Karan Johar is as well known for his flamboyant sense of style as he is for his films. Beyond his work behind the camera, the filmmaker is a familiar on-screen presence, hosting talk shows, making frequent appearances, and showcasing a distinct fashion identity. What many may not know is that while he assisted Aditya Chopra on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, he also worked as a costume assistant on the film. In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Johar looked back at those days, sharing anecdotes about his first interaction with Shah Rukh Khan and some memorable costume mishaps on the sets of DDLJ.
When Karan Johar advised Shah Rukh Khan on jeans
Johar recalled one of his earliest interactions with Shah Rukh Khan. “When I was an AD, my first interaction with Shah Rukh Khan was about the fit of his jeans. He used to wear Wrangler jeans and I asked if I could give him Levi’s instead. When he asked why, I said they would fit him better and give him a sharper silhouette. He paused, went to Adi and asked, ‘Who is this and what is he saying?’” Johar said, laughing.
The DDLJ scarf crisis
Talking about his DDLJ days, Johar remembered a last-minute costume problem during the iconic song Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna. There wasn’t enough red fabric for scarves for all the dancers.
“I told Saroj Khan ji’s assistant that it would look stylish if the dancers kept one hand in their pocket and held the scarf in the other. I said it would look cool and different. Otherwise, using both hands would look like Yamma Yamma song,” he recalled.
But when choreographer Saroj Khan saw the step, she immediately questioned why one hand wasn’t being used.
“She caught hold of me, pushed me and said, ‘Go wherever you have to — Goregaon, anywhere — and get the red cloth. Otherwise, I won’t shoot.’” Johar remembered rushing to Goregaon with the costume team, searching for fabric to fix the situation.
Shah Rukh and Kajol’s dungarees in DDLJ
Another styling choice that didn’t go down well with Saroj Khan was Johar’s decision to dress Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in dungarees for Tujhe Dekha To Yeh Jaana Sanam.
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“I remember in Tujhe Dekha to Ye Jaana sanam, there was a montage shot where I gave both Shah Rukh and Kajol dungarees. So, Saroj Khan came and she was like ‘ye baba, baby banke kyun aaye hain (why are they dressed like little kids)’ and I was like they are very in. She looked at me horrified. She was like ye kyun baat karta rehta hai (why does he even talk),” Johar said.
Ananya Panday wore Karan Johar’s clothes in Call Me Bae
Johar also spoke about his close collaborator and friend, stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania, revealing how their creative partnership works.
“Whenever Anaita works on a film, as she is a dear friend she has access to my wardrobe. For Call Me Bae, she came over and picked out clothes. What she does is genius. You will not notice Ananya Panday wearing my clothes, you will be like they are different measurements,” he said.
He also shared that he once invested in paintings by an artist who is now in jail. “And then there was an artist’s painting that I spent a lot of money buying. He is in jail now. At one point I bought five of his pieces and now he is in jail, so they have no value. So I regret that as well,” he said.
NEW DELHI: More than 1,300 athletes have been removed from the Khelo India programme over the last three years due to performance issues and doping violations, Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.Responding to a question on the performance of athletes enrolled under the scheme, the minister said 1,342 athletes exited the programme during this period, while 2,905 new athletes were inducted.“A total of 1,342 athletes have exited the programme during the last three years due to performance below the prescribed benchmarks and involvement in doping violations,” the minister stated in his written reply.He also explained how athlete performance is evaluated under the scheme.“…performance benchmarks are revised annually and are updated on the Khelo India website from time to time…Athlete performance is mapped and measured annually as per the prescribed protocols and in assessment camps,” said the minister.At present, over 23,000 athletes are being trained and supported across the country through the Khelo India programme. The Talent Identification and Development Committee (TIDC) of the sports ministry oversees the induction and exit of athletes, following an established process that includes performance assessment camps.Launched in 2017, Khelo India aims to identify and develop sporting talent at the grassroots level. Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker is among the prominent athletes supported under the scheme.The programme receives a significant portion of the annual sports budget. For the financial year 2026-27, an allocation of Rs 924.35 crore has been made for Khelo India.
Veteran singer Anuradha Paudwal has weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding music composer AR Rahman’s alleged “communal” remark, calling the latter a “saintly person.”
Speaking to ANI, Anuradha Paudwal backed the Oscar-winning composer. She shared, “From what I know of AR Rahman is through his music. I have never met him personally, but his music tells that he is a very saintly person.”
In response to media reports about Rahman’s communal comments, Paudwal highlighted how media questions are tweaked in a manner to evoke provocative answers. “I have been in the industry, and I have seen that when any artist, not only AR Rahman, but when any artist sits for an interview, the interviewer usually likes to frame questions in such a way to incite their desired response. The media, the channels, they don’t like straight interviews. Because they want something else,” she said.
The ‘Nazar Ke Samne’ singer maintained that Rahman has delivered countless tracks to the music industry. “AR Rahman has given us the greatest of numbers, and he is beyond all this. He has achieved so much. He is not at that stage where anybody can influence his career. That’s what I feel as a senior artist, he has done wonders with his songs. There is no meaning in it,” she added.
Paudwal’s reaction came in the wake of the controversy that erupted after Rahman, in an interview with BBC Asian Network, said that work from the Hindi film industry had slowed down for him in recent years and linked this to changes in the industry over the past eight years.
After that interview, reactions came from both fans and distinguished personalities, including the likes of Kangana Ranaut, Paresh Rawal, Ranvir Shorey, Subhash Ghai, and Shobhaa De among others.
New Delhi: In the latest development in Rajpal Yadav’s case, the Delhi High Court has adjourned the hearing on his bail plea to Monday (February 16) and directed the complainant to file a response.
During the hearing, counsel appearing for Yadav informed the Court that he had filed a bail application and requested that the other side be asked to file a response. He submitted that he had been unable to contact the actor and sought time till Monday, assuring the Court that he would work out something by then.
Accepting the request, the bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma directed the complainant to file a reply to the bail application and adjourned the matter to Monday for further consideration.
The Court also made strong observations regarding Yadav’s conduct, remarking that he had landed in jail because he failed to honour the commitments made earlier before the Court.
While going through the case file, the Court noted that several aspects had emerged and also pointed out that the earlier order had already been challenged before the Supreme Court, which did not grant any relief.
The matter will now be taken up on Monday after the reply to the bail plea is filed.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had withdrawn the leniency granted to Yadav in a series of cheque dishonour cases and directed him to surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent, observing that he had repeatedly breached undertakings given to the Court regarding payment of settlement amounts.
The sentence awarded by the trial court had earlier been suspended to facilitate settlement, but the Court found that the commitments made over time were not honoured, leading to the present proceedings.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 13, 2025.
Jim Watson | Afp | Getty Images
This report is from this week’s CNBC’s “Inside India” newsletter, which brings you timely, insightful news and market commentary on the emerging powerhouse. Subscribe here.
The big story
A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed India’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri at Energy Week in Goa, India. I was probing, trying to get a former diplomat of 50 years to give me a straight answer on why a U.S.-India trade deal was proving so elusive.
“I’m not trying to dodge you,” said Puri, repeating once again that discussions were “at a very advanced stage.”
Six days later, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a truce.
On Feb. 2, Trump removed the 25% additional penalty imposed for buying Russian oil, claiming that India had committed to stop these purchases. This claim wasn’t reiterated by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his post on X, however, and nor was it mentioned in the joint statement issued by the two nations.
But it marked a much-needed reset.
The relationship had hit a low point, said Vasuki Shastry, a senior advisor to geostrategic advisory firm Gatehouse. “They’re trying to desperately reset. India wants stability, the U.S. doesn’t want to lose India. This is the halfway house solution, the off-ramp for both.”
Audacity of opacity
In all the months since Trump shocked India by imposing the penalty for purchasing Russian oil, the nation didn’t stop buying, nor did it say it would.
India imports 85-90% of its crude oil. Pre-Covid, India wasn’t importing much from Russia, but the purchases ramped up nearly 40% following the Ukraine war, primarily due to the discount on offer.
Post Trump’s 25% penalty, particularly in the past two months, that number has been inching downwards toward the 20% mark, according to data and analytics firm Kpler.
In the nine days since Trump’s claim, neither India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal nor the Foreign Ministry has confirmed it. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India’s energy policy would be determined as always by availability and pricing considerations.
Shastry told me that energy is a national security issue and the Foreign Ministry statement was “absolutely on target.”
And then came another reveal: the U.S. revising its fact sheet on the trade deal.
It removed “pulses” from a list of products it said India would reduce or remove tariffs on, and replaced the word “committed” to say that India “intends” to make $500 billion worth of purchases from the U.S. over five years in the agreement.
Talk about collaborative narrative management.
It’s this audacity of opacity — that a straight answer isn’t needed — that has seen observers suggest this is a decision to remain “strategically ambiguous.”
“This is the best way for India,” said the former Indian trade negotiator and founder of Global Trade Research Initiative, Ajay Srivastava.
Shastry goes one step further. He believes India and the U.S. have together made the trade-off: let us be labelled opaque rather than losing face.
“There was an urgency in Washington since India concluded the mother of all deals [with the EU]. The real question is what is the actual understanding between the U.S. and India,” he said.
It’s notable that India and the U.S. have only struck an interim deal so far. The negotiations for the full bilateral trade agreement are yet to be completed. Goyal told Indian reporters: “A formal agreement on this deal will take 30-45 days and will be signed in March.”
It’s unclear, however, what India’s silence on buying Russian oil means for these negotiations. Will it be the elephant in the room with the potential to crush the negotiating table?
“There must be some understanding on this, an internal decision that is not being conveyed,” Srivastava said.
The Russia riddle
The possibility of backchannel talks with Russia also cannot be dismissed. India’s historic dependence on Russia for its defence needs cannot be overstated.
Shortly after Trump’s executive order that India had “committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” the Kremlin’s spokesperson chimed in to say, “we haven’t heard any statements from Delhi on this matter yet.”
It brought to mind the famous quote by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill about Russia: “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”
So can Russia ever be counted out?
“I don’t see India stopping to buy Russian oil,” said Sumit Ritolia, lead research analyst at Kpler. “Flows will continue, but we won’t see a level of 2 million barrels per day, or 40%. It will slowly move from the 20% or so it is now to 15% and I don’t see it going lower than that.”
He argues that the Indian refiner Nayara Energy, in particular, will continue buying Russian oil. It is majority-owned by Russian entities, including the U.S.-sanctioned Rosneft.
Oil prices
For now, the markets are happy there is a deal, says Vivek Sharma, head of international business at Nuvama Asset Services & Nuvama Private.
“The politics might be consuming the narrative, but it’ll die down. India’s been smart to remain ambiguous, remaining aligned with the U.S., without jeopardising its relationship with Russia.”
Sharma said that as the cost of oil is likely to keep falling or remain low, India will be able to reduce its share of Russian oil — all while saying it is following market forces rather than a U.S. diktat.
Kpler’s Ritolia believes the decline in India’s Russian oil purchases won’t have much of an impact on its import bill or global oil prices because a “trade shuffle” will occur.
“China will buy that Russian oil which India won’t, and for that it will have to let go of some other market, maybe The Middle East, which India would buy from. The Dubai pricing complex will get a bit of a premium.”
The larger concern for the oil market, analysts say, is the possibility of a U.S. and Iran conflict.
Top TV picks on CNBC
Sham Arora, chief technology officer at Tech Mahindra, talks about India’s AI ambitions and explores the options for labor and language in the country. He says India will continue to be an AI talent factory.
Feroze Azeez of Anand Rathi weighs in on India’s equity fund flows. According to industry data, Gold ETFs attracted more money than equities. Azeez says many HNIs chased a metals rally and fell for a “FOMO trap.”
Aberdeen’s James Thom says India’s U.S. trade deal lifts a key overhang, improving sentiment after months of underperformance. He sees easier liquidity, stable policy and stronger earnings supporting a market recovery.
Need to know
India’s central bank on Friday kept its policy rates steady, as trade deals with the E.U. and the U.S. are set to support the world’s fastest-growing large economy. “Successful completion of trade deals augurs well” for overall economic outlook, said Sanjay Malhotra, governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
New Delhi is ready to place orders worth up to $80 billion for Boeing planes, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, signaling the country’s willingness to expand trade with the U.S.
Quote of the week
I think the government has done well to protect the import of soybean and maize, because these are the two commodities which the U.S. was exporting to China in very large quantity.
— Siraj Hussain, former agriculture secretary of India
In the markets
Indian stocks slid amid mixed trading in the region on Thursday. The Nifty 50 declined 0.4%, breaking a four-session winning streak. The index is down more than 1% so far this year.
The benchmark 10-year Indian government bond yield ticked up slightly to around 6.709%.
The rupee strengthened 0.16% to 90.58 against the dollar. The currency has weakened around 0.8% against the greenback since the start of the year.
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SHOWTIMES:
U.S.: Sunday-Thursday,23:00-0000 ET Asia: Monday-Friday, 11:00-12:00 SIN/HK, 08:30-09:30 India Europe: Monday-Friday, 0500-06:00 CETCOST OF OIL
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the makers of the Netflix film ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ to change its title, observing that it was denigrative of a particular community and could not be permitted under the Constitution.
A bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna issued notice to the respondent filmmakers and asked them to suggest an alternative title.
The Court also directed them to file an affidavit indicating the proposed new name and detailing any other changes made in compliance with its order. The matter has been listed for further hearing on February 19.
The Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a stay on the release and screening of the upcoming film, alleging that the title and promotional material promoted caste- and religion-based stereotyping and hurt the dignity and religious sentiments of the Brahmin community.
During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna made strong oral remarks underscoring constitutional limitations on free speech. “Why should you denigrate anybody. It’s against morality and public order. Being woke is one thing. But creating this kind of unrest when there is already unrest in the country. We thought filmmakers, journalists etc. they are all responsible people and are aware of exceptions and reasonable restrictions of Article 19(1)(a) (Fundamental Right of Speech and Expression),” she observed.
Emphasising the principle of fraternity enshrined in the Constitution, the judge added that the framers were conscious of India’s diversity of races, castes and communities. “No section of the society should be denigrated. As long as late 40s the framers of Constitution were aware of the multitude of races, castes etc. So they introduced concept of fraternity. If you use your freedom to denigrate any section of the society we can’t permit it,” Justice Nagarathna remarked.
The PIL had sought to restrain the release of the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer, earlier titled ‘Ghooskhor Pandat,’ on the ground that the term ‘Pandat’ was being associated with corruption and bribery. The petitioner argued that such usage was defamatory and communally offensive, and that it undermined the dignity and reputation of the Brahmin community.
The plea was filed by Mahender Chaturvedi, who describes himself as an Acharya devoted to the study and teaching of Indian scriptures and spiritual traditions. Through Advocate Vineet Jindal, the petition contended that the term historically signifies scholarship, ethical conduct, spiritual guidance and moral authority, and that linking it with immoral conduct amounted to stereotyping and vilification.
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The petition further argued that while Article 19(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech and expression, it is subject to reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) and does not extend to defamation or content that may disturb communal harmony. It also alleged violations of Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the Constitution and raised concerns about the absence of an effective regulatory mechanism for OTT platforms.
Earlier, on February 10, the Delhi High Court was informed by Netflix that the producer had taken a “conscious decision” to change the film’s name in light of concerns raised. The Court subsequently disposed of the petition after noting that the petitioner’s grievance was confined to the title, which stood resolved following the decision to adopt an alternate name.
The order came after a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed seeking a stay on the release of Neeraj Pandey’s directorial. The plea alleged that the film’s title promotes caste and religion based stereotyping. It further stated that the title hurts the dignity and religious sentiments of a particular community.
As per PTI, A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan also issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and Neeraj Pandey on the plea filed against the movie. Questioning the intent behind the title, the bench said, “Why should you denigrate a section of society by using such a title? This is against morality and public order. We will not allow you to release the film unless you tell us the changed title.”
As per reports, the next hearing in the matter will be held on February 19, 2026. The Court has also directed the makers to file an affidavit submitting the new title along with details of other changes made in the film.
The Supreme Court’s order comes even as the makers had already agreed to change the title of the film. All promotional material related to Ghooskhor Pandat has also been taken down. Earlier, addressing the backlash surrounding the title, Neeraj Pandey had issued a statement agreeing to change the film’s name.
He wrote, “Our film is a fictional cop drama, and the term ‘Pandat’ is used simply as a colloquial name for a fictional character. The story focuses on an individual’s actions and choices and does not comment on or represent any caste, religion, or community… We understand that the title of the film has caused hurt to some viewers, and we genuinely acknowledge those feelings. In light of these concerns, we have decided to take down all promotional materials for the time being, as we believe the film should be experienced in its entirety and understood in the context of the story we intended to tell, rather than judged on partial glimpses. We look forward to sharing the film with audiences soon.”
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Apart from the PIL, an FIR was also registered against the makers of the film at Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station. The FIR alleged that the film associated the term “Pandat” with corruption. Protests were also organised in Bhopal, despite the makers having attempted damage control earlier. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) had also raised strong objections to the film’s title.
LAVA has expanded its budget smartphone lineup with the launch of LAVA Yuva Star 3 in India at ₹7,499. The new model follows last year’s LAVA Yuva Star 2 and is mainly aimed at first-time smartphone buyers, focusing on reliable performance, a large screen and long battery life at an affordable price.
The LAVA Yuva Star 3 has a 6.75-inch HD+ LCD screen (resolution 720 x 1600 pixels) with a 90 Hz refresh rate, offering smoother motion and a better visual experience compared to standard 60 Hz panels in this segment. The smartphone comes with an IP64 rating, making it dust and splash resistant, and is available in Indus Black and Siachen White color options.
The device is powered by 1.6GHz UNISOC SC9863A octa-core processor paired with PowerVR IMG8322 GPU, 4GB RAM (+4GB virtual RAM) and offers 64GB of internal storage, expandable up to 512GB via microSD card. On the software side, the phone runs Android 15 Go Edition, designed to deliver smoother performance on budget hardware while supporting core Android features.
For photography, the LAVA Yuva Star 3 is equipped with a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5 MP front camera for selfies and video calling. Powering the device is a 5,000 mAh battery with standard 10W charging via USB Type-C. Other features include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an FM radio, a rear speaker, 4G connectivity with dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS.
Commenting on the launch, Sumit Singh, Head – Product, Lava International Limited, said, “The Yuva series is designed for first-time users, with a focus on performance and design in the 4G portfolio. For Star 3, we have ensured that we cater to the affordable segment and all the necessary features like a dual rear camera, IP28, the real strategy users need. because the series relies on providing a balanced experience and value-driven, with good durability and trouble-free after-sales service.
The LAVA Yuva Star 3 is priced at ₹ 7,499 for its 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant and comes with a 1-year warranty + free in-home service, a key differentiator for Lava in the entry-level segment. The smartphone will be available across India across retail outlets starting March 2026.
LAVA Yuva Star 3 Price in India and Availability
Price: ₹7499 (4GB RAM + 64GB storage)
Available: Pan-India across retail outlets starting March 2026
Meta has announced the rollout of new AI-powered creative features on Facebook, aimed at helping users express themselves more visually across profile pictures, photos, Feed posts and Stories. The update introduces animated profile photos, AI-based tools, and improved text backgrounds, making Facebook interactions more dynamic and personalized.
Animate your profile picture
Facebook now allows users to animate their profile pictures, transforming still photos into short looping animations in seconds. Users can choose from preset effects like natural, party hat, confetti, ripple and heart, making it easy to match a profile picture with a mood, party or occasion.
For best results, Meta recommends using photos that:
Represent a single person
Show a clear, straight face
Do not include held objects
Users can select images from their camera roll or previously uploaded photos. Once animated, the profile picture can be displayed on the profile or shared directly to the Feed. The meta has confirmed that more animation styles will be added throughout the year, including seasonal and special event effects.
Restyle stories and memories
The Restyle feature brings AI-driven visual transformations to Facebook Stories and Memories. Users can apply predefined styles or use custom text prompts to change the look and feel of their photos.
After uploading a photo to Stories or selecting a Memory, users can tap Reset to fix it:
Styles: Anime, illustrated and more
Mood: Bright, dramatic, soft
Lighting: Ethereal, studio style
Colors: Cool tones, pink shades, vivid palettes
Backgrounds: Beach scenes, cityscapes and other environments
Facebook will also recommend Memories that are particularly suitable for Restyle when users share them in Stories, encouraging the creative reuse of past moments.
Enhanced text posts with animated background
Meta is also gradually rolling out still and animated backgrounds for text-only Feed posts. While composing a post, users can tap the rainbow “A” icon to select visual backgrounds like falling leaves or ocean waves.
Additional seasonal and themed backgrounds will be introduced over time, helping text posts stay visually appealing and timely without requiring photos or videos.
New AI-powered features are gradually rolling out to Facebook users. Meta says it will continue to expand animation options, seasonal effects and AI-driven creative tools throughout the year.
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