4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 7, 2026 09:08 PM IST

Anyone who has watched Mardaani 3 knows that this time, the makers have centred the film around the sensitive issue of child trafficking. Coinciding with the film’s release and promotions, reports claiming that over 800 people had gone missing in just 15 days in Delhi were circulated, leading to panic. The figures were widely circulated on social media, amplified by several influencers, and soon snowballed into a full-blown panic among the public.

The situation escalated to a point where the Delhi Police had to step in. While the police did not deny the authenticity of the data itself, they raised concerns about the manner in which the issue was being projected online. In a strongly worded statement, the authorities claimed that the narrative was being pushed through ‘paid promotions’ for monetary gains, sparking speculation that the comment was an indirect reference to the promotional campaign of Mardaani 3. Amid the growing chatter, Yash Raj Films (YRF) has now broken its silence and released a statement.

ALSO READ | ‘Paid promotion’: Delhi Police reacts to viral videos claiming girls going ‘missing’ in national capital

What YRF said

Responding to the allegations, a YRF spokesperson told SCREEN,“Yash Raj Films is a 50-year-old company founded on the core principles of being highly ethical and transparent. We strongly deny the accusations floating on social media that Mardaani 3’s promotional campaign has deliberately sensationalised a sensitive issue like this. We have immense trust in our authorities that they will share all facts and truths in due course of time.”

How the ‘800 missing people’ claims began

A few days ago, a PTI report stated that over 800 people went missing in Delhi during the first 15 days of 2026. The report triggered widespread alarm and intense online discussion. Prior to this, social media had already been flooded with posts claiming that around 60 girls had gone missing in Mumbai within 36 days—a claim that was later dismissed by Mumbai Police as fake.

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Soon after, the Delhi data—based on official records—was picked up by multiple media houses and shared extensively across platforms, reigniting fears around women’s safety.

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Delhi Police flags ‘paid promotions’

Taking to its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Delhi Police issued a clarification, stating: “After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains won’t be tolerated, and we’ll take strict action against such individuals.”

The police further clarified that while the data is accurate, the numbers are consistent with historical averages and do not indicate any sudden or abnormal spike.

Why Mardaani 3 was dragged into the controversy

Following the police statement, several content creators and influencers suggested that the alleged paid promotions were linked to Mardaani 3, given the film’s theme involving the kidnapping of young girls for scientific experimentation.

One influencer commented, “Look at the coincidence—Mardaani 3 is based on mass disappearances of girls, and at the same time, news of 800 girls going missing surfaces.” Calling it out as “cheap publicity,” such claims further fuelled online speculation.

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However, with YRF categorically denying any involvement, the matter continues to remain under scrutiny as authorities investigate the source behind the paid amplification of the issue.

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 6, 2026 02:27 PM IST

Streaming giant Netflix released their 2026 slate for their Indian fans earlier this week, and one of its titles attracted negative attention almost instantaneously. Director Neeraj Panday’s cop thriller Ghooskhor Pandat, starring Manoj Bajpayee, immediately attracted legal complications as many claimed that the title vilified the Brahmin community. A lot of legal chaos has already ensued, and after Neeraj Pandey, the lead actor, Manoj Bajpayee, has broken silence on the whole matter.

Why the row over the title

The use of the word Pandat, which is associated with the Brahmin community or a priest, religious scholar, with ghooskhor (someone who takes bribes) has raised the heckles. As per the legal notice, the title impacts the dignity of the Brahmin community and hurts sentiments. The notice demands the immediate withdrawal of the title Ghooskhor Pandat, calling it defamatory, unconstitutional and socially incendiary.

Manoj Bajpayee on Ghooskhor Pandat row

Bajpayee took to his Instagram account and addressed the delicate situation. He wrote, “I respect the emotions and concerns people have shared, and I take them seriously. When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen. As an actor, I come to a film through the character and the story I am playing. For me, this was about portraying a flawed individual and his journey of self-realisation. This was not meant to be a statement about any community.”

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(Photo: Instagram/Manoj Bajpayee)

The actor defended his director and said, “In my experience of working with Neeraj Pandey, there has been consistent seriousness and care in how he approached his films. The filmmakers have decided to take down the promotional material in light of the public sentiment. This shows the seriousness with which the concerns are being taken.”

Neeraj Pandey apologises and takes down teaser

Before Bajpayee, Neeraj himself took to social media and decided to apologise for hurting sentiments. He wrote on Instagram that, “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.”

He added, “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.”

Legal action against the film and director Neeraj Pandey

According to a report by ANI, Neeraj Pandey and his team have been named in an FIR filed at the Hazratganj Police Station, Lucknow. The makers are being attacked for the title, with the complainants claiming that it “hurt religious and caste sentiments.” The teaser of the film suggests that the protagonist, played by Manoj, is a corrupt police officer. This doesn’t sit right with many people who are claiming that this creates an unnecessary correlation between a certain caste and corruption or other vices.

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A writ petition has also been filed at the Delhi High Court, demanding a stay on the release of the film. The legal problems and red tape don’t stop there, as the makers also have to deal with complaints to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and allegations from the Film Makers Combine.

The former problem is a result of a letter sent by NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) to the I & B ministry. The complaint suggests that the film promotes “negative stereotypes” and it disregards the complexities of India’s “social fabric”.

Rani Mukerji as Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 3.

“It says that evil is gender-neutral. Power, unrestricted and unaccounted for, corrupts whoever is holding it, whether it’s a man or a woman. It’s not binary,” she adds. Does a woman antagonist in a franchise like Mardaani also imply that it’s also the women who perpetuate crimes against other women? Mallika interrupts mid-sentence and claps back, “No, that’s a man’s story. Bury it before it’s even stated.”

But being a woman also makes the antagonist of Mardaani 3 more complex and layered. Infamous as ‘Amma’, she has motherly instincts of her own, even though on the other hand, she weaponizes those very instincts to lure young girls into her dhandha. “That makes us think about our nature as human beings. So long as it’s our child, it’s the mother’s instinct. But everything else is about profit. So, she finds a way to manipulate the other kids, shows them a brighter future of samundar or freedom, drugs them, and takes something away from them. To an extent, all of us are like that. When it comes to our own, we’re all motherly. But otherwise we’re the perfect monster,” says Mallika.

*Spoiler alert* Mallika also points out that her motherly instincts are rather intertwined with her business because even when she adopts a boy, she turns him into another monster, a more ambitious and ruthless one at that. “She adopts him because she sees the same grit and unhingedness in him. She’s actually creating a global second line. I don’t know too many women who are that smart these days. And she’s a woman from the streets. I’m actually very proud of Amma,” says Mallika. *Spoiler alert ends*

She insists that I quote her on that last sentence even though it could go very well against her. That’s because as a theatre actor and a teacher of acting herself, Mallika places empathy at the top of the list of virtues. “She has fought her way up from bondage. God knows what she did to that dalal she worked for. Her rise is the power she had to pay for the power she holds now,” says the actor, adding, “When you see somebody rise from nothing, you’ll recognize that it couldn’t have been for nothing. You realize the toll it took on them. That’s where you get empathy from a character so different from your own life.”

But the empathy for Amma doesn’t prevent her from cracking what she admittedly admits is a bad pun. “Her ‘organs’ were removed and ‘donated’ when she was just 13, but that’s when she rose through the ranks to become the don of an ‘organized’ crime. Sorry, I needed to crack that bad joke. But I admire her journey from rising from the ground and now running a kingdom on fear,” says Mallika.

Like her character, Mallika has also hustled her way into the film industry. She landed an audition for Mardaani 3 when casting director Shanoo Sharma spotted her playing Zubeida in Abhishek Chaubey’s 2024 black comedy thriller show Killer Soup on Netflix India. “Shanoo told me this two days ago when I asked her. I’ve gotten even my earlier work on the basis of my previous work. When I sent the self-tape, she said she hadn’t seen anything like that in a long time. That made me really happy,” says Mallika, smiling.

She credits Shanoo and Aditya Chopra as the reasons “why I’m here today”. Aditya Chopra famously told Vishal Jethwa, who played the antagonist Sunny in Gopi Puthran’s Mardaani 2, that he has to match up to the great actor that Rani is. But his feedback for Mallika’s performance was fairly minimal. “He gave me no notes. He loved what I did,” she says, adding that she feels “very happy” to stand in the same pantheon of Mardaani villains as Jethwa and Tahir Raj Bhasin from the inaugural part, which released back in 2014.

However, unlike those men, Mallika didn’t get a chance to share the frame with Rani. Even the limited scenes they shot together were done using stand-ins. “That’s actually something you have to learn to do, to stay within the continuity. Even in your close-ups, many people will stick their hands out for you to talk to them, but I don’t like that. I’d much rather imagine the other character in the empty space there,” confesses Mallika.

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Every Mardaani villain so far has had to fight his way out of being stereotyped as an antagonist. Mallika shares that concern, but is optimistic of experimenting. “Sometimes, that’s the journey an actor also crafts. But there have been people who’ve done a very different thing from their last one. Like Fahadh Faasil does a negative role, then the lead role, and then even a minor role. But there’s an expansiveness to an actor who’s exploring different characters. I imagine I want to do that too. Sometimes, the same story told by somebody else will be a completely new world,” she says, signing off with those glinting Amma eyes.

4 min readNew DelhiFeb 5, 2026 09:29 PM IST

Veteran actor Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan Shetty has returned with the blockbuster success of war drama Border 2 after being away from screens after his debut Tadap (2021). However, the actor didn’t appear in any more projects after that and even faced speculation that he was ousted from Sajid Nadiadwala’s Sanki due to high entourage costs. But now, in a recent interview, his father Suniel defended him, claiming that Ahan has never gone overboard with his entourage. He also revealed that he himself brings his own food and water from home.

During a candid conversation with Lehren Retro, Suniel supported the high fees and entourage costs of actors, on the condition that they should become an equal partner in the film. “They are asking for more, I agree, but they are taking what they have a right on, because a lot of recovery also happens. The excel sheet and your math says that you can bring the numbers. My point is that you should charge that much, but join the film as a partner. Take a share. A lot of factors matter for a film to work at the theatres – the right time, marketing, a good film, combination of artists, and others. You should become a partner so that you are also involved and can do the math,” he said.

‘Suniel Shetty brings his own food, water’

When asked about the rumours suggesting his son Ahan Shetty’s entourage was excessive, the veteran actor firmly replied, “Ahan has never gone overboard with his entourage. These are all rumours. This gossip was circulated as per the producer’s convenience. If the producer says that he can show a bill, then I will see. There the father steps in and will step in, very very clearly. Don’t spread lies to hide your weaknesses, because it’s not fair on Ahan.”

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He continued, “These are all rumours. And unfortunately, this is the condition of films now. Ahan is very very careful with his entourage. And if it’s his entourage, he will pay for it. He is aware of that. When Suniel Shetty takes his food and water from home… my staff has been told that if you are eating the unit’s food then it’s fine, but if you want to order from outside, put the bill under my name and not the producer.”

After citing his own example and the instructions he has given to his team, Suniel further added, “My staff can’t dare to do otherwise, so Ahan’s staff would definitely not do it. And, Ahan has just arrived, this is his time to settling into the industry, so there are no tantrums. Ho hi nahi sakta (it’s not possible).”

Bollywood entourage costs skyrocket

For the unknown, Ahan Shetty’s high-budget action-thriller, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, opposite Pooja Hegde, was set for a 2025 release. However, the project was put on hold reportedly due to high production costs – expensive entourage expenses and difficult market conditions.

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Entourage costs have become a massive issue for the Hindi film industry with actors often bill producers for their staff costs and demand multiple vanity vans. Earlier producer Karan Johar had spoken about it,  “I have an ethical problem with entourages, not a financial one. We set a fixed budget for such needs. But if an actor wants anything beyond that, be it a personal trainer or specific dietary requirements, they should cover the cost themselves. I will pay for it only when it’s essential for the film, like in a sports drama requiring a certain physique. But if you are a regular hero, then your job is to look good, and look fit, you are an artist. If you want to eat healthy food, please go ahead, but why should I pay for that?”

3 min readNew DelhiFeb 5, 2026 09:19 PM IST

Netflix recently celebrated celebrated its 10 years in the country, and to mark the occasion, it announced over 20 new movies and shows. One of them was the series Family Business that marked the return of actor Rhea Chakraborty, who has not worked for seven years. She recently took to social media to share her gratitude and what this chapter of her career means to her.

Rhea posted a video on Instagram, where she can be seen getting ready for some kind of event, presumably the announcement event of Family Business. The caption of the video said, “7 years have passed since I went to set, but I’m still the same girl who came to Bombay at 17 with a dream to be an actor. A part of me moved on, but a part of me stayed and waited. And I’m here, once again in my chapter 2. It seems ‘life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.’”

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In the video, Rhea Chakraborty could be heard talking about how this is a “surreal” experience for her and that she never thought about acting again. She said, “I have done a film after 7 years. 2019 was when I last shot for Chehre, and now my next show is releasing. It’s actually really bizarre — It’s surreal almost. I didn’t expect to act ever again. It’s unreal in a way, because it’s like a dream, right? Like, this was my dream when I was 17, and then all of that happened, and I stopped getting work.”

The successful entrepreneur added, “I had to not keep living this dream. And then again, you’re back on it, but you have changed a lot. Because now you have a different career. In many ways it doesn’t mean as much to you, but in many ways it still means more than it did before, right? This is the kind of entertainment that is scripted. Well, that was also scripted.”

The cast of Family Business also includes Anil Kapoor, Vijay Varma, Dhruv Sehgal, Neha Dhupia, Raima Sen, Akash Khurana, Apara Mehta, Nandish Sandhu, Anant Nag, Rohan Vinod Mehra, Tina Desai, Kanwaljit Singh, Madhoo and Inayat Sood.

3 min readChennaiFeb 5, 2026 08:30 PM IST

Choreographer Shakti Mohan has ended the long-standing debate about whether she performed Katrina Kaif’s stunts in Dhoom 3’s “Kamli” song once and for all. The choreographer spoke about Katrina’s dedication to her craft and revealed how the actor insisted on doing every step herself despite receiving bruises all over her body.

When asked if she did Katrina’s stunts in the song, Shakti said, “Has anyone see me do stunts in reality show Dance India Dance? Also, if I have to be a body double of Katrina Kaif, don’t I have to have a very different type of skin tone? My skin tone and height doesn’t match with her. How can I be her body double?”

Clarifying how Katrina performed all the steps herself in the song, Shakti said, “I was assisting Vaibhavi Merchant during the song. This was before I started working as a choreographer. So, Katrina had to do the song solo and they needed somebody to teach her the moves. We rehearsed for 1.5 months. And I had to do the dance in one take.”

Shakti added that Katrina’s performance put pressure even on the choreographers. “This was a crazy experience for me because when Katrina came in, suddenly there was so much pressure on everyone that you have to dance like her despite me being a professional dancer. I have been doing this all my life. And Katrina was like I am not going to give up. She would perform all the steps one after another minus all the stunts. Just for the stunt, they got the body double from France. Her body double in that song actually settled in India and got married here,” Shakti said.

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Recalling Katrina getting bruised while shooting the song, Shakti said, “There were so many things that a body double could do instead of her, but Katrina insisted that she wants to do. There was this one very difficult step where you were required to do the back arch, but she didn’t give up. She had bruises all over her body. She is very hard-working. Also, after the shoot got over, she sent me a bag to my home with a very nice note.”

A Reddit post even cited her example while discussing the importance of early investments. But Ruby says the assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. In a recent interview with Bollywood Thikana, Ruby addressed the chatter and explained the real reason behind her current work and pricing. “I used to charge about Rs 1 lakh per show in the 90s for anchoring events. For shoots, I charged per day depending on the project’s budget,” she said.

Reflecting on the drastic shift over the past two decades, Ruby—who had largely stepped away from active work—explained why she suddenly started making videos and charging Rs 1,000.

“I have been living a quiet life for about 20 years. I am often spotted in Lokhandwala with my family. The house we live in is about 30 years old, so I thought of revamping it a little—just painting and refreshing the space. But that turned into a slippery slope. Suddenly, there were carpenters and painters everywhere. What was supposed to be a small update became a full-scale renovation, something I had never dealt with before.”

The expenses, she said, quickly escalated.

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“I was spending nearly Rs 20,000 every day. Midway through, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and everything stopped. When the lockdown lifted, I realised nothing matched anymore and decided to redo everything. Again, the daily expenses started. Over time, I spent a lot of money.”

Accustomed to a quieter lifestyle, Ruby said returning to a 12-hour shooting schedule wasn’t an option. “I had to take care of my kids, my home, and myself. One day, while sitting in my car, I was manifesting—wondering if I could find a job that could be done over the phone. I needed to earn because my savings had gone into the renovation.”

Clarifying her financial position, she added, “By God’s grace, I have everything. But the liquid money from my FDs was spent. To rebuild that, I needed to work.”

Around this time, an organisation called WEE approached her to anchor an event focused on women restarting their careers in their 50s. “When I read the script, it made me think—what would my dream project be? And it hit me: life coaching. I had always wanted to be a life coach.”

According to Ruby, the transition felt natural. “Without even realising it—and without charging—I had been offering life coaching since I was 25. Several women credit me for their achievements. That’s when I decided to make it a profession. People from across the world now reach out to me. I act as a mentor and sounding board.”

Explaining why she keeps her fees low, Ruby said, “In India, people still hesitate to go to psychologists but are comfortable talking to a friend. That’s where a life coach comes in. I kept my fee at Rs 1,000 so it remains accessible.” She added, “If I charged in thousands, only celebrities would approach me. I wanted this to be for everyone.”

For Ruby, the choice also aligns with her personal philosophy. A student of philosophy with spiritual inclinations, she says money and fame were never her goals—reasons why she stepped away from the spotlight at just 30. “This keeps me happy. I take two to three calls a day, earn Rs 2,000–3,000, and that’s enough. I’m only earning for day-to-day life. I have everything else. Life coaching gives me liquid cash.”

Ruby’s coaching spans personality development, meditation, and weight loss. “I teach people how to lose one kilo in a day—completely safe and natural. I have collectively lost about 500 kilos myself. After both my pregnancies, I lost 30 kilos each time. My programme is very successful, with a healthy maximum of two kilos per week.”

At 51, with two grown-up children, Ruby says she may now take up selective offline gigs as well. “I have started accepting anchoring assignments again. But those won’t be cheap—I’ll charge standard industry rates.”

Despite walking away from celebrity status at her peak, she has no regrets. “I am glad I am not so famous that I can’t live a normal life. I am grateful I can spend time with my kids and move freely in public places.”

Mithun asked Namashi to travel in an auto for audition

“When I started looking for work independently in Mumbai, I got an audition offer for an ad in April 2016. I told my dad about it and he said, ‘Go for the audition.’ But then he added, ‘You’re not going in the Mercedes today. The audition is in Andheri, take an auto from here, go to the jetty, then take another auto from there.’ He told me, ‘Today, my son is not going for an audition. Namashi Chakraborty, a first-timer, is going to give an audition. Go with that attitude,’” he said.

At the time, Namashi questioned whether travelling by auto really mattered. His father insisted that the journey itself was part of the lesson.

“He told me I had to start my journey from zero and forget the comfortable life I had lived till then. That day, for the first time in my life, I took an auto and went to Versova jetty. I gave a good audition, but the project didn’t work out. Still, that day taught me what independence really means. Even today, I travel by auto when I need to go somewhere. That day, he removed the baggage from my shoulders, he made me understand that I am independent and must do everything on my own. It was very humbling. I felt uncomfortable at first, but then I realised it was for my betterment.”

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People’s reactions changed knowing he is Mithun’s son

Namashi also spoke about how people’s reactions changed once they realised  he was Mithun Chakraborty’s son during auditions.

“The moment people found out I was Mithun Chakraborty’s son, they would make me sit in an air-conditioned room, which I hated. Other boys had come for the same audition I had, just because I’m someone’s son doesn’t mean I deserve anything extra. I have to prove myself. I would tell them, ‘Please don’t treat me specially. Treat me the same way you treat other actors.’ When you’re auditioning for the same role, talent should matter, not the surname. If the surname matters, then the entire exercise is useless,” he said.

Rejecting the insider-outsider debate, Namashi added, “I don’t believe in insider or outsider because in front of the camera, only talent matters, not your surname or background.”

How Namashi landed a role in The Bengal Files

Speaking about The Bengal Files, Namashi mentioned that while his mother mentioned his name to filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, the role eventually came his way only after proving himself through auditions.

“My dad shares a stronger bond with Pallavi Joshi ma’am than with Vivek sir. They’ve been friends for 40 years. Vivek sir has been associated with my dad since The Tashkent Files. When The Bengal Files was being made, my dad didn’t even mention my name. It was my mom who casually told Vivek sir that her younger son is also an actor. By then, my film Bad Boy with Rajkumar Santoshi sir had already released.”

Namashi recalled being called to Vivek Agnihotri’s office. “I told him I wanted to work with him. He asked if I’d do a villain’s role. I paused for a second and said yes. Then he said, ‘You won’t do a hero’s role?’ I said yes to that too. He told me he thought I would only want to play the hero. I told him I’m open to everything.”

He explained that the role came after multiple rounds of auditions. “He auditioned me for the role of Gulam, then for another character, and then again for Gulam. There were three rounds of auditions, and only after that did I get the role. My dad had no contribution, and my mom didn’t get me the role either. I earned the character after three auditions.”

4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Feb 6, 2026 09:20 AM IST

Since the release of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, audiences have begun revisiting Nikkhil Advani’s spy actioner D-Day. Released over a decade ago, D-Day was a major box-office disappointment at the time. However, with the benefit of hindsight, the film has steadily found appreciation, with many now recognising it as ahead of its time, arriving even before Neeraj Pandey launched his spy escapades with Akshay Kumar’s Baby, and Kabir Khan attempted a similar terrain with Saif Ali Khan’s Phantom. Back then, Advani pulled off a remarkable casting coup in what is often regarded as his finest work, bringing together Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Arjun Rampal, Huma Qureshi, Aakash Dahiya and Chandan Roy Sanyal.