Bollywood
Sanya Malhotra: Great to see female characters being written with empathy
Ever since her debut in Bollywood with ‘Dangal’ in 2016, Sanya Malhotra has played myriad roles on-screen which are close to reality. She says unless new generation of actresses question ‘stereotype’ and demand to change the image of women in cinema, the shift will not happen.
After her debut, Sanya has appeared in films like ‘Pataakha’, ‘Photograph’, ‘Pagglait’ and ‘Meenakshi Sundareshwar’ to name a few.
In a conversation with IANS, Sanya said: “I think the kind of character I have acted on-screen so far, as an audience I want to see them because they are the women I have grown up seeing! Whether it is Jyoti, Sandhya, Meenakshi…we are those women. The good thing is, writers are now writing them with empathy and not with sympathy.”
She added that as an audience, she is “demanding the right representation of women on-screen.”
“We really have to break those stereotypes. As an actress of the new generation, I surely feel the responsibility to choose and say the right thing. There are a few things about women in cinema we have just normalised, and maybe it is time for us to question them too. Yes, change is happening but we have a long way to go!”
Sanya will next be seen in ‘Love Hostel’, which revolves around a young couple Ashu and Jyoti who got married in an inter-faith relationship. As it was against the will of their parents, they had to elope, and eventually, the parents of the girl’s family decided to run after their lives for honor killing.
She admits that the story of ‘Love Hostel’ was the best script she read in 2020, the 29-year-old actress shared how difficult it was for her to find the right note to play the character.
“Our world is so different. Jyoti’s reality is so different from who I am in real life or even the circumstance I have grown up into. The only way we could have done it right is to surrender to the script completely and that is what our director has motivated us to do.”
“Honestly speaking I had no reference point to it, so in some of the scenes in the film where Jyoti was going through some kind of trauma that I could never imagine. Those were tough moments. As an audience, we connect to Ashu and Jyoti with a lot of empathy and what I love about the whole story is, no matter how bad the situation was, they never lose hope,” she concluded.
The film is directed by Shanker Raman, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Drishyam Films. ‘Love Hostel’ also featuring Bobby Deol, releases on ZEE5 on February 25.
Bollywood
India release of Korean thriller ‘Hope’ pushed to October 23

Mumbai, Sep 29: The release of the much-talked-about upcoming Korean sci-fi thriller ‘HOPE’ has been pushed.
The drama, which was originally scheduled to be out in the cinema halls in India on September 25 this year, will now get a theatrical release on October 23, 2026.
The release was delayed so that there is sufficient time for the requisite screening of the film and certification process by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Now, the English version of the movie has been approved by the CBFC without any cuts, whereas the certification process for its Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions is presently underway.
Presented by Plus M Entertainment and backed by Forged Films, along with, Plus M Entertainment and Westworld, the drama is being released in India via Star Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
The worldwide release for ‘HOPE’ is slated for November this year.
Meanwhile, the project will premiere in the UK, Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland this week. Following this, it will be out in Argentina, Germany, France and Spain in October, along with other international markets.
‘HOPE’ has been made under the direction of Na Hong-jin, the renowned filmmaker known for his work in ‘The Chaser’, ‘The Yellow Sea’ and ‘The Wailing’.
Set in a remote port town, the film talks about what happens when they discovery an unidentified object, triggering a mysterious and dangerous chain of events.
‘HOPE’ enjoys an ensemble cast led by Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Taylor Kitsch, along with others.
‘Hope’ had its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2026.
The drama has become the highest-grossing Korean film in the US, crossing USD 7 million.
While Hong Kyung-pyo is on board as the cinematographer, Kim Sun-min is the head of the editing department.
Bollywood
Shilpa Shinde says Salman Khan would’ve ‘sorted out’ Shivangi Joshi, heaps praise on Qazi Touqeer, Mahhi Vij

Mumbai, Sep 29: Actress Shilpa Shinde has praised Salman Khan for the previous ‘Bigg Boss 20’ Weekend Ka Vaar episode, where the superstar slammed trolls and shared that she wished he was in the previous show she did so he could have “sorted out” contestant Shivangi Joshi, whom she cryptically calls “Annabella”.
Shilpa took to Instagram, where she shared a video backing contestants Qazi Touqeer and Mahhi Vij, calling their approach to the game “very straightforward” and “real”.
In the clip, she said: “I hope you are watching Bigg Boss. I watched Bigg Boss, especially the weekend episode. The episode I watched last Saturday, my God, my heart is so cold.”
She added: I wish I had played Salman Khan in the show I just did. Then I would have beaten Anabella. I would have never said that your game is very good. But what can I say, I enjoyed it so much. My heart is so cold after watching the weekend episode.”
“And I don’t know why, the whole house is behind me with Qazi and Mahhi.”
Shilpa said that “it’s very real, it’s a reality show. Whatever you are, you look. And these people are not bad at all. They are playing very straightforwardly. So I want everyone to like them, support them because they are real.”
“The rest of the people seem to be hiding something from themselves. There is something and show something else. But anyways, I enjoyed it a lot. Salman Ji, you made my heart happy. I missed you a lot in this lock-up show. And this is especially for you, for Salman Ji.”
Talking about Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa, was hosted by Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh. The grand finale streamed on 5 August 2026, where Shreya Kalra won the season and received a cash prize of Rs. 1 crore, and Shivangi Joshi finished as the runner-up.
Meanwhile, the 20th edition of Bigg Boss started on September 6. It has a diverse lineup of 16 celebrity contestants including names such as MC Mary Kom, Kanika Mann, Mahhi Vij, Kushal Tanwar, Aman Gandhi, Isha Rikhi, Arishfa Khan, Qazi Touqeer, Asif Khan, Aamrapali Dubey, Rhiti Tiwari, Uditi Singh, Tanmay Singh aka ScoutOP, Yung DSA and Love Gill.
The show airs on JioHotstar and Colors.
Bigg Boss is an Indian Hindi-language reality television show of the Bigg Boss franchise in India that airs on Colors TV. It is based on the Dutch format of Big Brother. The 20th edition started on September 6.
Bollywood
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wears crown at PFW, joins Celine Dion, Kendall Jenner, Eva Longoria and Simone Ashley on stage

Mumbai, Sep 29: Global icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan walked the runway at the Paris Fashion Week alongside some of the biggest names from the international entertainment and fashion fraternity.
The actress attended the Paris Fashion Week, held at Place Joffre against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower on September 28.
The show brought together global ambassadors and personalities including Kendall Jenner, Eva Longoria, Céline Dion, Simone Ashley, Viola Davis, Jane Fonda, Cara Delevingne and Andie MacDowell.
The actress along with the other global icons was seen having a blast on the stage and was seen wearing the crown as she walked the ramp.
Aishwarya wore a deep velvet creation, featuring elaborate detailing and a crystal-embellished cape. Her newly showcased burgundy-red hair added a striking contemporary element.
Many reactions online referred to Aishwarya as “royalty” and even praised her appearance at the Paris event.
In another video, Eva Longoria and Aishwarya were captured sharing a warm moment backstage.
The actress was recently spotted at the Mumbai international airport as she made her way to the airport and headed to Paris for the event.
Aishwarya’s association with global fashion and cinema events dates back to her Cannes debut in 2002.
Back then, she arrived at the festival for the premiere of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas, which was screened at the prestigious festival.
Accompanied by director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-star Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya made a memorable entrance in a traditional yellow saree, with the trio arriving in a horse-drawn carriage.
The following year, she returned to the festival as a member of the feature-film jury, becoming the first Indian actress to serve in that role.
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