
A.R. Rahman reveals how news about his personal life affects his mental state

Mumbai, April 17: Music maestro A.R. Rahman, currently preparing for his ambitious “Wonderment” tour, has admitted that news and rumours about him do take a toll on his mental well-being. In an exclusive conversation with Media, A.R. Rahman opened up about his preparation for the ‘Wonderment’ tour, the use of AI in music, his mental state, and much more.
When asked, “Music requires a happy state of mind, do news and rumours about you that circulate everywhere affect you?”
Rahman replied, “I think every artist goes through this. Sometimes they are in a very, very sad state, and they have to do ‘Chhaiya Chhaiya’ or ‘Hamma Hamma’. You can’t say I’m not in the mood. They will go to somebody else. Sometimes you are very happy, and they want you to do the saddest song. You should be ready for it. In music, you have to be in a very neutral condition. You are almost like an actor. You are sad inside but you have to play happy.”
When further inquired , “But as an artist and as a human being, does it really affect you when you read so much about yourself.” Opening about it Rahman quipped, ‘It does, It does affect but it’s part of the game. The ups and downs.”
For the unversed, A.R. Rahman’s wife announced her divorce with him in the month of November 2024. Soon a social media post went viral accusing Rahman of having an extra-marital affair with one of his band members which led Rahman to issue a statement. He also announced to take a legal action against those spreading defamatory news about him.
Further during the conversation, A.R. also spoke about his health and shared a message with his fans stating “Thank you for all the love. Sorry to have scared you. The hospital gave something which went viral. I am here healthy with all your prayers and love. See you on the 3rd at D.Y. Patil stadium.”
In the month of March, A.R. Rahman was admitted to the hospital in Chennai due to chest pain.
Bollywood
R Madhavan reflects on his glorious 25 Years: ‘A Journey beyond my wildest dreams’

Mumbai, April 14: One of the most versatile actors, R Madhavan marked 25 glorious years in the Indian film industry on Monday.
The ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’ actor chose to commemorate the occasion in the most soulful and humble way, with a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Joining him were his ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ co-stars, Akshay Kumar, and Ananya Panday, as the trio sought blessings ahead of their much-anticipated film’s release on April 18.
Madhavan took to his official IG and dropped a picture of him offering prayers, alongside Akshay and Ananya.
He penned a heartfelt note on the photo-sharing app, reflecting on his 25 wonderful years in the Indian cinema.
He said, “25 Glorious, Wonderful, Rewarding and Blessed years as a Film actor…. Journeys beyond my wildest dreams…with Ecstasy and Agony for constant companion, yet with all the LOVE earned that overwhelms my Heart to this day…. And So… during this very spontaneous Pilgrimage on this very Auspicious and Special day (14th April 2000 when my FIRST FILM ALAIPAYUTHEY Released)..Just To Surrender and show GRATITUDE for all the blessings that can either be Explained nor Justified AAAAA.. Thank You and Guide me.”
As mentioned in the post, Madhavan made his debut with Mani Ratnam’s 2000 flick “Alai Payuthey” and never looked back since.
From memorable roles in “Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein”, “3 Idiots”, and “Tanu Weds Manu” to the critically acclaimed “Shaitaan”, Madhavan’s journey has been rich with diverse characters and impactful stories.
Now, he is looking at another powerful performance as Advocate Neville McKinley in “Kesari Chapter 2”.
A spiritual sequel to the 2019 outing, “Kesari”, the film is a cinematic adaptation of the book “The Case That Shook The Empire” by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, centred around C. Sankaran Nair and the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
The Karan Singh Tyagi’s directorial has been produced by Dharma Productions, Leo Media Collective, and Cape of Good Films.
-
Crime3 years ago
Class 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra7 months ago
Mumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra6 months ago
Mumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra7 months ago
False photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News7 months ago
Ministry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Crime6 months ago
Baba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
-
Maharashtra5 months ago
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News7 months ago
J&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface